At the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual policy conference last week, I called on business leaders to join with me in working on issues that are critical in moving Michigan forward. I encouraged them to be actively involved in three of the most critical issues we face in state government today: diversifying our economy and creating jobs, educating and training our students and workers, and lowering the cost of government in Michigan.

Every child in Michigan needs to get a quality education. And at a time when our kids need all the education they can get to get good jobs, there are tens of thousands of young people who never even earn a high school diploma. To address this problem, I have asked the Legislature to create a 21st Century Schools Fund that will replace large, impersonal high schools with small high schools that make sure students are prepared for success in college and the workplace.

I stressed that we need to make sure Michigan becomes the center of the alternative energy industry that is developing in our country. With concerns about global warming and rising gas prices, this industry is going to grow in leaps and bounds. I want the tens of thousands of jobs it will produce to be in Michigan. By setting a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) for the use of alternative energy sources, Michigan can attract businesses that are creating these revolutionary new technologies. Already, 26 states have a mandatory RPS and are attracting new jobs with it – and so should Michigan.

Also, the cost of Michigan’s corrections system needs to be brought down. When sensible corrections reforms are enacted in Michigan, the savings can be used to support more police and fire officers in our communities. It’s a much better way to keep our families safe.

These three issues have two things in common – they each address a critical problem we face in Michigan today, and they each build on important achievements we have made over the last three years.

There is clearly more that needs to be done, but we must work together to move Michigan forward.

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