Radio address outlines proposed budget delivered to lawmakers
LANSING - In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today highlighted her proposed budget that was presented to state lawmakers this week. The governor said that the budget she proposed continues her efforts to reform government and provides an economic stimulus to help create jobs, increases our investment in education, strengthens our health care, and puts additional police on the street - all with no new taxes and no new fees.
"The budget I've outlined builds on the difficult work of the last five years to get Michigan's fiscal house in order and continues to invest in the things that Michigan needs to be competitive," Granholm said.
The governor has focused on four priorities, and those priorities are reflected in the budget recommendation.
"My 2009 budget recommendation will help move Michigan forward by educating our children and our adults, by protecting our families, and making health care more accessible and, yes, by creating jobs," said Granholm.
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 - Budget Plan Protects Michigan's Priorities
February 8, 2008
Hello, this is Governor Jennifer Granholm.
This week I delivered a proposed budget to state lawmakers for their consideration and approval. The budget I've outlined builds on the difficult work of the last five years to get Michigan's fiscal house in order and continues to invest in the things that Michigan needs to be competitive.
The proposed budget continues our efforts to reform government and provides an economic stimulus to help create jobs, and increases our investment in education, and strengthens our health care, and it puts additional police on our streets - all with no new taxes and no new fees.
As I noted in my recent State of the State address, we're focused on four priorities, and those priorities are reflected in the budget recommendation: a job for every worker, a quality education for every person, health care for every family, and safe places to live and work. Our proposal includes a $100 million deposit in the state's "rainy day" fund, $235 million in additional reductions and reforms, and a two-year economic stimulus package of more than $1.8 billion which will accelerate infrastructure projects and create 28,000 jobs; that stimulus package will also enhance the marketing of Michigan for tourism and for businesses, and it provides tax cuts for high-growth businesses that create jobs in Michigan.
We've worked hard to craft a budget that increases per pupil funding for K-12 schools. It increases our investment in higher education. It expands early childhood education to allow 7,000 more needy children access to preschool and early learning.
In 2009, we want to provide a 4-percent increase in the money cities need for police and fire protection. We'll fund a program to train more than 6,300 new nurses in five years, and this budget will implement common-sense policy reforms to our prison system to save taxpayers an additional $50 million next year while keeping our families safe
Finally, we're adding 100 new state troopers to restore our Michigan State Police strength to the highest level in five years. And this budget also funds mental health courts to reduce jail overcrowding and provide non-violent offenders the treatment they need at a much lower cost than incarceration.
I'm looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and working with our colleagues in the Legislature to put this budget in place by the Fourth of July so those who rely on the state budget - whether they're teachers, or students, firefighters or construction workers - they will know what to expect well in advance of the fiscal year that begins October 1. My 2009 budget recommendation will help move Michigan forward by educating our children and our adults, by protecting our families and making health care more accessible and, yes, by creating jobs.
Thank you for listening.
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