Whereas, Natural gas bills in Michigan are expected to rise nearly $20 per month compared with last winter, and deliverable fuels (heating oil and propane) are expected to jump 17 percent, severely affecting the safety and stability of hundreds of thousands of families throughout the state of Michigan by causing them to choose between heating their homes or buying food or medicine; and,

Whereas, According to a study commissioned by The Heat And Warmth Fund (THAW), a statewide non-profit that provides emergency energy assistance to Michigan’s neediest residents, the number of households facing unaffordable burdens for energy is staggering:  more than 180,000 households must pay 38 percent of their annual income for energy and an additional 115,000 households pay 15 percent or more of their household income for energy, causing a direct economic effect on local communities, both in the stress on community and social programs and on local businesses; and,

Whereas, No single public or private entity, state and federal government included, has the resources to meet the State’s growing need for energy assistance created by these escalating fuel costs; and,

Whereas, Heat is not a luxury but a necessity during Michigan’s bitter cold winter months; and,

Whereas, “Keep Michigan Warm Week” is an excellent opportunity for Michigan residents to come together to help keep our neighbors warm and to show support for the various organizations that are providing services and assistance to those without adequate heating; and now therefore be it,

Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim the week of February 21, 2005, as Keep Michigan Warm Week and I encourage all citizens to join in the efforts to take action in their own community by giving generously to one or more of the many local programs providing this vital assistance to those in need.