CEO's Corner : : : 2006 State of the County Address : : : Robert A. Ficano, Wayne County Executive

I would like to thank you for joining me for the fourth State of the County Address of our administration.

I am pleased to return to the Wayne County Building where I delivered my first State of the County.

I'd like to welcome members of the County Commission and other elected officials who join us this evening. Please stand.

On behalf of the citizens and employees of Wayne County, I want to again extend our condolences and prayers to his family.

Our thanks; personal prayers and thoughts are with those who put themselves in harm's way to protect our freedom and liberty so that we may enjoy all that our country offers today and into the future.

General Motors, Ford, Delphi and others have made changes that underscore how much the U.S. economy is transforming, and that these changes touch on us all.

My annual address offers us an opportunity to look back as we provide an update on Wayne County.

It's good to look back and see where you've been. It's better to look ahead, and have the vision to see where you're going next. So tonight, I'll do both.

I'm going to give you an update on the County, and share with you a glimpse into our future.

It's a bright future as a new center of emerging technology that retains our standing as an economic and jobs capital.

It's future where our children and grandchildren are leaders in the new industries of the 21st century because we prepared them well. It's a future as triumphant as our past glories.

The future we're building is one we can be proud to have for ourselves, and to leave for the generations that follow us.

Let me start my address by saying that The State of Wayne County is stable and steady.

Despite the grip of a harsh economy, and the fact our county receives less revenue sharing from the state than it did prior to 2003, our Administration has delivered three consecutive balanced budgets, and safeguarded the taxpayer's money each step of the way.

We've ensured that Wayne County, and our residents, are in a strong position to move into the future, and to achieve even greater things.

Our successes show we're a county that gets government right and that delivers for citizens.

We reduced the cost and size of county government, while maintaining services and programs. To date, we've trimmed nearly $50 million in overhead.
We earned the confidence of all of Wall Street. Standard & Poor's and Moody's each affirmed our credit rating, the highest Wayne County has had in years.
We cleaned up the wastewater in downriver and ended an eleven year old consent decree over the Treatment Plant.
We launched Four Star, a health care insurance for employees at small business.
And with our four leading health systems as our partners, everyone in Four Star gets the best care available anywhere.
We passed our parks millage – and we did it with overwhelming support from our residents, who made it clear recreation is an integral part of the great quality of life for children and families in our county.
We completed the study phase of our Regional Justice Center. This collaborative effort will give us a state-of-art facility that's easy to operate and that reduces costs for the courts, Sheriff, and our other law enforcement partners.
We redirected millions of Mental Health dollars into mobile crisis units, housing for the homeless and expanded jail diversion so those with mental illness get treatment.
We fought Deep Injection Wells and Canadian Trash. And that's a fight we'll take on any day to make sure Wayne County is not a dumping ground for imported trash.

As you can see, with just these highlights, we've made success happen in the midst of major internal and external challenges.

We must keep the county stable. Our Wall Street bond rating is a tremendous accomplishment.

It's an objective endorsement of the sound measures we have taken to keep our budget balanced.

As County Executive, I have consistently conveyed the need for prudent spending and acted accordingly with salary cuts and freezes, department budget cuts, and layoffs of my staff.

My fellow elected officials – who also bear the mantle of public service leadership, must do the same.

Let me stress that unless there is shared sacrifice by all of us, additional workforce reductions are inevitable and will be deeper.

Perhaps our most notable successes were the victories we made happen as a region. We hosted the Major League All-Star Game and Super Bowl Forty.

We extend a special thank you to our public safety officers, first responders and our Homeland Security and Emergency Management staff who worked to make the events safe.

Now it's time to ride the wave of regional cooperation to continue moving the region and the state forward.

Elected officials, business leaders, community and faith-based organizations must proceed with the same enthusiasm and commitment we have shown here.

Everyone realizes that we must not — no, we cannot lose the momentum that we've worked so hard to gain.

We can harness this energy, and use it to do the bold things that will ensure our financial stability… attract economic investment that retains and grows jobs…and educate our children to prepare them to meet the demands of the 21st Century.

It's my pleasure to let you know tonight that we're using our momentum to position our county – and its skilled workforce – to capitalize on the an industry key to this century - bio-technology.

Some of the pieces are already in place at Wayne State University, the home of Tech Town.

We're also working with Michigan State University on another piece that, when developed with care and due diligence, can do for us what the microchip did for Silicon Valley.

We already have Asterand — a leader in bio technology development. Asterand located in the Tech Town five years ago.

Asterand has grown from a handful of employees to hiring one new worker per month over the last five years. That's sixty new workers. And the jobs are well-paying jobs. Asterand has expanded to the United Kingdom and Asia.

Now, there's a novel thought: an American company bringing money back from overseas. That's what competing in the growing global economy and creating jobs for families is all about!

At this time I would like to welcome Mr. Marty Stefanelli, the COO of Asterand and Dr. Irvin Reid, president of Wayne State University and the founder of Tech-Town.

As an entrepreneurial village with global impact, Tech Town shows that bio-technology might be new, the industry might be young… BUT it's here AND it's growing. Wayne County is ready to grow with it.

You've probably heard the buzz — every day people are talking with excitement about bio-technology and alternative fuels made of corn, soybean and grain.

That's a hallmark of bio-technology. It's environmentally friendly. It also creates jobs of diverse skill levels.

Bio-Tech fuels are emerging as an industry because the United States is so dependent on foreign oil.

President Bush has pledged more than one hundred million dollars towards additional research grants in alternate fuel.

Governor Granholm has pledged to position Michigan as the hub for research and development in the alternate energy economy with two billion dollars in grants and other funding. I assure you — Wayne County will get its fair share of this funding!

There is no question that the future of our agricultural economy will be linked to the bio-tech sector. This is not just a question of assisting the U.S. automakers.

It's a question of diversifying our economy and opening our arms and our minds to this new bio-tech market.

Our U.S. automakers already have a competitive advantage over their foreign counterparts in the area of developing flexible fuel vehicles.

The Big Three have more than SIX million vehicles on the road right now that accept alternative fuel.

It's called E85 because it's a mix of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. I have a three-part plan to explore the use of alternative fuel and to promote bio-tech jobs and industry.

We're putting our plan in motion. I'll present a proposal to Lansing this month that exempts alternative fuel from taxes.

A zero tax gives businesses room to develop, and consumers an incentive to purchase alternative fuels.

Next, we're going to make filling up your tank with E85 more convenient. Right now, we have one local station.

We're going for grants that allow us to provide gas station owners with interest-free loans to convert their tanks.

We expect to have twenty E85 stations by 2007. As the third part of the plan, the County and MSU jointly will make resources available for research and development.

Last year alone, MSU received eight new bio-tech patents that can be licensed for commercial businesses to create jobs here. MSU already licenses one patent in France.

Because bio-tech fuels start in a field with corn or other grains, we're askingour local communities towork with us to create an Agricultural Renaissance Zone.

We want to make sure our new bio-tech facilities have the same tax benefits as others in Michigan.

We intend to have the first Agricultural Zone in an urban area. Our goal is to attract investment for bio-tech initiatives and, in turn, create jobs.

Right now, that plant in France is using an MSU patent and operating 24 hours a day. It can't keep up with demand.

We want to use that patent and build a second plant – right here in our county.

We're looking forward to a fruitful partnership with MSU under the leadership of President, Lou Anna Simon.

Representing President Simon today and working directly with us on this important effort is Associate Vice President of Research, Dr. Paul Hunt.

Please stand. Thank you for your work with us to bring jobs and to continue to move Wayne County forward.

We're the proud birthplace of advanced technology and automotive manufacturing innovation.

We lead the way in engineering and research, as well as in health and medical sciences.

We strive to develop new economies. Because of our rich automotive heritage, we have the skilled work force — what I like to call intellectual infrastructure — to meet the demands of ever-changing industries that come here.

As County Executive, I have come to realize that "business as usual" is NOT the business I am in.

The pieces we have in place mean that when the bio-tech industry booms, it'll boom here in Wayne County.

Look into the future of bio-technology with me, and you'll see our children and our grandchildren as leaders in this 21st century industry.

Our county is home to world-class institutions that have developed our intellectual infrastructure — and a county government that recognizes the opportunities for business growth and is willing to support the efforts of the leaders of technologically advancing industries.

Our success in this County and in this region is not just linked to building new industries. It doesn't stop there.

We also MUST change the way we do business to support business that is already here.

We have existing companies – including important technology companies like AT&T of Michigan – that also need us to remove outdated barriers and streamline permitting processes so they can invest in more technology, innovation, and consumer choice.

Wayne County wants and needs to be on the cutting edge of all technology to spur economic development.

This is the right place to invest now and for the future. Companies invested a total of one point seven Billion dollars in Wayne County last year.

That's up three hundred million dollars from 2004. That's good, but we're doing even more. We know that small businesses are the largest creator of jobs!

To accelerate the development and growth of small and medium size County businesses, tonight I am pleased to announce the opening of the Wayne County One-Stop Business Resource Center in Detroit.

So far, we have served over seventy clients, most of them women and minority owned businesses.

Our collaboration with the Commission made this possible. Look for our grand opening of the One-Stop Business Resource Center in just a few weeks. Everyone is invited.

Our momentum at home is also moving us abroad. The American automotive industry's troubles are well known. Behind the cold statistics are many thousands of local workers and families.

I hear about this every day. Equally troubling is laying the blame at anyone else's feet. The world is changing and changing quickly.

Choosing to ignore the globalization of business or being angry about it will not lessen the harsh realities at home. In fact, it is counterproductive. We must discourage self-pity and the hand-wringing. We must capitalize on our opportunities. The glass is half-full, not half-empty.

Many opportunities exist today abroad and we must explore all options. Let me tell you what we have been doing. Last October, I led a trade mission to China.

The Detroit Regional Chamber was instrumental in planning the mission, along with our Department of Neighborhood and Economic Development.

The southeast Michigan-based companies on our mission represented annual gross sales of more than eight billion dollars and more than Fifteen Thousand employees.

Our goal was to identify opportunities and establish long-term partnerships. More importantly, we want to bring jobs here and to southeast Michigan. The trip was encouraging and enlightening.

Many Chinese officials told me they admired the way metro-Detroit does business. In our conversations, they were most knowledgeable about three U.S. cities: New York, Los Angeles and Detroit.

Chinese leaders are very aware that Detroit put the world on wheels. Believe me, they see our glass as much better than half-full. They see us an economic power.

Our region has several favorable factors to build upon, including that China wants to transfer some of its investments to the U.S.

Our trade mission is bearing fruit. One result is our very successful business partnership with the Tempo Group of Beijing.

Tempo has acquired a 480,000 square foot facility in Canton Township to engage in automotive R&D. They will hire up to 200 engineers. They are represented here today by James Zhou and Alex Fan.

A division of Compuware is working on a technology exchange agreement that was prompted by contacts made during the trade mission. As a result, they have opened an office in Shanghai.

Wayne County has signed business agreements with the cities of Wuhan and Chongqing to promote and attract jobs.

The county and the two Chinese cities have identified representatives who will meet regularly to support county companies that want to do business there.

Even an Oakland County firm, Filtra Systems, will set up an office in China. That's good for Oakland County and anything I can do to help my friend, Brooks is good for Wayne County and the region!

Our economic strategies for the future have one main weakness – a lack of reliable mass transit.

In order for this region to be of championship caliber, we must have a transportation system that works, period!

We support the One Hundred million dollar study to design a mass transit line that would run from Detroit to Ann Arbor with connecting service to Detroit Metro Airport.

There is no secret why Pfizer, Visteon Village, the proposed Magna entertainment facility and other businesses are located around the airport and near transit lines.

The competitive advantage is not only location, location, location, but speed, speed, speed.

I continue to encourage all elected officials to come together on adopting a transit system plan that will not be bogged down in politics and special interest agendas.

Nancy White in Macomb County … L. Brooks Paterson in Oakland…Mayor Kilpatrick in Detroit… Myself – we're all ready to move. The Governor is ready to move. This is a true sign of regional cooperation. Let's get our region moving now!

The image and investment value of a community and neighborhood is a direct correlation to how well property is maintained and areas are kept clean.

Treasurer, Raymond Wojtowicz and I joined together to propose the Wayne County Land Bank as the best solution to the problem of abandoned homes and storefronts.

Our proposed Land Bank would cut through the red tape and clear the title on vacant, tax-delinquent properties. We could then turn these into new homes, shops or even parks.

A number of large urban cities and three Michigan counties successfully use land banks to do just that. The Wayne County Land Bank is ready to be implemented.

I am encouraging the County Commission to vote on the Land Bank to improve property conditions in our communities and neighborhoods.

Frankly, it's not about us. It is about our children. It is about our grandchildren.

I envision a county that is dedicated to its future, where plans are in place to ensure that when our seventh and eight graders graduate from college, they will find their County a place to live, work and raise their families.

I'm proud to say that we listened when a nine-year old Trenton boy offered a better use for an old tennis court in Elizabeth Park. Thanks to the suggestion of Eric Balthis, our residents will enjoy a new skateboard park there later this year.

We can never say too much or work too hard to ensure that we have healthy babies, safe recreation, literate children, and children safe from lead poisoning.

We continue to invest in supporting and protecting our children. Wayne County prides itself on offering a number of programs that directly impact the lives of our children and families.

We have programs that prevent infant mortality. We protect children's health against diseases. And we make sure all of our children have a HEAD START.

The key to our children's success is their ability to read and comprehend in today's global society. Anything less is a disservice.

I am appalled when I read that only TWENTY-SEVEN percent – less than three out of every ten parents – believes that a high school education is essential.

Well, we're out to change that belief by helping prepare our very youngest citizens to read.

Tonight I am pleased to announced Wayne Reads!, a reading initiative for our children. In our county, the rate of individuals 16 and older functioning below the literacy level is Sixty percent!

Wayne Reads! will join the other literacy leaders in creating an environment and expectations that everyone must read.

There are almost Thirty Thousand babies born to local residents every year. Our goal is to give kits to new moms in the hospital to promote reading at home.

New moms in the Women, Infants and Children's program will be the first to get the kits. Wayne Reads! will soon be launched to include family literacy workshops, early childhood development tutors and co-parenting skills.

Volunteers are being recruited through local literacy programs. Stay tuned for the launch of this important program.

My friends, to build on our success, we must dream BIG dreams, and have the energy and power of partnerships to make them come about.

Yes, there are problems to solve. Yes, there are issues to address, and yes there is much work yet to be done. But I am confident that if we work together, the triumph of the past will be nothing to the success of our future.

Robert F. Kennedy once said that "…While our future may lie beyond our vision, it is not completely beyond our control. The work of our own hands, matched to reason and principal, will determine our destiny."

We will continue to reduce the cost of county government, to consolidate and streamline the delivery of services.

Our administration has worked hard to restore confidence in government and hope for our future.

Our administration will not take the easy road and be satisfied with the status quo.

I repeat my commitment to build a community where you and your children can prosper and where their children will want to remain.

Our future is not only in our hands it is in our classrooms and on our playgrounds.

Let us together do what we must to secure the prosperity they deserve. And we can do this. Together, with the work of our own hands, and inspired by the courage that surrounds us, I am proud to deliver my fourth State of the County Address in the best county in the country.