Brian Dickerson quoted Michigan Governor Granholm in his Detroit Free Press column today (â??Bad news? Don't blame Americansâ?):

"Three-quarters of Michigan residents do not believe it's essential for their children to go to college," Granholm said, citing survey results made public last weekend.

"That's mind-numbing. Parents need to believe it's essential, just like K-12. Wake up! It's essential."

I was taken aback upon first reading this. After checking the survey results made public last weekend, it became obvious that while 27 percent had answered â??essential,â? in addition, â??51 percent said very important and 20 percent said fairly importantâ? when asked â??how important having a good education is for getting ahead in life.â?

Actually, these results didnâ??t differ much from a national survey done several years ago. Back in 1999, 77 % of people surveyed nationally did believe that a college education was more important than it had been 10 years earlier, but (in a 1997 national survey) only 37% considered a college education â??extremely importantâ? in order to get ahead. 47 % considered it â??very important.â?

Three-quarters of Michigan residents were not dismissing the importance of a college education. It was a matter of degree. Perhaps they were just shying away from absolutes. Then again, Granholmâ??s message is that in todayâ??s world, considering college education to be essential is imperative. It seems in our present economic crisis that even â??very importantâ? doesnâ??t cut it for Jennifer Granholm, and she is willing to speak up about it.

Brian Dickerson writes how â??personal accountability remains a tough sell in Americaâ?:

...the only thing we like less than hearing there's nothing we can do about a crisis is hearing we're the only ones who can solve it.