bus rapid transit system, a brt, to service the entire region. it's 40 years overdue. i encourage your support. [ applause ] now the final message of last year was on talent. this is truly a case of last but not least. our greatest asset is our talent, our people. now traditionally the public sector is focused on talent through workforce development. now this isn't good enough. we can minimize waste and add real results for people about better aligning where careers are and will be with our people and their skills that they have and that they need. we started this process in the fall, with pure michigan talent connect. i encourage all of our young people and anyone looking for a job or career to go to mitalent.org.

this new portal is to get our citizens better connected. there are nearly 70,000 jobs on this site. if we filled all these positions, our unemployment rate would drop by another 2% almost. [ applause ] and many of these are very good jobs, by the way, such as welder, accountant, or nurse. but again, this is more than simply a job site. it has tools for letting people look at their skills and the financial return that would be available for various careers. please, check it out. our talent agenda also emphasized the unemployment rate in michigan is far too high for our veterans, for our veterans of iraq and afghanistan, our unemployment rate was approximately 29%. this isn't right. and we need to act.

i encourage all employers to place a priority on hiring our veterans. [ applause ] we need help from our federal partners to create immigration opportunities for individuals who have advanced degrees for our entrepreneurs. having these individuals building businesses in michigan would create new jobs for our citizens. right here in michigan, we need to remember that immigrants were the founders of dow, myer, and masgow, and we're going to be working on this effort with support from michigan universities, the michigan regional council of carpenters and millwrights, the operating engineers union and the teamsters. i appreciate all of their

support and hope others will join us in this effort. [ applause ] in addition to the special messages, we took a number of other very important actions. first we began a dialogue on reducing taxes on industrial equipment, which needs to continue. michigan's been a world leader in manufacturing, and we want good job growth to happen in this important economic sector. now this conversation needs to be done in partnership with our local jurisdictions, since it's a critical part of the revenue. let's look for a long-term solution that generates more and better jobs while properly supporting our communities. [ applause ]

we accomplished major reforms of our state pension and retiree medical system. these reforms moved our benefits structure to berra better align with the private sector, so that we'll remain a good place to work while at the same time reducing our long-term liabilities by more than $5 billion. [ applause ] while we focused on more and better jobs and financially sound government, we've also committed to helping the most in need. government always needs to consider the human side of things. all children need a strong, loving network, especially those in state care. so we strengthen our commitment to children's services in michigan.

of the children seeking an adoptive family last year, the department of human services was able to place 70% or more than 2,500 of these children with a permanent family. [ applause ] but more children become available every day for adoption. but now i'd like to recognize one family, the moreland family of canton is a wonderful example of the joys of adoption. if the moreland family could stand up, please. [ applause ] thank you.

let me tell you about the moreland family. lamar and holly moreland already had two beautiful biological children, derek and hunter, but through their work in the judicial and legal system, lamar and holly knew they wanted to expand their family through adoption. last fall they were matched to the michigan adoption resource exchange after seeing photos of 12-year-old dexter and 7-year-old hayley. everything worked out. dexter and hayley have made the adjustment and are doing well in school. they have found their forever family. thank you. [ applause ]

there were two new public acts in 2011 that stuck -- struck, excuse me, a special chord in my heart. one was the extension of foster care services to age 21 instead of age 18, for young adults who would otherwise have aged out of foster care. this change will make a big difference in their young lives. and i want to give special recognition to western michigan university, which has already provided special support to 141 young adults in this age group through their sea to scholars program. [ applause ] the second public act i was going to mention was probably among the most emotional moments for me, personally at the bill signing.

and that was the passage of the anti-bullying law. there is no excuse for bullying. and after ten years of effort, we took legislative action. as a person who was bullied when i was young, i say thank you. [ applause ] now, not all went well or smoothly in 2011. and i would mention two areas in particular. first, we did not succeed in moving ahead with the new international trade crossing mu. we need to continue our efforts on this since it is not a bridge issue, it's a jobs issue.

[ applause [ applause ] one-third of the north american economy can be found by circling chicago to montreal. we're right in the middle. let's not let special interests hold back job creation, especially since the project can be done without any michigan taxpayer dollars. [ applause ] second, a number of our cities and schools are suffering major financial distress. this problem is not a new one, but it's an important topic we should fully address in 2012. when i came into office, we had six cities or school districts under emergency financial management. last year, one more joined the list. there is a lot of speculation as

to why jurisdiction got in trouble. the overriding feature is they lost population without a cost structure. the long-term answer is not just about cutting costs. it is how to create a financially solid foundation so that growth can occur again. [ applause ] the state's role is to help jurisdiction solve their own problems. in that regard, we passed the fiscal accountability act. often known as pa 4. first, it helps communities identify and solve problems as soon as problem and prior to a financial emergency. second, when there is a financial emergency, it is intended to quickly and effectively solve the problems so the community can get back on a positive path. [ applause ]

some people may wonder what we're talking about when the term financial emergency is used. think about a situation where employees are not going to get their paychecks. suppliers are not getting paid. bond payments are being missed or financial statements cannot be completed. these are critical problems. the new law is helping. [ applause ] and tonight, i want to let any jurisdiction that's struggling with the finances that we are committed at the state level to help you resolve your challenges. tonight, i would like to recognize mayor bing for being with us. mayor bing, if you would stand up. [ applause ]

it is important for all michiganers that knowing a thriving detroit is critical to all of us. [ applause ] detroit has many exciting developments going on and resolving the city's financial challenges would clear a path to a bright future. [ applause ] i want to thank the foundation community for their support of

the office of urban initiatives. this office is serving as our key resource interfacing with the cities. the last thing i want to talk about for 2011 is the regulatory. it is under way and continuing for 2012. we have done away with burdensome regulations. [ applause ] we need a regulatory environment that is conducive to business growth while making sure we are properly protecting our citizens. [ applause ] now this year, we're going to continue our regulatory reinvention by eliminating rules that don't make sense. i will share three examples with you. first, we have a rule mandating the size of a barber's waste basket and how many times it

must be emptied. i just got a haircut. my barber wasn't aware of this particular rule. second, we have a rule requiring child care providers to smile [ laughter ] finally, and this shouldn't be surprising and i appreciate our leadership today, but the department of environmental quality has 28 separate requirements for outhouses. including the requirement that the seat not be left up [ laughter ] [ applause ] i don't know about you, but i have a higher authority at home. i don't need the state telling me that. [ applause ]

it's going to be an interesting evening. now let's talk about 2012. 2012 will be a very different year from 2011. 2011 was focused on dramatic policy improvements over a broken model of the past. we set a bright course for the future. 2012 is about finishing that work. the work leftover from 2011. tackling a number of challenges and really making this year about good government. it's not about big government or small government. it's about good government. government doing the right things for the right reasons. let's fully implement what we already started and giving you, our citizens, great customer

service. [ applause ] i am going to do a special message in march. it will be on the topic of public safety. we need to improve. as i mentioned earlier, we have four of the topmost violent cities in the united states. this message will have three key components. an increase in law enforcement, major improvements on the criminal justice system and how it operates and jobs. it will focus on the greatest need. in the fall, i will give a message on the environment. we need to be more strategic by focusing on job creation, affordability, science and sustainability. we need to continue michigan's leadership in protecting the great lakes.

one of the world's greatest natural assets. [ applause ] third, i would like to work with the legislature on improving lobbying and campaign finance and ethics in state and local government. for example, we should have disclosure of campaign contributions and government of rules of people who negotiate state contracts will in government service. [ applause ] on the implementation of good government, we'll have efforts on two levels. one track will be focused on

state government itself and how it operates. the second track will be a supportive partner to the local jurisdictions. now the principles of good government will be how we operate in this way. let's share the four principles. first, we need to deliver outstanding customer service to our citizens. we need to do this by creating an environment for job creation, creating a great quality of life and providing a safety net for those most in need. second, we need to deliver real results for real people. and there are three components. we need to show you, our citizens, measurable results. the dashboard that i spoke of tonight is just a summary. we are instituting a comprehensive system that includes dashboards which are external measures and score cards which are internal measures. we need to continue to work on

being effective and efficient. we need to eliminate government waste. we need to be thoughtful and human in all of our actions. we are here to serve the people. and on this topic, i'm pleased to say we were successful in the collective bargaining process with our union employees. we came to a winning solution together. [ applause ] and particular, i'm looking forward to our joint effort to better our state employees while delivering better customer service to our citizens. [ applause ] third, we need to continue to deliver on both short and long-term financial responsibility. this year, we became a positive role model for the rest of the country on this topic.

we closed a large deficit and started paying down our long-term liabilities. i encourage the federal government to look to michigan as the place for answers. [ applause ] i encourage the legislature to work to gather on a repeat performance of prompt and sound budgeting. we don't face a deficit this year which is great. but let us show real leadership in how to strategically invest and save for the future and not simply spend money because it's there.

the fourth principle of good governance is to be a team player. we need to continue to serve as a catalyst for success in having all us work together and win together. as i have often said our role is not to create jobs but to create an environment that encourages job creation. now that i have outlined the operating philosophies for government i'd like to share you what we saw in twine 11. the michigan state police got rid of the old service delivery model that was placed on bricks and mortar and geographic boundaries and they reduced the total number of 62 to 29.

making their patrol vehicles essentially mobile command posts and putting nearly 150 sergeants back into the field protecting and serving you our citizens. thank you, colonel, and the michigan state police. now, i want to share the two most frequent pieces of advice i received before i took office. the first one was to be bold. simply fixing michigan was not good enough. the second often came moments after the first which was don't set expectations too high. now, i accepted the first and rejected the second.

we are being bold and reinventing michigan but it requires setting high expectations. you can only build a brighter future by setting a higher standard. in 2011, we set that standard and accomplished many things that many thought were impossible. 2011 was the year of building the foundation for good government. 2012 needs to be the year of implementing good government. i want to conclude tonight with a topic i have been talking about for years. it's our greatest opportunity. it's more important than any law or regulation. it's fundamental to the reinvention of michigan and having us become a great state again.

simply put, we must reinvent our culture. we are still too negative. too divisive, and too many believe the best days are behind us. we need to be positive, inclusive, and confident that michigan holds a bright future for our children and their children. it's great to look back at last year and take pride in all the things that were done. even the things that conventional wisdom said we couldn't do. it's great to have our unemployment to drop, and the auto companies are all hiring in michigan in 2012. but we cannot afford to slow

down. we must maintain the sense of urgency that we shared all last year. we must finish what we started. i believe the greatest key to our success in michigan this past year was due to a philosophy of relentless positive action. no blame, no credit, just finding common ground and solving problems. i ask that all michiganers join me in this effort. together, we will move michigan forward and become a great state.

god bless you and the great state of michigan. thank you. tonight on c-span, from this year's world economic forum in davos, switzerland, see the international monetary fund along with other global leaders as they talk about the future of the world economy. >> no one is immune in the current situation. it's a crisis that could have collateral effect, spillover effects around the world and, you know, we'll hear from others but what i have seen and what we are seeing in numbers and it forecast is that no country is immune and everybody has an

try interest in making sure this crisis is resolved adequately. >> let me share with you, i have never been as scared as now about the world. what is happening in europe, looking at what i experienced in -- not in '80 the crisis we had and the crisis we had in the 1990s. this is a very big issue. first of all, i agree entirely with christine that nobody is immune. we are all connected to each other. >> you can see the whole discussion tonight at 8:00 p.m. on c-span. we'll have more from the world economic forum tomorrow including a panel on the political and economic future of africa. plus, the ceos of several major corporations talk about the roles the companies are playing in the global economic recovery.

>> at the 1968 olympic games, john carlos and tommy smith raised their fists in the black power salute. >> this is black power. they intimidated so many people, white people in particular, by using that phrase, black power. because when they use that word or that phrase black power it made many people think that black power meant destruction. blowing up the statue of liberty or ground zero. destroying america. it wasn't anything about destroying america. it's about rebuilding america and having america to have a new paradigm in terms of how we can truly be what each and every one of us pledged when we were going to elementary school about the land of the free, the home of the brave. we all wanted to be great americans, but as young athletes we found that something was wrong. something was broke and we wanted to take our time to evaluate and then take our initiative to fix it.

>> discover more about african-american history during black history month on book tv on c-span 2 and online at the c-span video library. search and share from over 25 years of c-span programming at c-span.org/video library. we got started because there were a lot of conservative think tanks that work across issues. but before cap, there had been no single progressive organization that works on domestic policy, national policy. >> the president and the ceo of the center for american progress on the mission of the washington, d.c.-based think tank. >> you know, we think there's often an ideology behind a particular argument that are made in washington with very little facts behind them. part of our job is to make the arguments and the factual arguments and the evidence-based