Narrowing the gap between the haves and the have not's in society
is a long standing goal and despite the desire, the gap is getting
wider and the number of gaps is getting larger.
Years ago it was a money gap.
Now its an information gap as the haves have easy access to the
Internet while the have not's are reduced to lining up at the library
to go there, if they have a library to go to.
There is also the educational gap which should shock no one.
But at a recent economic forecasting session in this town, the
affable researcher from the University of Michigan, George Fulton,
nailed this one with his data.
Simply put if you have a sheep skin you have an easier time
finding a job. It's always been that way, but now the gap is gapping.
Amazingly in 2001 it made little difference if you had a
four-year degree. There were still plenty of assembly line jobs to
walk into but then, with the steady decline of that, the gap got worse
until now, workers sans degree are truly disadvantaged.
And here's the vicious cycle. To get into college you need a
good high school education. Kids who are poor, generally end up in
poor schools which means they may not qualify.
And even if they do, the cost of higher education continues on
an upward spiral as state support has declined dramatically over the
years. During the glory days, 70% of university funding came from
Lansing. Now the bulk of it comes from moms and dads who pay higher
tuition.
And as the price of college climbs, poorer children get priced
out of the market even though universities are making a good faith
effort to provide loans and scholarships.
If the new governor wants to reinvent Michigan this is one place
to start but with what? More money? There is none and the gap goes up
another notch.