The Michigan Messenger

Tonight's townhall with Governor Jennifer Granholm is broadcast live from Grand Rapids, Michigan across all NBC affiliate stations in Michigan — a first time event.

The hosting station in Grand Rapids says that it received over 700 emailed questions in advance of the event.

NOTE: THIS IS A ROUGH APPROXIMATION OF THE TOWNHALL, NOT A TRANSCRIPT, MAY BE EDITED ON THE FLY.

[Commentary will appear in brackets in italics in this post.]

* BEGIN *

Governor Granholm: This state's economy is the most challenged in the U.S….This state more than any other state needs to focus on the basics.

Former Electrolux employee (middle-aged, white female) asks first question; she has already gone back to college, expects to graduate within weeks but cannot find a job in spite of looking 7 days a week.  She already feels left behind. She's trying to feel optimistic, but doesn't know what else to do.

Governor provides an overview here for the rest of the state about Electrolux — a manufacturing firm that left the state to move to Mexico, in spite of incentives by the state to stay. Montcalm County, in which Electrolux was based, has the highest unemployment level in the state.  State has rolled out a program called "No Worker Left Behind"; develops training/education based on needs of polled employers in that region. Now talks about United Solar Ovonics, solar technology manufacturer hiring people with skillsets like IT; they've moved into Montcalm County.

Former Electrolux employee: Points out that she's already applied for a job with Solar Ovonics, but missed qualification on a required employment test by one point.

Governor tells her to apply again, to which the former Electrolux employee says they've filled the jobs. They're expanding, says the Governor, by 200 more jobs. [I can't catch the rest here, my impression is that this person has already applied for those jobs too, without any luck, and that the Governor is trying to escape this mess and move on before it gets any worse.]

Continued –

 Unemployment staffer [didn't catch name or location, governor moving too fast away from previous question]: Asks about bottlenecks in system preventing help for folks who are unemployed; when unemployed, they are out of work for so long that they can't hang on.

Governor says that there is short-term help for training.

Senior Manager with an automotive parts company in Grand Haven [missed his name, sorry]: says they are creating jobs and hiring folks that are bilingual and technical to support a business which sells to China.  Asks about Right-to-Work, as jobs are moving to southern states (must be code for Right-to-Work non-union states), where does the governor stand?

Governor: Says it would be hard to do Right-to-Work in Michigan although on the ballot as an initiative as the people don't support it. She points out that we are already competing with states that are R2W states and the jobs go to other countries, not the R2W states. [Damn, somebody needs to coach the Governor that worker safety is grim for employees in R2W states — like those miners that were buried alive in Utah last year. Right-to-Work means employees have far less leverage to protect themselves in the workplace.]

Moderator 1: interjects that doing anything as gov promised may mean R2W at offense to dem base.  Gove points out that MI has 635,000 more automotive jobs than other states are real problem (excessive concentration in one industry)

Sheila McBride, CEO Gradecheck-Detroit: Michigan's 21st Century Jobs Fund singles out alternative fuels, life sciences, etc., but does not assist firms like Gradecheck that have a strong technical component, located in Tech Town.

Governor says that the moneys for 21st Century Jobs Fund were from tobacco settlement and earmarked for the cited industries, but there are other resources that the state has available to business folks like McBride.

Sam Cummings, Second Story Properties (real estate): Believes strongly in Michigan, but has a problem with the new business tax, says returns are better in neighboring states.

Governor: Says that the earlier Single Business Tax discouraged folks from hiring; the newer current tax structure turns this around so that the more folks a business hires, the less they pay in taxes, that there are still changes that may be made to the structure.

[She jumps to brief discussion of the film industry and how they are encouraging them with incentives.]

Ron Pavlichek, Tool and Die Maker, Mancelona: What can governor say to inspire the manufacturing blue collar workers to stay in Michigan?

Governor: Says that tooling folks can migrate their skills to working for renewable/alternative energy manufacturers like those that make wind turbines. State is uniquely positioned to provide those skills along with renewable energy products like wood by-products. Cites Hemlock Semiconductor located in mid-Michigan as an example of a alternative energy firm growing in Michigan, can grow these kinds of jobs if we stay focused. [Um, yeah, we're going to be watching that growth, Gov, because we know they need more coal-fired energy if they're going to stay and they're painting you into a corner on that issue.]

[Time check: 8:29 pm]

State senator Randy Richardville (R-Monroe): Talks about bi-partisan review of renewable energy portfolio. [Watch out for this guy, you will see more of him.]

Tina Peterson, Iron Mountain City Council: 1/3 of land mass, 3% of population in Upper Peninsula. Would like to turn the population around, has plenty of space for wind power, resources for renewable energy digesters, good workforce. Still feels forgotten in the UP even though they've been represented better than in the past. Wishes there was a second hub of government in UP.

Governor: Reminds audience she has an office in the UP.  What can we do to attract more people to unspoiled UP? UP has forests, could lead in renewable fuels, could convert forests to biofuels.  Escanaba has a plant which is using wood pulp, converting it via black liquor gassification as a biofuel.

Moderator 2: Ethanol, other renewable fuels have a cost. Asks Rep. Michael Sak (D-Grand Rapids) about this factor.

Sak: Says the legislature can handle it, is close to a renewable energy portfolio which will address costs.

Governor: Renewable energy portfolio should include a conservation incentive that drives demand for alternative products rather than tradition energy.

Mike McIntyre, Sales, Renewable Energy, Muskegon: Says that Michigan is behind many states on incentives for renewable energy, that many folks want small wind power for their individual use.

Governor: Talks about Cascade Engineering which is developing small wind power for that very purpose, but pushes the energy portfolio bill as a method to help this kind of business.

McIntyre: Is the governor attending the Michigan Energy Fair in June?

Governor: If I'm in state, I'll attend. [Jeepers, I think there could have been a better answer to that, like "Yes, I'll clear my calendar because I'm committed to alternative energy as you are, and I hope that the legislature will be there, too" — assuming the governor's really dedicated to renewable energy and she's got to have consensus
from the state legislature.]

Ron Jopple, owner, Christiansen's furniture, Charlotte: Wonders how we can help Big Three on world stage,citing examples of hybrids and other alternative fueled vehicles shown in auto shows by foreign manufacturers.

Governor: Stresses again that we need a policy framework to support these kinds of technologies being developed which also work in stationary applications. Talks about Sweden as an example of a country that has successfully used renewables and alternatives

Alison (didn't catch last name), Detroit, Jackets for Jobs: There's redlining of insurance in the Detroit area, what's being done to help Detroiters about insurance costs? What about mass transit from/to city, suburbs?

Governor: [I missed response to first question, nuts!], talks about a public-private plan for mass transit in the works.

Casey Dutmer, retired business owner, Wyoming: There are inconsistent transportation policies across the state, would like to see state support equal to federal support as well as consistency, suggests that public transit will help with employment opportunities. [Is there something else he's saying here that's in code? Wyoming is in the predominantly white, conservative region of the state north of Grand Rapids (home of the DeVos clan)]

Governor: More vibrant cities have better transportation solutions, has appointed a transportation task force, addressing mass transit and better surfacing, not enough money for maintenance, need to address the funding shortfall to improve state road surfaces. Doesn't think we need to go to a gas tax, but waiting for suggestions from the task force.

Marvin Jennings, Pastor: What kind of timeline does the governor see for turn-around for those who are living on hope?

Governor: Needs to have short-term and long-term goals for the  turn-aroung; short-term goals includes construction projects and most aggressive promotion of Michigan, putting people into No Worker Left Behind, has opportunities available in the NWLB program targeted for jobs that are now available. Energy portfolio legislation will help with creation of 16K jobs for wind turbine manufacturers. Stresses need for kids to continue education and go to college to be prepared for future jobs.

Moderator 1: Many parents say that college is now priced out of reach, in spite of all the new preparation for kids.

Governor: Can get reasonable priced college ed through community colleges, with 4K available for each child, worth taking out a loan for education, stopping education at high school is no longer the answer.

Sheila Dunham, Ingham County Intermediate School District, Laingsburg:  How state can promote certification for career readiness [didn't catch name of cert, somebody email us or comment in thread here with it]?

Governor: Firmly believes in the certification. Cites the new 3 R's of education: rigor relevance relationship. Every child in Michigan (public schools) now taking a college prep program, a college entrance exam (ACT equivalence test), asking colleges to achieve certain outcomes like employable workers who stay here in MI so that 4K obtains ROI.

Moderator 1: 200 emails out of the 700 received were from Detroit area, asking the Governor about the status of Kwame Kilpatrick as mayor in light of the scandal.

Governor: There's a legal process underway, will not interfere as anything governor does would be a separate due process. [Todd Heywood says, "Granholm, in an artful act of dodging refused to take sides in the growing concerns about Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his text message scandal. Three times in 40 seconds Granholm referred to "process" and letting those processes play out, ignoring the bigger issue: Should he resign."]

Rodney Patrick, Chair of Highland Park Planning Commission: Highland contains most traveled part of the state; what's the plan for mass transit for that area?

Governor: perfect opportunity for public-private partnership, government can't do it all.

There is hope in Michigan, have to move from one era to another, we all have a role.

Moderator 2: Received an email from 45 year-old unemployed worker whose company dissolved; they are not a autoworker or teenager which Governor has already addressed. What are the opportunities for someone like them who represents larger number of displaced workers?

Governor: "No Worker Left Behind" program also addresses them, but needs to be fully funded. [Strong, pointed jab in direction of Republicans in state legislature.] Catherine (first participant, formerly employed at Electrolux) in tough situation because the NWLB funds training for jobs as requested by employers in that region.

Unnamed participant: We hear K-12 underfunded, does Gov agree?

Governor: School funding has been increased 3% to fill gaps.

[And fortunately, after some confusion as to whether there are 10 seconds or 30 seconds left, we are done with this unsatisfying exercise. The question now: how many days before we hear an announcement about bipartisan legislation on a renewable energy portfolio?  The governor sure tried hard to sell it tonight.]