College Degrees and Cool Cities.....and No Jobs

Our venerable Governor says that Michigan needs more people with college degrees to make us more “competitive” in the new global economy. Maybe she hasn’t looked at the border, but jobs are flocking out of our state and headed to sunnier, cheaper, foreign places thanks to NAFTA. In fact, the global economy is kicking Michigan’s butt. The answer, proclaims our wise and forward-thinking Governor, is more college degrees.

The reason? Well, other states that have more people with college degrees are doing better. Great. That’s the best she can do? More degrees with no jobs only means you have a more educated unemployment roll. Damn the jobs and pass the degrees!!!!

Of course, on my way into work this morning I hear a dire account of a person graduating with an education degree that simply cannot find work in Michigan. She was told that to find a job she would have to look in California, Florida, or North Carolina. WHAT? What about our Governor’s plan? That’s my point. We now have another set of educated people with no jobs and no hope of getting jobs in Michigan. We can educate them and send them to other states, apparently.

Maybe I expect too much from a leader who tells us that we need “Cool Cities” and provides funding to make it so. “Cool?” That term was old in the 70's. She could have at least made a “Phat Cities” initiative, which would be more in keeping with the State’s bulging waistlines. (At least we can lead the nation in weight!) Cool Cities means more bars and nightclubs to attract the few college grads that get jobs. Last I looked, the cities weren’t cool and the jobs were not flocking back to Michigan, even though some of our cities are now “Cool.” (I wonder what they were before they were “Cool?”......Maybe we could do a “Square Cities” initiative. “Square” is an old, out of date slang word.....maybe we could advertise that it’s now “Hip to be Square!” Oh, man....I’d be surprised if I didn’t get a call from Granholm’s people asking me to join their marketing team!!!!)

Well, I’ll just sit around waiting for my city to get Cool and for more people with college degrees to get here. I hope the Calvary of college educated, cool people is on its way, because Michigan sorely needs the help. In the meantime, I’ll hold my breath............

Blawgerman