February 10, 2006

Governor Will Fight Harmful Cuts in President's Budget

LANSING – In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today reiterated her commitment to working her plan to secure Michigan’s future, while fighting cuts in the president’s budget that would hurt Michigan citizens.
 
“We’re working everyday in Michigan to strengthen our economy, to create new jobs for our citizens, to assist our manufacturers, and to secure the future for every single family,” Granholm said.  “We need those in power in Washington to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
 
The president’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year does little to support Michigan’s major employers and Michigan’s families.  The proposal cuts funding in half for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, an important resource that helps manufacturers compete globally; eliminates the Advanced Technology Program, which will lead to significantly less funding for our automakers and other innovators to develop new technology; and cuts $36 billion from Medicare and the healthcare our seniors depend on and deserve.
 
Even while she fights these dangerous cuts, Granholm is continuing to make progress on her plan to secure Michigan’s future.  She announced recently that the MI Opportunity Partnership has officially trained and placed more than 20,000 out-of-work citizens in great new jobs.  The legislature has also begun hearings on the Governor’s proposal to create a new 401(k) plan in Michigan to give every worker a tool to save for retirement, and on the Michigan First Health Plan, which would provide affordable health care coverage to more than half a million uninsured citizens in Michigan.  Both proposals were introduced in the Governor’s State of the State address last month.
 
“From health care to retirement savings to an economy that’s strong and growing, we’re not going to wait for those in power in Washington to act,” Granholm said.  “Michigan was built on the hard work of everyday people, and I’m working through a comprehensive plan to protect the opportunity that hard work has won every day.”
 
Governor Granholm yesterday introduced her 2007 executive budget for the state.  The budget is balanced, cutting $127 million in spending while protecting education, health care, and creating jobs.

The Governor’s weekly radio address is released each Friday at 10:00 a.m. and may be heard on broadcast stations across that 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.