Gov. Snyder: Michigan 'A Work In Progress'
MACKINAC ISLAND (WWJ) - Governor Rick Snyder says that while things are looking up a bit in Michigan -- this is not the time to get complacent.
"Well, we are the comeback state in the U.S. because if you look to where we started from, we're at the bottom," said Snyder, in an interview with WWJ Newsradio 950's Vickie Thomas Wednesday on Mackinac Island.
"We've made tremendous progress. We're making structural changes that are gonna be long-term solutions, not just short-term solutions. So, a lot of great things have happened, but it's still a work in progress," said Snyder.
"And there's a history in Michigan. If you go back ... many of us have lived through this -- when things would start improving we would all of a sudden go, 'Well the good old days are back and we're done now.' We don't want that to happen.
"This is not the time to be satisfied, complacent, content. We've started the foundation. Let's finish our work ...," he said.
Calling Detroit "a major challenge" Snyder said there are some positive things going on in the city, including development in Midtown and Downtown as well as efforts to the public school system. He said, when it comes to talking about Detroit, "Too much time is spent on the negative."
There's been some stress lately between the city and the state as they were working toward, and finally reached, a deal to manage Detroit's finances.
So, how are the Governor and Mayor Bing getting along?
"We talk on a regular basis," Snyder said, "When you have tough issues, it's just like any group. I mean, we see some things differently occasionally, but we agree on a lot. And I think that we all agree we want Detroit to be a great city again."
Snyder is among hundreds of business and political leaders on Mackinac this week for the Detroit's Regional Chamber's annual policy conference.
