LANSING, Mich. (June 2, 2021) — Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit) has issued the following statement after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s visit to Detroit this morning, where she announced the creation of the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office within the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity:
“Access to technology is critical for seniors and students, especially for medical appointments and school. Far too often, the people of Detroit have been overlooked, neglected, and underfunded, leading to opportunity loss and economic hardship impacting residents, businesses, and our communities. In fact, I could not support a supplemental funding bill earlier this year because it refused to acknowledge both truths.
“Today’s announcement at a Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Michigan facility is exactly the kind of acknowledgment of Detroit’s unique circumstances I have been looking for when it comes to funding priorities. Like all Michiganders, Detroiters will soon be able to take advantage of the opportunities that come with having reliable, high-speed internet access, especially in the wake of disproportionate suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic that the city and its surrounding neighborhoods have endured.
“It is my hope that today’s announcement is just the first of many in which community leaders and state government find more creative opportunities to work together and make revitalizing Michigan a top priority.”
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