96 RIGHT AT GRATIOT GETTING BUSIER OUT HERE, BUT NO PROBLEMS TO REPORT EVERYONE. ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU TO 6 47 NOW, AND
MICHIGAN CONTINUES ITS PUSH TO
BE AT THE FRONT OF THE ELECTRIC
VEHICLE INDUSTRY. AND JUST
YESTERDAY YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD
THIS BIG ANNOUNCEMENT THAT MORE
THAN $400 MILLION APPROVED BY
THE STATE WILL GO TOWARDS TO NEW
DEVI BATTERY FACTORIES. ONE IS
IN BIG RAPIDS, THE OTHER ONE
RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER OVER
THERE IN VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP
GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER WAS
BEHIND THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT. SHE
JOINS US NOW LIVE THIS MORNING
TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS DEAL AND
WHAT IT MEANS FOR MICHIGAN JOBS.
GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR WAKING
UP EARLY WITH US. GOOD MORNING.
I’M SO GLAD TO BE HERE IN. THIS
IS GREAT NEWS FOR THE STATE OF
MICHIGAN. AND WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT THIS MORNING. ABSOLUTELY
LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW BIG OF A
DEAL THIS IS. I MEAN, WE’RE
TALKING A LOT OF MONEY, AND
WE’RE GONNA GET INTO THE JOBS
COMPONENT OF THIS AS WELL. YOU
KNOW, WE HAVE TAKEN
MICHIGANNATIVE. EST MINT IN
MICHIGAN IN ADVANCED MOBILITY
SOLUTIONS, SECURING THE FUTURE
OF THE AUTO INDUSTRY RIGHT HERE
WHEN THE WE ANNOUNCED GOSHEN
YESTERDAY IN BIG RAPIDS, THAT IS
A MASSIVE PROJECT LONG RANGE
BATTERIES, ONE ALSO KNOWN AS OUR
NEXT ENERGY, AND NOVI. IT’S A
MICHIGANNATIVE COMPANY THAT WAS
LOOKING TO GROW. THEY’VE GOT
GLOBAL CONTRACTS. THEY ARE
BUILDING A GIG. THE FACTORY HERE
IN MICHIGAN IN THE BATTERY SPACE
AS WELL AND THEY ARE ADVANCED
SOLUTIONS USING DIFFERENT
MATERIALS AND LONGER STORAGE,
AND SO IT’S REALLY EXCITING TO
SEE CUTTING EDGE MANUFACTURING,
ENSURING BACK HERE IN THE STATE
OF MICHIGAN. I MEAN, THERE’S
THIS REALLY BIG PUSH TO GET
PEOPLE TO BUY THESE ELECTRIC
VEHICLES, AND NOW WE’RE SEEING
THE MANUFACTURING HAPPENING HERE
IN OUR STATE CONTINUING AS WELL
. SO THIS IS OBVIOUSLY VERY,
VERY HUGE FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE
NOT SO SURE ABOUT AN E. V JUST
YET. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM?
YOU KNOW, THE AUTO INDUSTRY IS
TRANSITIONING AND WE’RE GOING
FROM INTERNAL COMBUSTION TO
ELECTRIC VEHICLES. LONG RANGE
ANXIETY IS WHAT IS PRECLUDING A
LOT OF PEOPLE FROM MAKING THE
TRANSITION. THE PRICE POINT, BUT
WHAT WE SAW THE NORTH AMERICAN
AUTO SHOW NOT LONG AGO WAS
GENERAL MOTORS FOR THEY’VE GOT
VEHICLES THAT ARE MUCH LOWER
PRICE POINT THAT ARE PHENOMENAL.
CUTTING EDGE VEHICLES THAT CAN
HELP CONSUMERS MAKE THAT
TRANSITION AFFORDABLY, BUT ALSO
WHEN WE WHEN WE ADDRESS THE
RANGE ANXIETY THROUGH THESE
ADVANCED BATTERIES, I THINK THIS
IS GOING TO HELP PEOPLE FEEL
COMFORTABLE MAKING THAT
TRANSITION BECAUSE IT’S CHEAPER.
IT’S MORE SUSTAINABLE AND IT’S
CERTAINLY BETTER FOR OUR
CLIMATE. SO GREEN ENERGY JOBS
ARE GROWING IN MICHIGAN, AND I
THINK THIS IS JUST ONE WAY THAT
WE CAN HELP PEOPLE MAKE THE
TRANSITION AS WELL. SPEAKING OF
MAKING THAT TRANSITION, HAVE YOU
MADE THAT TRANSITION JUST YET.
AND IF SO, WHAT IS YOUR DE’VEON
CHOICE? WELL, YOU KNOW, I’M NOT
DRIVING RIGHT NOW. BUT I CAN
TELL YOU, I’M EXCITED ABOUT THE
PROSPECT OF OWNING AN ELECTRIC
VEHICLE. I’VE GOT FRIENDS AND
FAMILY. WHO DO THEY LOVE THEM?
MICHIGANNATIVE ELECTRIC VEHICLES
, SO I THINK IT’S REALLY
EXCITING AND I LOOK FORWARD TO
GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE
ONE MYSELF AND WE WERE LOOKING
FORWARD TO THAT AS WELL. THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT, THOUGH, COMES AT A
VERY INTERESTING TIME BECAUSE
WE’RE SEEING GAS PRICES ON THE
RISE HERE AGAIN IN MICHIGAN,
THEY’RE LIKELY TO GO EVEN HIGHER
. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? IF
ANYTHING AGAIN TO KIND OF HELP
OFFSET THAT. WELL YOU KNOW, I’VE
BEEN VERY CLEAR GOVERNOR CAN’T
FIX GLOBAL INFLATION. BUT WHAT
WE CAN DO IS PUT MONEY IN
PEOPLE’S POCKETS, AND THAT’S
WHAT WE’VE DONE. WHETHER IT’S
THE INSURANCE REFORM THAT PUT
$400 AND EVERYONE EVERY DRIVER’S
POCKET OR IT IS THE INVESTMENTS
THAT WE’RE MAKING TO LEVEL THE
FINANCIAL BARRIER FOR SKILLS
ATTAINMENT SO PEOPLE CAN GET
INTO BETTER PAYING JOBS ORDERS
THE PROPOSAL I PUT ON THE TABLE
TO ELIMINATE THE RETIREMENT TAX
AND INCREASE THE EARNED INCOME
TAX CREDIT. WE’VE GOT TO FOCUS
ON GETTING MONEY IN PEOPLE’S
POCKETS. BUT ALSO I THINK THIS
REINFORCES WE CAN’T BE BEHOLDEN
TO FOREIGN OIL COMPANIES. WE’VE
GOT TO INVEST IN ALTERNATIVE
ENERGY SOURCES. AND THAT’S WHAT
THESE INVESTMENTS ARE DOING.
GOTCHA AND REAL QUICK BEFORE WE
LET YOU GO THIS MORNING, THERE
HAS BEEN A POLL ON OUR WEBSITE
CLICKONDETROIT.COM WHERE WE WERE
ASKING PEOPLE TO KIND OF SETTLE
THIS DEBATE ONCE AND FOR ALL. I
THINK I KNOW WHAT YOUR ANSWER IS
GOING TO BE, BUT WHEN REFERRING
TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE IN
MICHIGAN. DO YOU CALL THEM
MICHIGANDERS OR MICHIGANIANS?
AND YOU CAN SEE THE POLL THERE
ON OUR SCREEN AND HOW OUR
VIEWERS RATED THE DEBATE HERE.
BUT WHAT DO YOU SAY? YOU KNOW
WHAT? I DON’T CARE WHAT PEOPLE
CALL US. MICHIGANDERS ARE
MICHIGANIANS. WHAT WE ARE GOOD,
HARDWORKING PEOPLE WHO EXPECT
EVERYONE TO LIVE UP TO THE SAME
STANDARDS AND VALUES OPERATE
FROM FACTS AND TREAT EACH OTHER
WITH KINDNESS. SO I’M A
MICHIGANDERS. BUT I RESPECT
MICHIGANIANS TOO. OKAY ALRIGHT,
VERY POLITICALLY CORRECT.
ANSWER. WE LIKE THAT. WE LIKE
THAT GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER.