G4G Talking points for 09/15

[SharonRB]

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 (53 Days until Victory 2006)

Governor Granholm Responds to Today’s Ford Announcement: The Ford announcement is very disappointing news for Michigan and for the Michigan families. The Governor said her first thoughts today are with the workers and the families who are most affected. Today's news underscores the importance of both diversifying Michigan's economy to make it less reliant on auto manufacturing alone and continuing to do everything we can to be a supportive partner – and pushing the Bush administration to be supportive as well - to our state's largest employers.


A new poll out shows Governor Granholm with a 50 – 42 lead over DeVos, up from a few weeks ago. The numbers show that voters are recognizing Dick DeVos - and his support for George Bush and policies that hurt Michigan families - are the problem, not the solution.


New Television Ad: The Granholm campaign released a new ad today that highlights the Governor’s jobs missions to Japan, which brought back $200 million in investments and over 1000 jobs, in contrast with Dick DeVos’ record of eliminating Michigan jobs and creating jobs in China. Click here to see the ad and read more… http://www.granholmforgov.com/site/PageServer?pagename=real_jobs_maker

Headlines from Around the State

WILX: Granholm Widens Gap Over DeVos
A new, exclusive News Ten survey is out tonight with Governor Jennifer Granholm widening her lead over Republican challenger Dick DeVos. Fifty-percent of the people surveyed in the Epic-MRA poll said they will vote for the incumbent, while 42 percent say will vote for DeVos. The last News Ten poll in July showed Granholm leading with only three-percentage points, making the race a statistical dead heat. When it comes to Michigan's slow economy, President Bush gets more blame. 44 percent of voters polled say they blame the President, while only 28 percent point at Granholm.
Click here to read the full story...http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/3922862.html

Detroit Free Press Column: Back to work for city's future
Detroit learned a valuable lesson this week: That its leaders, when willing -- and when push comes to shove -- can solve problems, can make things happen… Detroit's progress has occurred in fits and starts because its leadership has worked that way. City residents' unwillingness to be seen as "needy" or "incapable" has led them to accept help from state lawmakers -- as well as Gov. Jennifer Granholm – on their own terms or not at all. Even in the teachers strike, Granholm -- who was in on the conference calls and got her staff, including the state budget director, into the negotiations -- had to walk a fine line between becoming too involved (and being accused of taking over) and doing too little (and being accused of not caring about Detroit). In the end, she found a delicate balance that enabled her to participate in a victory.
Click here to read the full story...http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060915/OPINION02/609150347/1070/OPINION

WZZM: New ethanol plant in Michigan official opens
At bio-energy's grand opening, Governor Jennifer Granholm says she would like to see Michigan lead the way when it comes to alternative fuels. She says, “With our agricultural sector and our automobile sector, we should be the state that breaks the United States dependence on oil.”.
Click here to read the full story... http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=61360