Former Governor Jennifer M. Granholm of Michigan

2/25/2015

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm

Richard & Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy

2607 Hearst Avenue


Berkeley, CA 94720-7320

Dear Governor Granholm,

My name is Matthew Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan and I am proud to have you serve as Governor of Michigan.  I have a strong interest in studying history and government because I am interested in learning with understanding on how different ideas or events can improve society. When studying history I like to understand the need to advance on Civil Rights to protect people who are different from discrimination, the need to protect the environment by having environmental protection with promoting renewable energy to reduce pollution, a strong need to help people including workers get the job skills they need to be ready for the workforce, and many others.  I find your work as Governor of Michigan to be very inspiring to me with your common sense ideas to improve Michigan.

When you were Governor of Michigan, I was amazed that you made history by becoming the first female to be Governor of Michigan.  When you were Governor of Michigan I liked on how you implemented on creating “No Worker Left Behind” program to help people including low-income workers and laid-off workers get job training to improve on their skills with assisting them to go into the workforce. “No Worker Left Behind” was a great common sense idea to help people get jobs with stressing the need for insource jobs due to the free trade agreements sending jobs overseas which causes a negative effect on our economy with loss of jobs.  During the economic crisis I was very proud of you for working with President Obama on helping the auto industry get the bailout to save jobs and getting the American Recovery Act stimulus to our state. I was able to benefit from your work with President Obama on the stimulus package because I was able to get into a job program in July 2009 until August 2009 at EMU College of Business called The B. Side: The Business Side of Youth. In the B. Side I took classes with listening to lectures about how businesses work and was trained on different job skills. As a result of your work on bringing the stimulus to Michigan I was able to improve my job skills with development and this helped me get a job in the future. On the environment I liked on you supported renewable energy manufacturing jobs like wind, solar, and biofuel to reduce pollution while creating a clean economy.  On Civil Rights I like your commitment to help minorities start up their businesses, extend domestic partnership benefits with supporting civil unions for same-sex couples, and supporting people with disabilities’ rights. Working to improve with advancing on Civil Rights is common sense and makes a great difference to improve society.

I have Autism with a learning disability and having a disability has been hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning new subject and I get teased about having a disability. The American With Disabilities Act helped me be protected from being discriminated and helped me get an education by allowing me to have accommodations like extra time on exams, have special education with tutors and T.As work with me on improving comprehension and assist me on assignments, use a recorder to record lectures to help me improve on note-taking, and also have technology to help work with me on improving comprehension like audio readers where it read backs to me to help me read to learn a topic and have subtitles with close caption when watching tv, movies, or documentaries to help me understand what they are saying with helping me understand the subject.  Even though I have benefited from the ADA I truly appreciate your commitment to improve Civil Rights and assist people with disabilities on protecting their rights and it helps me feel confident.  I enjoyed reading your book A Governor’s Story: The Fight For Jobs And America’s Economic Future. Your book was very inspiring to me because it helped me get interested in understanding the need for insource jobs to help our economy, assist workers on job skills training with development, and promote clean, renewable, and alternative energy like wind, solar, energy efficient products, and biofuel as an energy source with having a clean economy. Also I liked your book because it helped me get motivated to learn more about history, your achievements as Governor, and how ideas can make a difference.

From a person with a disability and a strong interest I strongly believe that you make a great difference for Michigan with your common sense ideas to improve Civil Rights, help train workers for the workforce, and promote renewable energy to reduce pollution. Governor Granholm, your book makes a great example of what we need today including the future with ideas to make our country stronger.  Thanks for taking the time to read my letter and making a difference. I’m sending you a story about working on my disability, my ideas to improve society, and how you and many other U.S. Governors are making a great difference.

Sincerely,

Matthew  Winick