http://www.michigan.gov/ en Copyright 2009 - State Of Michigan Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:22:08 EST http://www.michigan.gov/podcast http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.michigan.gov/images/gov/gradio_143016_7_188404_7.jpg 144 125 http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-37483---,00.html http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov225Full_302299_7.mp3 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST For many of us, Thanksgiving is a time to feast and celebrate nature's bounty. However, for more than a million people in Michigan, it's a struggle just to put food on the table every day. Working families often have to choose between paying their bills, going to the doctor or buying food. Seniors sometimes are forced to choose between food and prescription drugs.
These are choices that shouldn't have to be made. One way we can help is by helping people get the food they need.
The Michigan Food Policy Council, created by executive order in 2005, is improving access to fresh and healthy food. There are many ways to do this. State government is involved in several initiatives, including promoting urban gardens where people can grow their own fruits and vegetables. Another is the Michigan Neighborhood Food Movers project in which vendors sell low-cost produce out of trucks in urban neighborhoods where it's hard to find fresh produce. Also, some people may qualify for federal food assistance, and can determine their eligibility by applying online through the state's Helping Hand Web site. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov225Full_302299_7.mp3 http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov224Full_301371_7.mp3 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST A great race began in our country earlier this week - and I'm not talking about NASCAR. Rather, it's a race among the 50 states to develop the most innovative ways for educating our children to compete in a global economy.
Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education, calls it the Race to the Top. And the winners in this race will win some significant prizes - perhaps as much as a half billion dollars in federal Recovery Act funds to improve schools will go to each of a small number of states that win this competition. Michigan must be one of them. To win the Race to the Top, we will have to put forward our best and boldest ideas for helping all Michigan students succeed in our K-12 schools, in our colleges and universities and ultimately in our workplaces. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov224Full_301371_7.mp3 http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov223Full_300551_7.mp3 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST Promises should be kept, not broken. It's time for the Michigan Senate to take action and keep the Michigan Promise.
The Michigan Promise is the state's first universal college scholarship. It is a cornerstone of our administration's long-term economic plan for the state, a plan that includes doubling the number of college graduates. Starting with the high school seniors who graduated in 2007, every Michigan student who attends college or technical school is eligible for a $4,000 scholarship.
This year, 96,000 students and their parents banked on the Michigan Promise. They budgeted for the money promised to help them pay for school. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov223Full_300551_7.mp3 http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov222Full_299878_7.mp3 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST Twenty-first century jobs require 21st century minds. If Michigan is to compete in the global economy, all our children have to have world-class education and skills.
That's why the news of Michigan being chosen for a new teaching fellowship program is so exciting. This program is going to train 240 new math and science teachers to teach in middle and high schools that desperately need teachers in these subjects ? math and science. Over a period of five years, almost 20,000 Michigan public school students will receive high-quality education in science, technology, engineering and math from these new teachers. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov222Full_299878_7.mp3 http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov221Full_299185_7.mp3 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT At Michigan State University, the words "Go Green" now have a new meaning, as in "green economy."
For almost a century, the services provided by MSU Extension have concentrated on assisting farmers and our state's agricultural community. And now MSU Extension is transforming itself into a 21st century organization, one that will broaden its scope and help to grow Michigan's green economy.
This is a work in progress. MSU Extension has developed a vision and programs for supporting and promoting a green economy and is now seeking feedback from its external partners like state government. Structural changes in MSU Extension will be announced in the months ahead. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov221Full_299185_7.mp3 http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov220Full_298373_7.mp3 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT Throughout my tenure as Michigan's governor, I have stressed how critical education is to our state's economic health and its future. We've made it our goal to have the best educated workforce on the planet, and we've expanded opportunities for Michigan citizens of all ages to go to college or get the technical training they need for good paying jobs.
This week, I took two actions to defend all the progress we've made in education from a serious threat - the Legislature's failure to fully fund the school aid budget. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov220Full_298373_7.mp3 http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov219Full_297371_7.mp3 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT One-hundred thousand and counting. That's the number of people who have enrolled for job training through Michigan's No Worker Left Behind program. One-hundred thousand people.
We launched No Worker Left Behind in August of 2007 as part our plan to transform Michigan's economy. No Worker Left Behind provides qualifying participants two years of free tuition up to $10,000 at any Michigan community college or university or other approved training program.
People in the No Worker Left Behind program train for jobs in high demand and in emerging industries. These include jobs in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, health care and biotechnology. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov219Full_297371_7.mp3 http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov218Full_296443_7.mp3 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT This week in Michigan, despite our difficulties over the budget, we've actually been walking on sunshine. And that's because there were three positive developments involving solar energy in our state.
On Tuesday we announced that two companies will build solar panel manufacturing facilities in Michigan. The first is Clairvoyant Energy which will invest $857 million to convert part of Ford's former Wixom Assembly plant in Oakland County to a solar panel plant. Clairvoyant plans to hire 750 people at Wixom.
The second company is Suniva. Suniva will invest $250 million in a new solar manufacturing facility in Saginaw County, and they will create 500 new jobs. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov218Full_296443_7.mp3 http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov217Full_294795_7.mp3 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT Early Thursday morning, the legislature took action on the state budget. It averted a government shutdown. The constitutional deadline for having a budget at the start of the new fiscal year was met, but the work on this budget is far from over. For while Michigan's constitution simply demands a balanced budget, Michigan's future demands more.
Michigan's future demands a budget that helps us diversify our economy, attract new investment, and create new jobs. Michigan's future demands a budget that keeps police officers and fire fighters on the job and on our streets. Michigan's future demands a budget that helps our children afford a college education and protects people at risk during these tough economic times. The budget that I proposed way back in February provides these essential things. The budget passed by the legislature does not, and that's why I'll continue fighting for the right budget for Michigan. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov217Full_294795_7.mp3 http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov216Full_293467_7.mp3 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT "It begins with a slow dance of turning leaves, and crescendos in a trillion trees aflame. For the next several weeks, the curtain rises on nature's greatest show.
"As the 19 million acres of woods called Michigan slowly explode in a frenzy of color. The show plays along every stretch of highway and coastline, in every city and town. Admission is free, and great seats are available everywhere. This show is appropriate for all ages. This show is Pure Michigan."
Hello, this is Governor Jennifer Granholm. What I just read are the words to a Pure Michigan commercial usually voiced much more beautifully by Tim Allen, but today I'm the one making the pitch for our great state.
Tourism is an important industry in Michigan, and that's why earlier this year we included, as part of our economic stimulus package, funding for a national Pure Michigan television campaign. This spring, Pure Michigan ads ran on 15 cable channels like CNN and HGTV throughout the country. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov216Full_293467_7.mp3