January 25, 2008
Radio address offers retrospective on State of the State addresses
LANSING - In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today said that even though the words are different every year and the initiatives outlined are new, her central focus continues to be on diversifying Michigan's economy in the face of the harsh realities of globalization.
"This administration is focused on working to make Michigan one of the best places in the nation to live, learn, and earn," Granholm said. "Not just for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren, too."
In her sixth State of the State address, which is scheduled for Tuesday, January 29, Governor Granholm will outline initiatives that will grow jobs and strengthen Michigan's economy. The governor will talk about the work that needs to be done to ensure that our state has the right elements in place to make Michigan's economy strong and that citizens have the tools they need to secure a promising future.
"Each address is built on the year before," Granholm said, "…and each has focused on the next steps we will take to diversify Michigan's economy and ensure that our state and all of our citizens get the education and training they need to succeed in the future."
Governor Granholm highlighted steps she has already taken to diversify Michigan's economy, including: the 21st Century Jobs Fund that is growing new high-tech jobs; the No Worker Left Behind program that is retraining thousands of workers for the jobs of tomorrow; the $4,000 Michigan Promise scholarship that is making college more affordable and accessible for every child; and her attempts to protect health care for the state's most vulnerable citizens.
The governor's weekly radio address is released each Friday morning and may be heard on broadcast stations across the state. The address is available on the governor's Web site at
(
www.michigan.gov/gov
) for download, together with a clip of the quote above. The radio address is also available as a podcast on the Web site, as well as on iTunes and via RSS feed for general distribution to personal MP3 players and home computers. Links to the audio files and text of today's address follow.
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
Radio Address - SOS Retrospective
January 25, 2008
Hello. This is Governor Jennifer Granholm. In just a few days, I'll step to a podium in the State Capitol and deliver my sixth State of the State address. Every year, the words are different and the initiatives I outline are new, but over these six years, the central message has been consistent: this administration is focused on reshaping and building Michigan's economy in the face of the harsh realities of globalization. We are working to make Michigan one of the best places in the nation to live, learn and earn. Not just for ourselves, but for our children and our grandchildren, too.
Each address is built on the year before…and each has focused on the next steps we will take to diversify Michigan's economy and ensure that our state and all of our citizens get the education and training they need to succeed in the future.
To begin diversifying our economy, we created the $2 billion 21st Century Jobs Fund - the largest commitment in the nation to nurture emerging industries and to grow new high-tech jobs. Over the last two years, this fund has made loans and grants to 78 businesses that will commercialize research, create new products and, along with it, new jobs in Michigan.
We've enacted the most sweeping reform of business taxes in 30 years to make sure that our business climate can help attract new jobs and new investment to Michigan.
We put in place some of the highest achievement standards in the nation for our elementary schools and implemented some of the most rigorous high school graduation requirements to ensure our kids can compete in a global economy.
We created the $4,000 Michigan Promise scholarship so every single child in Michigan has the opportunity to go to college, and we established the No Worker Left Behind program to retrain workers for the jobs of the future.
We accelerated 10 years of road construction into three years to create jobs today and strengthen our state's infrastructure.
We've protected healthcare for the most vulnerable - our children and our seniors - and expanded access to affordable care to more of our citizens. Today, Michigan insures the highest percentage of children in the nation.
We've worked hard to make sure that our cities can be vibrant anchors of our economy, and that all our communities are safe, and that our phenomenal natural resources are preserved and protected for future generations.
And, we have reformed government and put our fiscal house in order in ways that make state government lean, but not mean.
These are the elements that will make Michigan an economic powerhouse in the future and let our citizens secure and build great lives in our great state.
We know there's more to do, and we know that we can't take our eye off the ball. That's why when I step to the podium next Tuesday evening, I'll continue to focus on the things that grow jobs and strengthen Michigan's economy.
Thanks for listening.
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