December 29, 2006

Governor working to grow economy, investing in health care, education

LANSING - In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm highlighted important steps taken in 2006 to grow Michigan's economy and invest in the issues that matter to Michigan citizens.
 
"As 2006 comes to a close, I am proud to look back on a year of planning and execution, lots of travel, and a whole lot of hard work and see the progress we've made despite the economic challenges our state is facing,"  Granholm said.
 
Granholm said that in 2006, citizens spoke loudly and clearly that they wanted leadership that creates opportunity for all citizens and that invests in the things that matter - like health care and education.  The Granholm administration is working to do just that.  In the radio address, Granholm highlighted the following accomplishments in 2006:

- The $2 billion 21st Century Jobs Fund awarded $138 million to 85 companies to come to Michigan or stay in Michigan to develop new technologies and create jobs;

- 14 companies chose to locate corporate headquarters in Michigan including Google's AdWords, Whirlpool, and BASF;

- Granholm signed legislation to increase the minimum wage for the first time in nine years and to create the Michigan Earned Income Tax Credit to help working families;

- Spending for public schools hit an all-time high and just last week, Granholm signed legislation to make a $4,000 scholarship available to every student in the state; and,

- The Granholm administration is working to create the Michigan First Health Care Plan to give citizens universal access to affordable health insurance.

"2006 was a good year for progress, but we have a lot of work left to do," Granholm said.  "My comprehensive economic plan is the right path for Michigan to build a thriving, robust economy, to create good paying jobs, and to protect our exceptional quality of life."

The governor's weekly radio address is released each Friday morning and may be heard on broadcast stations across the state through an affiliation with the Michigan Association of Broadcasters.  The address will also be available on the Governor's website on Mondays as a podcast for general distribution to personal MP3 players and home computers.  This week's radio address was recorded last week for release today.

Broadcasters Note: Governor Granholm's radio address can be accessed through Sunday evening exclusively through the Members Only page of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters website. 

Publishers Note: The text of today's address is attached.