There are genuine criticisms of Perry’s initiative — for example, it seems to promote research universities and discourage the classical liberal education that was the norm until the liberal left took over academia — but this article is just blather.
BINGO! Note the key word in the following.
In words, it is a truth universally acknowledged that having an elite public higher education system is in some sense “good” for society.
Based on the evidence of the last 5 decades, I'd say academic elitism has done a great dis-service to our country.