Subject: What the governor is talking about today
What the Governor’s Talking about
Today
Friday, June 4, 2010
Governor Says Diversification, Education
Efforts Must Continue
The governor today said at the Detroit Regional
Chamber of Commerce’s annual policy conference on Mackinac Island that Michigan
must continue diversifying its economy and educating its citizens to be
competitive globally.
The governor’s diversification plan has been to
target and grow six economic sectors: new energy, including advanced battery,
solar and wind manufacturing; advanced manufacturing; life sciences; homeland
security and defense; film and tourism. She said global competitiveness
also requires unprecedented partnerships.
“Business, labor and
government must partner together so we can continue to diversify and create
jobs,” the governor said. “To compete, we must also
cooperate.”
Regarding education, the governor said the goal remains
doubling the number of college graduates in Michigan.
“Four years
ago, we created a rigorous college prep curriculum to prepare every Michigan
high school graduate for college or technical training,” the governor
said. “Some people worried that the tougher curriculum would increase the
state’s dropout rate. But the dropout rate actually fell 3 percent from
2008 to 2009.”
The governor said other key changes to K-12
education came with the package of reforms she signed into law in January as
part of the state’s Race to the Top application. She also cited
encouraging numbers in the state’s No Worker Left Behind job training program
and in community college enrollment.
“Enrollment is now 125,000 in
our No Worker Left Behind program,” the governor said. “And we’ve seen a
50 percent increase in community college enrollment this
decade.”
Key messages:
• The world has changed, and we must change,
too, by continuing to diversify and educate. Since the beginning of the
Granholm administration, we’ve focused on diversifying our economy and creating
jobs, educating our children and training our workers so they can compete in a
global economy, and protecting people during this transition from the old
Michigan economy to a new one. These will remain our priorities right
through the end of the year.
• Through our diversification and education
initiatives, we have laid a foundation for the new Michigan economy. We’ve
put in place the best policies to promote Michigan’s long-term economic health,
and we must continue moving forward on this path.
Great Lakes Will Benefit from 99 Michigan Projects Funded
by EPA
The Great Lakes will benefit in many ways from more
than $60 million in Environmental Protection Agency funding for 99
Michigan-based projects selected through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
competition, said Ken DeBeaussaert, director of the Michigan Office of the Great
Lakes. DeBeaussaert made his remarks in delivering this week’s radio
address on behalf of the governor.
“For example, thousands of acres
of Great Lakes shoreline can be improved and restored by removing invasive
plants and hardened banks,” DeBeaussaert said. “Fish and wildlife habitat
can be enhanced as local groups remove dams, restore fish passage and stop
shoreline erosion.”
“The funding also will mean better water
quality monitoring to protect families swimming at many Michigan beaches,”
DeBeaussaert continued. “It will also enable local groups to identify and
correct problems that might otherwise lead to beach closures that hurt local
economies. Additionally, the funding will result in better health data
about Great Lakes fish consumption and provide local decision makers the
information needed to protect our waters.”
To listen to the radio
address, click on the following link: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov252Full_323653_7.mp3
Key messages:
• In addition to improving the Great Lakes,
the 99 Michigan projects also mean economic opportunity and jobs.
Economists at The Brookings Institute found that investing in Great Lakes
restoration provided both short and long-term economic benefits. These
benefits include rising local property values, growing sport fishing and
recreational boating opportunities, and increased tourism.
•
Michigan’s identity is tied to the Great Lakes. With that comes an
enormous stewardship responsibility. The Great Lakes restoration funding
is a new opportunity for Michigan to protect our water legacy – and we’re ready
to act.
# # #