Detroit, U.S.A. – Inforum and Women in Leadership Mid-Michigan announced the merger of their membership organizations, expanding Inforum into the Great Lakes Bay Region on July 30.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Inforum is the leading professional organization focused on creating strategic connections and accelerating careers for women throughout Michigan and the Midwest. Its membership includes thousands of women across industries from Fortune 500 corporations to small and mid-sized businesses, government, education and media.

Formed in 2004, Women in Leadership Mid-Michigan (WILMM) promotes and develops professional women in the Great Lakes Bay Region through networking, relationship-building, education and training seminars, and collaboration with other regional organizations.

WILMM will become Inforum’s Great Lakes Bay Region, joining Inforum’s Southeast Michigan, Mid-Michigan, West Michigan, and Southwest Michigan regions. The two organizations will celebrate the merger at a luncheon to be held August 10 at Horizon’s Conference Center in Saginaw.

“Inforum is proud to join forces with Women in Leadership Mid-Michigan and its dynamic network of talented and accomplished women,” said Terry Barclay, president and CEO of Inforum and Inforum Center for Leadership. “Together we can bring more resources to the Great Lakes Bay Region in our mission to help women lead and succeed and strengthen the business environment.”

“Our vision to become the premier women’s leadership organization in the Great Lakes Bay Region has become a reality,” said Kathleen McGraw, president of Women in Leadership Mi-Michigan. “Joining forces with Inforum allows us to increase our effectiveness in serving professional women, thus making a significant positive impact on the economic growth of our region.”

Inforum provides a variety of ways for members statewide to make strategic connections, including affinity groups that bring together professionals around common interests, industry/practice groups such as Automotive NEXT and Healthcare NEXT, and networking events featuring high-profile speakers.

Inforum Center for Leadership is the educational and research arm of Inforum. It provides leadership development programs that serve a broad range of professional women at different stages of their careers – from emerging leaders, to high-potential executives, entrepreneurs, and corporate board leaders. Inforum Center for Leadership also conducts and publishes original research, including the biennial Michigan Women’s Leadership Index.

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Chicago, U.S.A. – Just ahead of a major U.S. Senate vote on the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to clean up mercury and other toxic air pollutants, a Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) report shows that the 25 worst coal-fired power plants account for more than half of the dangerous mercury pollution emitted by the total of 144 electricity generation facilities in the Great Lakes region. The report also finds that almost 90 percent of the toxic emissions could be eliminated with off-the-shelf technologies.

According to ”Poisoning the Great Lakes: Mercury Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants In the Great Lakes Region,” Ohio emits the largest amount of mercury from coal-fired power plants (21 percent of the total in the Great Lakes region), followed closely by Pennsylvania (20 percent) and Indiana (16 percent). The remaining five states in the region rank as follows: Michigan (14 percent); Illinois (11 percent); Wisconsin (9.5 percent); Minnesota (6.5 percent); and New York (2 percent). Plants from outside the region also contribute to mercury pollution in the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes region’s five worst coal-fired power plants for mercury pollution are: Shawville (Clearfield County, PA); Monroe (Monroe County, MI); Homer City (Indiana County, PA); Cardinal (Jefferson County, OH); and Sherburne County (Sherburne County, MN). (See the complete list below of the worst 25.) A dozen power plants in Ohio and Indiana – owned in whole or part by American Electric Power — accounted for 19 percent of all mercury emitted in 2010 from the total of 144 coal-fired power plants in the region.

U.S. Senator James Inhofe, R-OK, recently filed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to void health standards reducing mercury and other toxic air pollution from power plants and to permanently block EPA from re-issuing similar safeguards.

Thomas Cmar, attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council office in Chicago, said: ”Mercury is a dangerous brain poison that doesn’t belong in our Great Lakes. It puts the health of kids and pregnant women at risk and adds an unwelcome danger to eating what our fishermen catch. That’s why it is so important that we support the EPA’s standards to reduce mercury pollution by holding polluters accountable. Even more critical is that every single U.S. Senator from the region stand up for the Lakes by rejecting reckless attempts to derail the long overdue Clean Air Act updates that can help tame this problem.”

Cindy Copeland, report author and formerly with the EPA Air Program, said: “Mercury is poisoning the Great Lakes and the three states – Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania – that impose no rules are by far the worst offenders. Airborne mercury from coal-fired power plants in the Great Lakes Region harms our health, and the benefits of reducing mercury emissions are well worth the cost. With a reduction of health costs to the economy at up to $90 billion, it is hard to say no to this.”

In the Great Lakes region, there are more than 144 coal-fired power plants which pumped over 13,000 pounds of mercury into the air in 2010. Mercury pollution from these plants’ region accounts for close to 25 percent of the nation’s total. The Great Lakes region is comprised of the five Great Lakes (Erie,Ontario, Huron, Michigan, and Superior) and the eight surrounding states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Wisconsin).

Eating poisoned fish is the primary cause of mercury poisoning of humans. Mercury is a neurotoxin that harms the brain, heart, central nervous system, kidneys, lungs, and immune system. Young children and developing fetuses are most at risk, and can suffer developmental problems from mercury poisoning.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued nationwide rules to require coal-fired power plants to limit airborne mercury emissions and other toxic air pollutants by 2015. The technologies to meet the EPA’s mercury limits are widely available and effective.

Based on projected reductions in fine particulate emissions due to the combined benefits of various air toxic pollution controls, the EPA has projected that the benefits of its Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) far outweigh the costs of pollution controls. The health benefits of the MATS are projected to be worth $37 to $90 billion in 2016 alone. The EPA has projected that the majority of the benefits would be reaped in the eastern United States, including the Great Lakes region.

Mercury emitted into the air from coal-fired power plants is by far the leading man-made source of mercury reaching the Great Lakes and the lakes, rivers, and streams of the Great Lakes region. This report lists the top 25 mercury emitting plants in the region. Mercury pollution from plants outside the region also contributes to the overall quantity of mercury found in the Great Lakes. When coal is burned to produce electricity, mercury is emitted into the air. The EPA estimates that coal-fired power plants are the largest man-made source of mercury pollution, accounting for 50 percent of mercury air emissions in the United States.

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Self-described “celebrity blogger” John Wright was sued in a Michigan court (Case No. 12‐005104‐CZ) to prevent further “shakedown” or “extortion” of money or property from National Mortgage Investigation (“NMI”). Furthermore, NMI alleges that Wright, owner of “piggybankblog,” engages in a practice of asking for donations on his website while secretly taking money from homeowners for “services.” Wright’s consulting practice is not disclosed on his blog.

In the legal action, NMI revealed dozens of emails from a network of individuals including Brookstone Law P.C.’s Damian Kutzner, television personality Allana Baroni and “piggybankblogger personality” Darrell Neilander referring to the owner of NMI, Mr. Fadie Areny, as being a “young punk,” a “scumbag,” a “stupid fool,” and other derogatory adjectives. Allegedly, they all promised to stop defaming him in public blogs if Mr. Areny or NMI paid Wright, Baroni, and Kutzner nearly $200,000.

All the defendants disseminated emails to NMI emphasizing that Wright and his co-conspirators Brookstone and Kutzner have close relationships with governmental officials, including California Attorney General Kamala Harris. The lawsuit claims Areny was told it would “not be good for NMI” if it failed to pay money to John Wright.

Commenting on the lawsuit, Areny remarked, “I have never before imagined that professionals could use derogatory terms like ‘punk’ and ‘scumbag’ while concurrently extorting ownership and money. We have no alternative but to seek and procure injunctive relief against these ‘shake-downs’ resulting from activities such as those employed by Wright, Baroni, and Brookstone Law P.C.”

The lawsuit was filed in Michigan’s Wayne County Circuit Court.

National Mortgage Investigation collates documents and data from national and international public records of financial institutions, uncovering securitization and sales tracing for home owners.

NMI works with lawyers nationwide, and provides expert documentation and clarification of the complicated process of securitization that has been used by the Nation’s banks during the recent period of economic downturn. NMI has performed innumerable expert reviews of documents, many at no charge to assist clients during the bank crisis.

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Do low-income college students who receive public benefits stay in school longer and complete their studies faster? A new initiative that will launch in the 2012 summer at select community colleges will test this notion and work to provide models that other community colleges can implement and sustain.

The three-year $4.84 million initiative, Benefits Access for College Completion (BACC), is led by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) with funding from the Ford Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Lumina Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations. The Annie E. Casey Foundation is also contributing to the initiative.

“We are committed to student completion and appreciate the major investment these foundations are making,” AACC President Walter G. Bumphus said. “Their collaborative vision will help community colleges identify the best ways for students to access the benefits and services they need to finish what they start.”

LaGuardia Community College President Gail Mellow said the initiative is a “huge opportunity” to help “financially troubled students get the benefits they are eligible to receive” and to help “shape the policy environment.”

Of the close to 8 million credit students annually attending community colleges, 46% currently receive some form of financial aid (state, federal, or institutional). The additional benefits the students might access through BACC include a range of federal programs, such as those that provide health insurance, food, and child care. Such support services are especially critical for community college students, many of whom juggle work, studies, and family responsibilities.

Colleges selected for the BACC planning phase are: Cuyahoga Community College (OH), Gateway Community and Technical College and Owensboro Community and Technical College (KY), LaGuardia Community College (NY), Northampton Community College (PA), and Skyline College (CA).  Macomb Community College and Lake Michigan Community College also will participate and share perspectives from similar work in Michigan.

During the initiative, participating colleges will become social innovators that integrate access to federal and state supports and other existing public resources into college operations, in some ways redefining the concept of financial aid and student supports. It is the hope that by working directly with local and state benefits administrators to eliminate policy barriers and align services, community colleges will help students finish their programs of study faster and move to economic self-sufficiency.

At the end of the initiative, the BACC team hopes to use lessons learned to expand what works across the nation’s more than 1,200 community colleges.

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As Crain’s Detroit Business’ Newsmakers of the Year, Saad Chehab and Sue Mosey are bringing new life to the city, their industries, and the people of Detroit.

Saad Chehab, CEO of Chrysler Group LLC’s Chrysler Brand, has driven Chrysler’s new tagline: ‘Imported from Detroit’ straight into the heart of Detroiters and car- lovers, alike.  As the brains behind Chrysler’s SuperBowl XLV commercial featuring rapper, and Detroit-native, Eminem, Chehab casted the city in an ‘us against the world’ role.  The commercial showcased popular Detroit venues and highlighted the city’s best features.

That has certainly proven to be accurate, especially for Chrysler who saw significant improvement in sales after the commercial aired.  In December of 2011, Chrysler sold 138,019 new vehicles, up 37% from the 100,702 sold in December of 2010.

“Those results, that campaign, that marketing, that product, that effort and hard work are speaking for themselves and their sales. I couldn’t be happier,” said the newly named CEO for the Chrysler Brand.

Sue Mosey, president of Midtown Detroit Inc., is being recognized for her significant accomplishments in resurrecting the Midtown area.  Mosey has been working with local investors to populate formerly empty buildings with a variety of businesses including wine bars, yoga studios, and even a Whole Foods Market, the first in the city of Detroit.

These efforts have invigorated the real estate market in Midtown Detroit in an attempt to bring new residents to the area. In addition, some Detroit companies have even begun to provide incentives for their employees to live in Midtown as a result of Mosey’s efforts.

“When you drive the neighborhood, you see new businesses, construction, things happening here,” says Mosey. “That’s probably the most important thing for anyone looking at investment opportunities.”

Chehab and Mosey’s accomplishments will be celebrated at Crain’s Detroit Business’ Newsmaker of the Year Luncheon on Thursday, February 23, 2012 at the Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit. The luncheon begins at noon and will feature addresses from Chehab and Mosey, as well as a question and answer session, with both Newsmakers.

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A new Michigan-based medical marijuana coalition —The National Patients Rights Association  (NPRA) — has been formed by some of the nation’s leading medical marijuana advocates to protect patient rights.

The group will encourage legislators, prosecutors, and local governments to fully honor the decision of voters that enacted laws to legalize medical marijuana in 16 states and the nation’s capital.  Michigan, whose Michigan Medical Marijuana Act (MMMA) passed by nearly two-thirds of voters (63 percent) in 2008, will be among the first states targeted through the NPRA’s efforts.

The NPRA is backed by patients, caregivers, businesses, and a range of other supporters.  Collectively, the coalition will work to broaden awareness, reach legislators in a targeted manner, and help mobilize patients and caregivers who are affected by these laws.  A key objective of the coalition is a push for definitive regulation in terms of standardization — ranging from safety and storage needs, document management requirements, privacy, and overall industry standards and procedures.

According to the NPRA, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette should not circumvent or undermine state laws for the sake of personal beliefs and should honor the will of Michigan voters by helping make implementation of the medicinal marijuana law clearer for all involved parties.  The NPRA believes the Michigan attorney general is:

• Consuming vital public resources by turning medical issues into criminal ones — all the way through our criminal justice system, from police officer to investigator to prosecutor’s offices to our court system
• Politicizing what are societal discussions and decisions regarding how we conduct and administer health care in our society
• Forcing ordinary citizens, many of whom suffer agonizing chronic or constant pain and other serious diseases and disabilities clearly defined by the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, to turn to unsafe and unsavory sources for marijuana
• Encouraging the current climate of enforcement in many individual jurisdictions, which has had a silencing or inhibiting impact on ethical Michigan medical practitioners (and their medical insurers)
• Leading to patients being prescribed much more dangerous (in terms of addiction and side effects), more expensive and less effective therapeutic agents

Legitimate business activity

The NPRA points out that the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act approved in 2008 by Michigan voters has helped to diversify the state’s economy and subsequently created a new class of entrepreneurs to serve it — many of these business owners understand that participating in the state economy means paying their fair share of taxes.

The NPRA believes that Michigan should consider taxation similar to Colorado.  In that state, medical marijuana dispensaries pay sales tax on all transactions, including other retail products they sell.  The dispensaries also must apply for a license to operate and pay application fees. These fees fund Colorado’s medical marijuana enforcement division, which regulates the industry.

“The reality is that not all patients and their caregivers have the interest, resources or skills to carefully grow therapeutic-grade medical marijuana. These patients need safe access to medical marijuana that meets the therapeutic objectives of their licensed health care practitioners,” said Paul Tylenda, a Grosse Pointe attorney.  “The Colorado model combines maximal benefit for patients, tax revenue generation and appropriate regulation of the program.”

Northern Lights Hydroponic & Garden Supply in Madison Heights, Mich., — offering a complete line of hydroponic, indoor and outdoor gardening supplies — is one example of a local business that has significantly grown its customer base as a direct result of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act.

Having served the area for more than 16 years as Jim’s Flowers, the company recently expanded its operations by taking over an 8,000-square-foot retail space that had been sitting vacant for more than four years.

“Medical marijuana has been beneficial to my horticulture business, because it has allowed me to add income year round,” said Joe Alfery, co-owner of Northern Lights.  “I also take pride in the fact that since our business has expanded into a once-empty building, we have helped play a role in both the beautification of our community as well as become a larger tax contributor to our state.”

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/michigancommunities/

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The Detroit Pistons have announced a unique community program called “Come Together” aimed at celebrating community champions from cities across the State of Michigan.

Working with local political, business and community leaders from cities throughout the state, each municipality is eligible to receive up to 100 tickets to a Detroit Pistons home game for the purpose of recognizing individuals and groups for outstanding achievement, service to the community and leadership through volunteerism.

“The ‘Come Together’ program is a new platform that we are eager to share with our fans and community difference makers both locally and throughout the state,” said Dennis Mannion, President of Palace Sports & Entertainment and the Detroit Pistons.

“Tom Gores has made no secret about his desire to make an impact on the lives of people in Michigan by using the Detroit Pistons and Palace Sports & Entertainment as a community asset.  This program allows us to recognize, entertain and say thank you to individuals making a difference in their communities.”

Throughout the season-long program, city groups and participants will be acknowledged in-arena at each game and video features highlighting the participating towns will be shown on Palacevision.  Individuals in attendance will receive a parking, merchandise and food and beverage package for the game along with a certificate from Tom Gores thanking them for their participation.

Cities and groups can also use their game as a fundraising opportunity by purchasing additional tickets at a discounted rate with $5.00 from each ticket purchased going back to a community initiative of their choice.

Community groups and civic leaders from more than 15 municipalities including Allen Park, Attica,Commerce, Fenton, Fort Gratiot, Laingsburg, New Lothrop, Rives Junction, Saint Clair, Sylvan Lake,Romeo, Montrose and Hamtramck will be in attendance beginning Wednesday, January 25 when the Pistons host the Miami HEAT at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/detroitpistons

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Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System have found a new indicator that may predict which patients with a common type of throat cancer are most likely have the cancer spread to other parts of their bodies.

Patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma who had “matted” lymph nodes – nodes that are connected together – had a 69 percent survival rate over three years, compared to 94 percent for patients without matted nodes, according to a study published online ahead of print publication in Head & Neck.

The oropharynx is an area that includes the back of the tongue, soft palate, throat and tonsils. ”The spread of cancer throughout the body accounts for about 45 percent of the deaths from oropharyngeal carcinoma,” says the study’s senior author, Douglas B. Chepeha, M.D., M.S.P.H., an associate professor of otolaryngology head and neck surgery at the U-M Medical School.

“Our findings may help doctors identify patients who are at higher risk for having their cancer metastasize and who would benefit from additional systemic therapy. Conversely, some patients without matted nodes may benefit from a reduction of the current standard treatment, which would cut down on uncomfortable side effects.”

Notably, the findings indicate an increased risk independent of other established prognostic factors, such as the patient’s history of smoking or whether they have the Human papillomavirus (HPV), the study found. Smoking (tobacco and marijuana), heavy alcohol use and HPV infection have each been linked to the development of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Matted nodes appear to be an especially strong indicator of increased risk among patients who are HPV-positive, even though HPV-positive patients had better overall outcomes than their HPV-negative peers. The patients with the best outcomes were HPV-positive non-smokers.

“It’s not clear why we’re finding these survival differences for patients who have matted nodes,” says study lead author Matthew E. Spector, M.D., a head and neck surgery resident at U-M who won a national award from the American Head and Neck Society for this work. “It is possible that there are biological and molecular differences in these types of tumors, which can be explored in future research.”

The results affirm the value of having a team of doctors and researchers from different specialties, radiology, oncology, biostatistics and surgery, working together to find advances that can directly benefit patients, Chepeha says. “This was a collaborative effort and all of the authors made important contributions,” he adds.

The study tracked 78 cancer patients who were part of a clinical trial evaluating two cancer drugs in combination with intensity-modulated radiation therapy. All the patients had stage III or IV squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx and had not had any previous treatment. Sixteen of the 78 patients had matted nodes.

“It’s significant that we’ve identified this new marker that can help us predict which patients have worse survival odds,” Chepeha says. “Now we need to go one step further and figure out what mechanisms are at work and how we can use this knowledge to improve survival rates.”

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A pastor in Michigan wants people, who may feel uncomfortable in traditional churches, to feel more welcome at The Bridge, his non-denominational church, which recently started to feature a tattoo parlor inside.

Reverend Steve Bentley believes that mainstream religion has become futile in reaching out to their communities and that it no longer appeals to most of society. In an attempt to be more relevant to the mainstream, he has opened up a tattoo parlor called Serenity Tattoo.

Ryan Brown and Drew Blaisdell, the artists at Serenity Tattoo, work from 12:00-8:00 P.M. or by appointment, every day but Sunday. The parlor is located close to Bentley’s office and the Church’s water trough used for baptisms. The pastor has two tattoos himself, one of which he got at Serenity Tattoo.

He believes that tattoos are “morally neutral” and that they’re like ear piercings, though he acknowledges that some will oppose to a tattoo shop inside a church. The pastor said that since tattooing is such a prominent feature of today’s society, he wanted to make a place where people could come get a tattoo and still be aligned with their moral code.

“We are about doing church in a different way and being relevant to people,” Bentley said to the The Flint Journal. “You can get a tattoo in a clean environment. You can do it while still sticking to your moral code.” Some people believe tattoos and piercings should be considered taboo and signals bad morals. At the same time, most would agree that ear piercings are morally upright and more socially acceptable.

Brown, one of the artists, is a recovering alcoholic who thinks that being in a church setting has helped him stay on the right path and avoid temptation. He said, “I was running my own studio. I was just working. There wasn’t much purpose in it. I was struggling with whether I could keep my studio” and stay sober.

“I prayed a lot and decided the best thing was to close it, and come to the church. I figured I could have a lot more positive impact” here. The church takes up 30,000 square feet inside the shopping center where it is located. It was founded in 2009 as a means of reaching out to the 300,000 people in Genesee County that have never gone to church before.

Bentley said his congregation consists of around 1,000 people and he regularly visits the Serenity Tattoo’s customers, though not all of them come to participate in the church services.

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Silence fell upon the Michigan State crowd as the officials conferred over the game’s final play. And the referees, in the biggest call of the night, finally got it right.

The No. 16 Michigan State Spartans, after fighting against all odds, used up all of their rosary beads and prayer power in a last-second Hail Mary pass that decided the game, upsetting their conference rivals and giving the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers their first loss of the season, Saturday night.

With the game tied at 31 and  four seconds left in the fourth quarter, Spartans’ QB Kirk Collins rolled to the right and launched a 44-yard bomb to the end zone. After popping out of one receiver’s hands, the ball shot right into former QB turned WR Keith Nichol’s arms where he fought two Wisconsin defenders and just barely crossed the plane for a game-winning touchdown pass that would be enshrined into Michigan State history.

The Spartans, after going down 14-0 in the first quarter, went on a rampage in the second, scoring 23 unanswered points before the half. But after giving up two scores in  the fourth, it would take a miracle for Michigan State to avoid the dreaded overtime bout. And a miracle they received.

Collins led the charge for the Spartans, completing 22-of-31 passes for 290 and three touchdowns; none of which were more important than the last-second heave for the win. And his main target, B.J. Cunningham, finished with six receptions for 102 yards. But it would be Keith Nichol, who went reception-less for the first 59 minutes and 56 seconds, that would make the biggest reception of the game.

Badgers’ QB Russel Wilson also had a decent night, going 14-of-21 for 223 yards, but he matched his touchdowns with interceptions, finishing with two in both columns. RB Montee Ball had a great night with 115 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, but it would be the Michigan State Spartans who came out on top in the end.

The Spartans’ defense was one of the deciding factors of the game, as their ability to force turnovers proved to be a nightmare for the Badgers’ offense and Special Teams. The Michigan State defense blocked both a punt and field goal, the punt being recovered in the endzone for a Spartan touchdown.

These two teams look to see each other in the near future, as part two to this epic battle will metabolize itself in the form of the first ever Big Ten Conference Championship. Both tied at 6-1 for the best in the Big 10, the Badgers and Spartans will likely meet again in December, where we will be blessed, yet again, with a high-scoring, high-energy fight to the death.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.facebook.com/MSUathletics

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Republicans, likely upset that they do not have public support in their union busting measures, are now targeting public employees that speak out against their overreach.  Freedom of speech is dead and buried in America.

The first instance of intimidation came in Wisconsin where a Republican group has filed a Freedom of Information Act seeking a professor’s emails.   William Cronon, Professor of History, Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin, spoke out against Governor Walker’s campaign against collective bargaining in a New York Times op-ed earlier in the month.  Two days after his post was published, Stephan Thompson of the Wisconsin Republican Party filed an open records request for the professor’s personal e-mails — including any memorandum that contains the words “Republican,” “Scott Walker” and “union,” among others.  Although Cronon is a public employee and his email are subject to such an inquiry, the information the GOP is looking for would be part of Cronon’s personal emails and not related to his job.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin released a statement in response to the controversy, saying that the university would comply with the open records request as required by law. She continued, however: “Compliance with public records requests involves a balancing test. There are many cases in which the university must balance the need, for instance, to protect proprietary research against the public’s right to know. In this instance, we will need to consider whether disclosure would result in a chilling effect on the discourse between colleagues that is essential to our academic mission.”

Michigan is now, even more broadly, using the open record request to investigate those damn liberal commie professors in their state university system.  A conservative think tank in Michigan, the Mackinac Center, submitted a FOIA request seeking any emails from labor professors at the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and Michigan State University.  The center demanded any email that includes the words “Scott Walker,” “Wisconsin,” “Madison,” and “Maddow.”  The Mackinac Center is funded by many prominent conservative foundations, such as those of the Koch brothers, the Waltons, and the parents of Blackwater chief Erik Prince.

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, presumably who the Center is after, was perplexed on how she became synonymous with the Wisconsin protests.  “This show was the first national news outlet to report in detail on that policy, and now, the Mackinack Center is demanding the emails of anybody who could be an expert on that subject who might have the temerity to type the word ‘Maddow’ in any context in an email,” Maddow said on her Wednesday night show. “How’s that leave me alone personal liberty thing working out for you?”

The Republicans who campaigned fiercely on small government continue to pass laws that are not small government at all.  For instance, going through university professors emails—that really doesn’t strike me as small government at all.  Try again.  William Cronon writes on his blog that the “open records request seems designed to give him (Mr. Thompson of the state GOP) what he hopes will be ammunition he can use to embarrass, undermine, and ultimately silence me.”  This is big government oppression at its worst.

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Last week, the GOP-led state legislature in Michigan passed a bill reducing the length of unemployment for workers in the state.  The measure, which goes into effect in January 2012, is being hyped as fiscal responsibility in the face of Michigan’s $1.4 billion deficit.  Opponents point out that the bill is particularly unfair in a state where the unemployment rate has been one of the highest in the nation.

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder signed the bill, which was originally intended to extend federal unemployment benefits through the end of the year. The added measure will reduce state-funded benefits from 26 weeks to 20 weeks, which should benefit Michigan employers by lowering the unemployment taxes they will pay next year.  Michigan is the first state in the country to cut benefits to 20 weeks, but others may follow suit – starting with Florida.

“Gov. Snyder’s decision to sign this reckless measure cutting the lifeline for Michigan’s unemployed will reverberate for years,” said Rep. Sander Levin (D) of Michigan in a statement. “Republicans … gave Michigan the dubious distinction of becoming the only state in the union with 20 weeks of state unemployment insurance,” he said, adding that the bill will “affect hundreds and hundreds of thousands” of future unemployed workers.

Michigan likely will not be the only state for long.  Earlier this month, the Florida House passed a bill that will similarly reduce the duration of unemployment benefits to 20 weeks. The bill is currently under consideration in the Republican-controlled Senate, and Republican Governor Rick Scott strongly supports it.

Michigan Democrats are now working on legislation to restore the six weeks of unemployment that were cut.  State Rep. Jim Ananich (D-Flint), and state Sen. Tupac Hunter (D-Detroit), have announced that they are working on legislation to restore the full 26 weeks of benefits.

“Getting people back to work right away must be our top priority,” Ananich said. “But while they are trying to find a job or being trained for new positions, we have to make sure they can still put food on their table. Restoring these resources will help families stay in Michigan and help our local businesses that depend on people to buy their goods and services.”

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