LANSING – State Representatives Lisa Brown (D-West Bloomfield) and Vicki Barnett (D-Farmington Hills) today praised the Governor's pledge to revive Michigan's struggling economy, saying the focus must be on creating good-paying jobs in high-growth fields such as renewable energy, increasing consumer protections to protect homeowners at risk of foreclosure, and establishing a more streamlined and less costly state government.
"Bringing more renewable-energy investment to Michigan is an important part of diversifying our economy," said Brown, who is a member of the House Energy and Technology Committee. "We have the talent to become a center of research and development, which will provide the kind of good-paying jobs that will keep and attract young people in our communities."
In her State of the State address, Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm outlined her plans to rejuvenate Michigan's economy, reform state government, and use Michigan's strengths to capitalize on fast-growing fields such as renewable energy to create jobs and spur economic development.
Brown, Barnett and their colleagues already are working on finding solutions to the challenges facing Michigan. Brown has sponsored a plan that will reward companies that hire Michigan workers and crack down on those who hire illegal immigrants. Another plan will force legislators to lead by example by cutting lawmakers' salaries. Other priorities include attracting businesses in emerging fields to create good-paying jobs for Michigan workers and working to restore residents' confidence in our state by protecting working families from foreclosure.
"We can save millions in taxpayer dollars just by consolidating and eliminating redundancies in state departments," said Barnett, Vice Chair of the House Intergovernmental and Regional Affairs Committee. "If we want to get out of the budget mess we're in and turn our economy around, we're going to need to streamline government and make common-sense reforms. By encouraging new economic investment and attracting businesses to Michigan, we can move our state forward."