THE LOCAL AREA WATCH

THE FOOL'S GOLD OF A COLLEGE EDUCATION

Today Guv Jen gives her sixth State of the State address.  One of the misbegotten notions she will be peddling is that getting more kids into college will help to reverse Michigan's economic decline.  To that end, according to the Grand Rapids Press, she will pitch a new $300 million taxpayer fund to replace "industrial-model" high schools with those offering study "relevant to the real world".  That relevance is essentially college prep, as explained by Governor Granholm's education advisor Chuck Wilbur:  "[She] believes that to diversify Michigan's economy and create jobs, we have to transform our schools so that every Michigan student can attend a high school that prepares them for success in college and in the workplace."

To say the least, that puts the cart before the horse when it comes to building new businesses.  Exactly how pushing more and more kids into college to get degrees for jobs that don't exist in Michigan, because the businesses that would provide those jobs don't exist in Michigan, will make those businesses suddenly appear in Michigan is not clear.  Granted, companies occasionally move into areas to take advantage of workforces that have characteristics well-suited to their requirements, but it is hardly the rule for the formation of new businesses.  And to the extent that it does happen, it is because that area has a well-established reputation for a particular type of workforce, which is acquired over a period of decades not a few years.

So Granholm's new education program isn't going to turn around the Michigan economy.  What it would do is exacerbate the trend of spreading out what students used to learn in twelve years over sixteen or more years now.  Plus it would further gut vocational training at the high school level, shoving it off to tuition-greedy colleges more than happy to sell degrees for what had been learned through apprenticeships and OJT, and then putting our public high schools at the service of colleges as student prep factories for them.

There is no argument that college is the right path for a genuine liberal education or for training in a true profession (e.g., medicine or the law).  However, a college degree is fool's gold for those looking for jobs in sales, teaching, journalism, business management, and the myriad of other careers that have become ersatz professions because colleges have successfully persuaded students, parents, and employers that a prospective employee is not qualified without that degree.  The end result is that most kids who get a college degree today have nothing but an expensive credential that lands them a job that any high school graduate could have gotten a generation ago -- WITHOUT the heavy burden of paying back a student loan.  On top of all this, college-level training teaches kids even less than what they used to learn through high school vocational classes, apprenticeships, and job experience.

We are faced with serious, fundamental problems in education today.  Huge amounts of taxpayer dollars are wasted to provide educrats with sinecures who in return have wrecked the education of our children at all levels.  An excellent study by the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy on how this has happened in higher education by the overselling of college is available here.  (Thanks to the Maverick Philosopher for posting on this interesting paper.)

MICHIGAN MOVIE MADNESS

Mitch Albom, the talented sports columnist and author, spoke before the Michigan State Senate on Tuesday to exhort our solons to get off the dime and double the special tax breaks the state is already handing out to filmmakers.  According to the Detroit Free Press, the celebrity columnist told the Senate Commerce & Tourism Committee, "This is a booming, growing business, [and] there is a simple way for us to get into it.  Incentives will do it."  Specifically, he advised the senate to increase the special tax cut for production companies filming in Michigan from 20% to 40%.

No doubt we can be sure that Albom knows of what he speaks.  He certainly must be drawing upon a well of expertise in government fiscal policy and the filmmaking industry.  Certainly our senators didn't invite him to testify and then eagerly promise him quick action just because Mitch is a native son who is now a bigshot celebrity.  Right?

The real issue that our lawmakers should be considering is not whether Michiganders should give filmmakers an even bigger subsidy, but why are we giving them any subsidy at all?  If excessive taxation is stifling the growth of the filmmaking industry in Michigan, then it's stifling the growth of business in general.  If cutting taxes for one industry makes sense to get more of it in Michigan, then cut taxes across the board to get all businesses booming in the Winter-Water-Wonderland.  Yes, taxes need to be cut, but not as special favors for some and nothing at all for most.

Besides, what great boon would filmmaking bring to Michigan?  How much wealth would it create in this state?  How many jobs would be added?  How many tax dollars would be put in the public coffers?  It would be one thing if Michigan became a new hub for the filmmaking industry, instead of merely accommodating itinerant production companies, but then tax breaks aren't going to drive that development.  The fundamentals of what that industry needs to thrive would.  Either it makes sound business sense to make movies and t.v. programs in Michigan or it doesn't -- and taxation and regulation are just one part of that calculus for filmmakers.

Like the bio-tech boondoogle, we shouldn't let the politicians bet our tax dollars on the latest fancy in economic development.  What we should demand of our politicians are policies that get the state and local governments out of the way of businessmen who want to grow businesses and industries that are naturally suited to the many advantages that Michigan offers.  (And those advantages are big ones, which is why our state has been able to carry such a heavy tax and regulatory burden -- but only for so long as the current economic distress demonstrates.)  We don't need them picking which businesses and industries do and do not get the largesse of our tax dollars, especially when they rely upon the advice of such "experts" as Mitch Albom.

THUMBS UP TO LOCAL BLOGGER

Let's give a round of applause to Nick DeLeeuw and his fine website www.RightMichigan.com.  Nick's coverage of the Michigan political scene in the run-up to yesterday's presidential primary was top notch, and even garnered the attention of the national punditry, including National Review Online.  Clearly, RightMichigan is becoming the go-to place in the blogosphere if you want the latest on the machinations of Michigan politicians.  Good work, Nick!

DEMOCRATS FOR MCCAIN

FYI, folks.  I received information this morning that a prominent Democrat was urging Michiganders to vote for Senator John McCain in yesterday's Republican presidential primary.  Campaigners on behalf of erstwhile presidential hopeful Joe Biden, the Democratic senator from Delaware, phoned local citizens late in the day asking them to vote for his aisle-crossing colleague McCain.  Whether Biden's eleventh-hour endorsement was a peculiarity limited to Michigan because of the meaninglessness of the Democratic presidential primary or heralds something more ala Joe Lieberman, I haven't any idea.  But it was an odd thing nevertheless.

RING IN THE NEW, SAY GOOD-BYE TO THE OLD

Happy New Year 2008 L.A.W. Readers;

We end one year and begin another.  2007 was a busy and interesting calendar cycle. We expect 2008 to be the same, if not more so. After all, we have a partial new city commission to keep our eye upon and it is a big Presidential election year as well.

Areas we’ll continue to keep in the bullseye zone:

Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell
Grand Rapids City Commission (especially the two new members)
Grand Rapids Public School System
City Services
Local and regional businesses
City, county and state politicians
Those crossing the line

Periodically, we’ll provide commentary outside these areas and spotlight important books, movies, magazines and other mediums that we feel warrant your attention. And as always, we'll continue to look forward to your comments, thoughts and suggestions along the way.

We wish each of our readers a happy, healthy and faith filled year ahead.

Regards,

Bridget Dupont-Tingley
Editor
The Local Area Watch

William Q. Tingley III
Executive Director
The Local Area Watch