From: Whipple, Deb (GOV)
Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 4:47 PM
Subject: What the Governor is talking about today
What the Governor’s Talking about Today
Monday, December 7, 2009
 
    Governor Hears from Southeast Michigan Officials about Revenue Sharing Cuts
    Governor Drives Chevrolet Volt at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant
 
Governor Hears from Southeast Michigan Officials about Revenue Sharing Cuts
 
This afternoon the governor attended a meeting in Southgate with southeast Michigan local government and public safety officials to discuss the impact that revenue sharing cuts have had on their communities, and the need to restore funding.  Two mayors who talked about the effect of the cuts were Mark Worrell of Monroe and Al Haidous of Wayne.
 
“At tonight’s council meeting, the city of Monroe will have to adjust its budget to the tune of $220,000 due to revenue sharing cuts to our budget which was established July 1,” Worrell said.  “We will have to make cuts in all department levels as a result.”
 
“In the last week of June we approved the 2009-10 budget which had massive cuts to the bone,” Haidous said.  “Now we are facing another revenue sharing cut of about $165,000.  It will be difficult to maintain the quality services that we provide to citizens.  From my viewpoint, the legislature is not paying attention to the importance of local services, which will backfire on the state.”
 
The governor will attend another regional meeting tomorrow in Flint.
 
Key messages:
 
•  Revenue sharing cuts have contributed to now having 2,000 fewer police officers and 2,400 fewer professional fire fighters protecting our communities than we had in 2001.  We need to restore funding for revenue sharing to prevent further erosion in the numbers of police officers and fire fighters in Michigan.
 
•  When revenue sharing cuts force local governments to lay off personnel or not fill open positions, it harms our communities and is a drag on our state and national recovery efforts.
 
•  This is also an economic development issue.  We are working to diversify Michigan’s economy and create jobs.  To attract and retain businesses, communities must be able to provide police and fire protection, good roads, water and sewer systems and other essential services.
 
Governor Drives Chevrolet Volt at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant
 
The governor drove a Chevrolet Volt electric car today at General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant where the Volt will go into regular production late next year.
 
The test drive was part of today’s announcement by GM that it is investing $336 million in the Detroit-Hamtramck plant to build the Volt, bringing GM’s total Volt-related investments in eight Michigan facilities to $700 million.
 
The Volt is an electric vehicle with extended-range capability.  It is designed to go up to 40 miles on electricity without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions.  When the Volt’s lithium-ion battery is depleted of energy, an engine/generator operates to extend the total driving range to about 300 miles before refueling or stopping to recharge the battery.
 
Key messages:
 
•  Eight GM Michigan facilities will play roles in Volt production.  GM has invested $700 million in those eight Michigan plants.
 
•  One of those eight GM facilities is its new Brownstown Township battery pack manufacturing plant.  Brownstown received a Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) tax credit as well as a $106 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to support advanced battery and electric vehicle manufacturing and development.
 
•  Advanced batteries that power electric vehicles will produce thousands of badly-needed jobs here in Michigan — as many as 40,000 jobs by the year 2020, according to one MSU economist.
 
•  Today’s announcement by GM is another step forward in the Granholm administration’s goal of making Michigan the advanced battery capital of the world and a center for electric vehicle production.
 
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