Delivering his first State of the State address since his re-election, Gov. Rick Snyder on Tuesday said he'll focus to help Michigan's poorest and most disadvantaged residents get into the "mainstream" of the economy and society.
"I call it the river of opportunity," Snyder said, according to a report in the Detroit News.
Chad Livengood and Gary Heinlein of the News write:
Snyder said he wants expand programs that put social service counselors inside schools to help address student absenteeism and help low-income parents get assistance and job training opportunities. Another program the governor promoted has focused on linking the habitually unemployed with companies that need low-skilled labor.
"It's about creating an opportunity for success, not facilitating dependency," Snyder said. "Let's ramp up these programs."
Snyder plans to merge the Community Health and Human Services departments as the first step toward streamlining state government services to focus on the problems plaguing the state's poorest residents, said John Walsh, the governor's strategy director.
"This is truly an opportunity to revolutionize how we operate and realize we work for real people," Snyder said near the end of the speech. "They deserve results. They don't deserve to be a number of 15 different programs."
