May 30, 2008
LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today called on business leaders attending the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce's annual policy conference on Mackinac Island to join with her in working on issues that are critical in moving Michigan forward. The governor's weekly radio address highlights the Governor's remarks that call for common sense solutions to some of the key issues facing state government.
"I encourage leaders to be actively involved in three of the most critical issues we face in state government today," Granholm said. "Diversifying our economy and creating jobs, educating and training our students and workers, and lowering the cost of government in Michigan."
Granholm urged leaders to tune out those who try to cause divisions and instead focus on common sense solutions that all can agree on.
Granholm said that every child in Michigan needs to get a quality education. At a time when our kids need all the education they can get to get good jobs, there are tens of thousands of young people who never even earn a high school diploma.
To address this problem, the governor has asked the legislature to create a 21st Century Schools Fund that will replace large, impersonal high schools with small high schools that make sure students are prepared for success in college and the workplace.
Granholm stressed that Michigan continues to create jobs by diversifying the economy. The governor said that we need to make sure that Michigan becomes the center of the alternative energy industry developing in our country. With both concerns about global warming and rising gas prices this industry is going to grow in leaps and bounds. Granholm wants that growth and the tens of thousands of jobs it will produce to be in Michigan.
The governor said that by setting a Renewable Portfolio Standard for the use of alternative energy sources, Michigan can attract businesses that are creating these revolutionary new technologies. Twenty six states have a mandatory RPS and are attracting new jobs with it and so should Michigan.
Granholm also said that the cost of Michigan's Corrections system needs to be brought down. When sensible corrections reforms are enacted in Michigan, the savings can be used to support more police and fire officers in our communities. It's a much better way to keep our families safe.
"These three issues have two things in common," Granholm said. "They each address a critical problem we face in Michigan today and they each build on important achievements we have made over the last three years."
The governor recognized that there is clearly more that needs to be done, but in order to get it done it will take unity to move Michigan forward.
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 - Mackinac Policy Conference
May 30, 2008
Full: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov147_Full_236294_7.mp3
Edited: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov147_Edit_236295_7.mp3
Quote: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov147_Quote_236296_7.mp3
This is Governor Jennifer Granholm.
This week I had a chance to speak to business and civic leaders from southeast Michigan who gather each year at the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce's annual policy conference on Mackinac Island.
In my remarks, I encouraged these leaders to be actively involved in three of the most critical issues we face in state government today---Diversifying our economy and creating jobs, educating and training our students and workers and lowering the cost of government in Michigan.
I also urged my audience to tune out those who, for their own reasons, try to divide us.
Instead we need to focus on common sense solutions that we all agree on.
First, we need to ensure that every child in Michigan is getting a quality education. At a time when we know our kids need all the education they can get to get good jobs, we have tens of thousands of young people who never even earn a high school diploma.
To address this problem, I have asked the legislature to create a 21st Century Schools Fund that will replace large, impersonal high schools that fail, with small high schools that make sure our students are prepared for success in college and the workplace.
Second, we need to make sure that Michigan becomes the center of the alternative energy industry developing in our country. With both concerns about global warming and gas prices rising we know this industry is going to grow in leaps and bounds. I want that growth and the tens of thousands of jobs it will produce to be in Michigan.
By setting what's called a Renewable Portfolio Standard for the use of alternative energy sources, we can attract the businesses creating these revolutionary new technologies to Michigan. Twenty six states have a mandatory RPS and are attracting new jobs with it- so should Michigan.
Third, we need to bring down the cost of our Corrections system.
When we enact sensible corrections reforms in Michigan, we will be able to use the savings to support more police and fire officers in our communities. It's a much better way to keep our families safe.
These three issues have two things in common. They each address a critical problem we face in Michigan today and they each build on important achievements we have made over the last three years.
In education, we are helping all our students prepare for success by setting high standards in our schools. We're helping them pay the costs of college with the $4,000 Michigan Promise Scholarship.
In diversifying our economy, we've created the $2 billion 21st Century Jobs fund to bring technology and research based jobs to Michigan.
And when it comes to lowering the cost of government, we've enacted a host of reform measures that are bringing down the cost of public employee benefits.
There's clearly more we need to do, and to get it done, we need unity to move Michigan forward.
Thank you for listening.
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