Radio Address: Economic Plan is Right One for Michigan
In this week’s radio address, Governor Granholm talks about how we are creating jobs in the new Michigan economy.
Hello, this is Governor Jennifer Granholm.
As governor of this great state, I’m fighting every day for jobs for the people of Michigan. In my State of the State speech earlier this week, I talked about job-creation and economic diversification. My message was clear: Our world has changed. The old Michigan economy, dependent so long on one industry, is gone. Its epitaph was written last year.
However, the grim events of 2009 confirmed that our long-standing plan for a new Michigan economy is the right one. Through this plan, we’re creating jobs by diversifying our economy, educating our people to fill jobs and to be entrepreneurs, and helping people transition from the old Michigan economy to the new. My administration has laid the foundation for the new Michigan economy by steadily building six sectors. These sectors are:
• clean energy, like solar and wind power;
• life sciences, such as bio-economy and medical devices;
• advanced manufacturing, including nanotechnology and robotics;
• film, tourism, and homeland security and defense.In the fight for new jobs and businesses in these sectors, Michigan has several competitive advantages to every other state. No state has the skilled workforce that we do. Nobody has the manufacturing capacity and know-how that we have. No one has the natural resources – the water, the forests and the diverse agriculture – that we have. Add in our great colleges and universities, and we have many assets to attract new companies and whole new industries.
Our auto companies also are part of the new Michigan economy as they gear up for electric-vehicle production. Advanced batteries will power these electric vehicles, and we’ve worked hard to attract battery companies to Michigan and make our state the worldwide center for advanced-battery production.
To continue moving forward on diversifying our economy and creating jobs, we need to do the following things this year.
First, we have to pass a balanced budget that helps to create jobs. And I’ll provide more details about my budget when I present it to the Legislature next week.
Second, we need to continue reforming government to make it more efficient, less costly, and more focused on job-creation and education.
And third, every day we must continue fighting to create and grow jobs in Michigan.
When a new governor and a new Legislature take office next year, I’m sure they’ll have their own ideas. But Democrats, Republicans and independents alike will have to confront this truth: We cannot turn back. Our plan – creating jobs by diversifying, educating people and protecting people – that is the path forward.
Thank you for listening.
Governor Granholm visited one of our new economy businesses today – Energetx Composites is building industrial-size wind turbine blades in Holland, and expects to create up to 1000 jobs in the next few years. WOOD TV8 has the story:
