January 27, 2006
January 27, 2006
Governor Says Jobs Plan Will Continue to Set State's Agenda
LANSING – In her fourth State of the State address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm detailed the next steps in her plan to diversify Michigan’s economy, create thousands of new jobs, and protect Michigan families. The Governor talked of her hope for Michigan’s future and her concrete, aggressive agenda for turning that hope into good jobs and a stronger economy.
In lieu of the Governor’s weekly radio address, this year’s State of the State address can be heard online in the archives of Michigan Public Radio Network, located at www.mprn.org. Text of the address is available at www.michigan.gov/gov
“Michigan has the most far-reaching economic plan of any state in the country,” Granholm told a joint session of the Legislature. “It’s an aggressive $6 billion plan to grow jobs today and jobs tomorrow. And its about to get even more aggressive.”
In her address, Granholm recognized that there is still much work to be done to grow the economy, but highlighted a number of successes produced through her focus on the economy and her Jobs Today, Jobs Tomorrow plan. These include 327,000 jobs that have been created or retained by administration efforts, $2 billion to be invested in diversifying our economy, 19,000 citizens who have found work through MI Opportunity Partnership, and nearly $3 billion in infrastructure projects being accelerated over the next three years.
Granholm also outlined four specific steps her administration will take this year to continue the work begun by the Jobs Today, Jobs Tomorrow plan. Specifically, the Governor called for:
investing in our 21st century economy by going anywhere and doing anything to create jobs and fighting to protect the jobs we have;
investing in the health of our citizens by dramatically increasing the number of people who have access to affordable insurance;
investing in education and the quality of our schools to ensure all of Michigan’s children have an opportunity for a quality education, access to higher education, and that Michigan has the best-educated workforce in the nation;
investing in the safety and security of our families by calling for an increase in the minimum wage, giving every worker an opportunity to save for retirement, protecting our seniors in nursing homes, demanding new standards of corporate accountability and ethics laws for elected officials.
In closing, the Governor asked all Michigan residents to believe in our collaborative future. “I invite you to join me in believing in that next chapter of Michigan’s history,” she said, “and then join me in writing it.”
