December 29, 2005

Will Continue to Go Anywhere, Do Anything to Grow Economy

LANSING – In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm highlights the progress the state has made in diversifying the economy and creating jobs in 2005 and vows to continue to move Michigan forward.
 
“This New Year, my resolution to the people of Michigan is this: I’ll continue to go anywhere and do anything to grow our economy and bring jobs here,” Granholm said.  “I am totally resolved to pursue the economic plan we’ve put in place over the past 12 months, because it’s a plan that is already working to diversify our economy and create jobs in our state today.”
 
In this past year, direct efforts by the Granholm administration have helped create or retain 93,000 jobs and have convinced 132 companies to invest more than $3.7 billion in Michigan in 2005.
 
Other successes in 2005 include:

• the creation of a $2 billion 21st Century Jobs for Michigan Fund that will invest public and private dollars in the high-tech industries of our next century economy and create tens of thousands of jobs that will keep our children in Michigan;

• passing $600 million in tax cuts and incentives for manufacturers, including Delphi, to help them keep jobs and create jobs across the state;

• matching 16,000 unemployed workers with good-paying jobs through the MI Opportunity Partnership and accelerating more than $2 billion in public infrastructure projects like rebuilding roads and bridges to put thousands to work this year through the Jobs Today Initiative;

Great strides were also made this year in educating our kids, protecting our families, and enhancing our quality of life.  A $300 million increase in funding for K-12 education has put funding for schools at record levels.  Project S.A.F.E. Streets has removed more than 1,600 fugitives from our neighborhoods.  Prescription drug coverage has been provided to 32,000 people thanks to the MiRx discount prescription card.

“Michigan is setting the right course to diversify our economy, to create good paying jobs, and to protect our exceptional quality of life,” Granholm said.  “I look forward to another year of growth and progress in Michigan.”

The Governor’s weekly radio address is released each Friday at 10:00 a.m. 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.