Did you hear? Michigan scored higher than Illinois - in a grading of state government performance.

Yep, that's right. The mitt overcame the state shaped like a bunch of grapes. Not only that, but Michigan also beat out 47 other states to place third in a ranking done by the Campbell Public Affairs Institute. Only Virginia and Utah did better than Michigan's B+ rating, both scoring A-. The worst grade was a C-.

Judging the state on the criteria of money, people, infrastructure and information, the institute gave Michigan its highest scores in information and infrastructure. The editor of the project said Michigan is a state that is open, accessible to residents and works well with government employees (sounds like the nice things a teacher says about you at parent-teacher conferences).

Despite looking good on a grading scale, as of December, Michigan was still tied with Alaska for having the highest unemployment rate in the country at 7.3 percent and is facing a budget deficit this fiscal year that state officials have estimated at $350 million.

To quote Ari Adler, a spokesman for Senate Majority leader Ken Sikkema, R-Wyoming, "the B+ is for effort."

But just like a child that is rewarded simply for attempting to do better in school, Michigan, and specifically Gov. Jennifer Granholm, deserve praise, especially considering the less-than-desirable situation former Gov. John Engler left her to deal with.

According to the state of Michigan Web site, Granholm freed up millions of dollars to help attract entrepreneurs to the state in 2004 and fought for legislation to retain business. From this, 2,400 small businesses sprang up, seven companies opened new headquarters in the state, and 130,000 jobs were retained or created.

Although funding to higher education was slashed when working to balance the budget, Granholm pushed universities to keep tuition affordable. K-12 education received a boost in its funding.

In regards to health care, federally qualified health-care centers were opened in Jackson and Detroit. Affordable health care was extended to 300,000 uninsured people through these centers.

Amid a Republican-dominated House and Senate, Granholm eliminated a $3 billion deficit. She did this by thinning $220 million in contract expenses and saved $13 million by removing 2,500 cars from the state's fleet. She even conserved $14 million in administrative costs simply by turning off the lights, eliminating color copying and cutting back on cell phone usage.

We might not have always agreed with what she put on the chopping block, but ultimately, Granholm took us in the right direction. Last year was a busy one for the governor, and although at times she was stern, it was always in our best interest (we'd expect nothing less of someone who looks a bit like June Cleaver).

So, Granholm and the great state of Michigan, take today to bask in the glory of your B+. Just remember, there is a long road ahead, and next year we are expecting an A.