Granholm: My Policies Working

<p><em><a href="mailto:rickp@mprn.org">By Rick Pluta</a></em></p> <p>Governor Granholm says her economic policies are starting to work, even though the state won't see a jobs recovery before she leaves office in January. She addressed business leaders today at the Detroit Regional Chamber Policy Conference on Mackinac Island. </p> <p>Governor Granholm's strategy of targeting specific industries to help diversify Michigan's economy has been controversial at times. Conservatives say she meddled too much in trying to choose economic winners and losers. </p> <p>The governor inherited a state that was already losing jobs when she took office and Michigan continued to shed jobs in every year of her administration. </p> <p>"After a decade of job losses every single year, we will actually every single year, we will actually see job growth in 2011. Now, I note this with a little bit of irony because my last day of work will be January first, 2011," she says.</p> <p>But she says projections say the state will start gaining jobs next year as part of a modest recovery. </p> <p>"The good news is, it will happen. I feel like Maxwell Smart -- 'Missed it by this much, Chief," she joked to the crowd.</p> <p>The governor says she regrets the fact that the recovery won't occur on her watch. She says it would be a mistake for her successor to pull back from efforts to rely less on traditional manufacturing for jobs.</p>