May 18, 2007

LANSING - In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today highlighted the Harbor Shores community redevelopment project in the Benton Harbor and the grand opening of Google's new headquarters in Ann Arbor as prime examples of investments that will help revitalize Michigan's economy.
 
"Google and the Harbor Shores project are investing in Michigan's future because they believe that our Great Lakes and great talent will help them thrive," Granholm said.  "Even though our state has taken some tough hits we still believe in Michigan too, and now is the time for us to invest in that future."

Granholm will be in Benton Harbor next week for the community celebration of the Harbor Shores development groundbreaking, which will begin this summer.  Granholm noted that the Harbor Shores project is expected to create thousands of jobs in the area.  The project includes a plan to help build the community by expanding the tax base to increase funding for schools and public safety, and by encouraging job training for local residents in order to fill jobs created by the development.
 
The governor attended the Google grand opening earlier this week.  Google's decision to place the headquarters to their AdWords unit in Michigan may create as many as 1,000 jobs over five years.  Already, the company has hired 100 new employees for the Ann Arbor office.  Granholm underscored that Google's choice highlights the importance of investing in education.  Colleges and universities that will prepare Michigan workers for jobs in the knowledge-based economy are particularly important.

The state of Michigan assisted with the Harbor Shores project as well as Google's new headquarters by offering tax incentive packages for each project.  Granholm stressed that encouraging these sorts of private investments are an important part of Michigan's economic plan.  Furthermore, these developments in Benton Harbor and Ann Arbor should underscore the importance of continuing to invest in the things that will strengthen Michigan's economic outlook.

"This effort is part of our comprehensive economic plan," Granholm said. "We are diversifying Michigan's economy and investing in education, health care and public safety so that our communities can grow and prosper."

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.

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.

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Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
Friday, May 18

This is Governor Jennifer Granholm.

On Monday, I'm joining community leaders in Benton Harbor to make an exciting announcement.

The Harbor Shores redevelopment project will break ground this summer, and the whole community is involved in the effort.

This project is going to jumpstart Benton Harbor's economy and give a boost to the entire region - and it is exactly the sort of comprehensive approach to revitalization that we have set in motion across Michigan.

Harbor Shores is going to create thousands of jobs. To start, 4,000 Benton Harbor area workers will build the development on 530 acres of land, creating homes, stores and shops, marinas, a world class golf course, and even a hotel with a water park!

No doubt, Harbor Shores will become a top destination - for Michigan citizens and for out-of-state tourists.  It will ultimately employ 2,000 people, and by expanding the tax base it will help increase funding for schools and for public safety.

The plan will improve public spaces and access to the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline, and it will help grow businesses and encourage training for residents so that they can fill the job vacancies.

My economic development team is helping the effort by offering tax incentives for the project.  This effort is part of our comprehensive economic plan.

We're also diversifying Michigan's economy and investing in education, health care and public safety so that our communities can grow and prosper.  And Harbor Shores is just one of our promising projects.

In fact, I just got back from Ann Arbor where I attended the grand opening for Google's new headquarters.  Yup, the world's leading search engine was looking for the right place to grow their business, and their search ended in Michigan.

Google was attracted by our well-educated work force, and they've already hired 100 new employees.  Many of these new Googlers, as they like to be called, are graduates of our great public universities in Michigan.

Google and the Harbor Shores project are investing in Michigan's future because they believe that our Great Lakes and our great talent will help them thrive.  They believe in Michigan's future.
Even though our state has taken some tough hits, we still believe in Michigan, too. And now is the time for us to invest in that future - invest in our public schools so that our kids are ready for success in life; invest in our colleges and universities so that students are prepared for cutting-edge jobs; invest in health care so that excessive costs don't eat up our hard-earned money; and invest in public safety and our natural environment so that Michigan is always a safe, and beautiful, and fun place for us, and for visitors.
 
Thank you for listening.