foolmenot.comNow this is touching… I have never met Michigan’s first gentleman, but I can tell you after reading this article, I’m impressed. He said his wife, our governor, traveled over seas and received promises that folks over there were going to send jobs here; whoa, now that’s nice.
Darla Jackson, the school administrator said; "It's good for the kids to see someone in Lansing who cares about them,"… Damn straight it is… I’ll bet the only one who cares more is his wife. I love those two…
Full article follows…
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Saturday, March 11, 2006
By Kris Turner
kturner@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6249
FLINT - In a candid conversation with Michigan's first gentleman Dan Mulhern, about 20 students from the Michigan School for the Deaf asked questions ranging from the state's troubled economy to setting personal goals Friday.
"What's going on is a tremendous change in our economy," he said, after being asked what is causing statewide financial woes.
"We are in a global world - it's a global economy. It's a yea and a boo."
The fast-paced nature of technology and a destabilizing job market eventually will effect the economic climates of every state, he said.
"Ten years ago, there was no such thing as this," he said, while holding up his BlackBerry e-mail device.
"We are living in an intense and exciting world where things are going to change."
Strolling down the hall with the Flint school's administrators, Mulhern interrupted a preschool class to mingle with children. With a slight grin on his face, Noah Baesl, 4, carefully used his tiny fingers to spell his first name, introducing himself to Gov. Jennifer Granholm's husband.
Continuing to the auditorium, Mulhern delivered a speech about dreaming big and how to accomplish a personal goal.
"It's a goal that really changes you," he said. "We all have to find our own way, we all can make stuff happen."
No matter the desire - whether it's to be a professional basketball player or engineer - by simply setting a target, personal success is almost guaranteed.
"Be proactive, don't wait for the world," he said. "Great things are going to happen."
Hearing this message, especially from someone who's in a prominent position, is something the students don't get very often, said Alycia Devins, whose son is a freshman at the school.
Darla Jackson, who will take over as the school's campus administrator Monday, said Mulhern's presence at the school was uplifting.
"It's good for the kids to see someone in Lansing cares about them," she said.
Making a stop at the Flint Rotary Club's meeting later in the day, Mulhern explained how to increase the number of jobs throughout the state. By promoting higher education, re-evaluating the Single Business Tax and getting more companies to come here, things can get moving again.
Because she has gone overseas, Granholm has sparked international interest in sending jobs to Michigan, he said.
"Michigan really is on the cutting edge of a global economy," he said. "We've got to continuing practicing fiscal responsibility."