The Detroit News. Nov. 20, 2019
Allow cell phones in Michigan courtrooms
The Michigan Supreme Court should embrace the 21st century and adopt a proposed amendment to court rules that would allow cell phones and other electronic devices in state courthouses.
The court held a public hearing on the matter Wednesday.
The proposal, submitted by the Michigan State Planning Body, is intended to form consistent policy in Michigan courthouses regarding cell phones and electronic devices.
Among other benefits, this measure would dramatically reduce the cost to the public of obtaining copies of court records or other documents made available to them through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Say you make a request for a 50-page document, and the clerk charges $1 per page to copy it, as they do in Mason County - that’s $50 you’d have to pay for information made available to you by law.
That price could deter citizens and the media from accessing information they may need.
Giving people the ability to flip through original files and use a smartphone or other device to take snapshots of the relevant information would save paper, time and money.
And that’s precisely why courthouse clerks don’t like it. The measure would effectively strip clerk’s offices of the revenue generated from making copies. But the purpose of FOIA was never to pad the budgets of local governments.
This ought not to be about generating revenue. Promoting the free flow of information is more important than a government office’s bottom line.
It ought to be as simple, efficient and cheap as possible for the public to get information that belongs to them.
Other concerns about the proposal center on the potential threat to order in the courtroom that cell phones could pose.
But today, most people run their lives through their cell phones.
Lawyers need to be able to access their case files and contact clients. People commuting to court need to be able to call for a ride.
Among the 49 public comments listed on the matter at the Michigan Supreme Court website, one diabetic citizen notes how he uses his phone to track his glucose levels.
Another entry, a petition in favor of the amendment, has more than 160 signatures.
As far as threats to order in the court, we ought to trust judges and bailiffs to adjust to modern times. The measure would be more of a boon than a threat.
The court should adopt it.
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The Mining Journal (Marquette). Nov. 20, 2019
Environment must still be considered going forward
Tired of hearing about climate change yet? Many people believe a lot more needs to be said.
Noted climate activist Dr. David Suzuki spoke at the Nov. 7 celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Superior Watershed Partnership, which has been at the forefront of many climate-related activities in the region.
Suzuki said the human race is at “an unprecedented moment” - in the 3.8 billion years life has existed on Earth, he said there never has been a single species with the power to alter the chemical, physical and biological properties of the planet as humans now are doing.
Over the centuries, he noted, cities formed and technology developed, among other changes, all with the “unending drive” toward growth, production and consumption.
Lost in all this was a long-term emphasis on the environment.
And as Suzuki pointed out, nothing in a finite world can grow forever.
The IPCC said its report has indicated that strongly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting and restoring ecosystems, and carefully managing the use of natural resources would make it possible to preserve the ocean and cryosphere - the planet’s frozen parts - as a source of opportunities.
These opportunities would support adaptation to future changes, limit risks to livelihoods and offer other benefits to society.
Is Marquette County part of the cryosphere? It might seem that way at times, but either way, the region is a part of the planet.
However, local efforts have targeted climate change.
The SWP was integral in forming the Marquette County Climate Adaptation Task Force, a regional climate task force that includes the city of Marquette, Marquette County, local businesses and Northern Michigan University representatives.
The SWP works with coastal communities across the Upper Peninsula on Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron to plan and implement small- and large-scale climate adaptation and mitigation projects.
These, it is hoped, will protect critical infrastructure and increase the resiliency of the shoreline to withstand more frequent and intense storms.
Is climate change real? Some people might argue it’s a hoax, that it’s a natural process that has occurred over the eons.
Others would argue humans are accelerating the process by relying too much on the burning of fossil fuels and cutting down forests, among other destructive activities.
Regardless of whether climate change is real, people - individuals and communities - need to keep the environment in mind when making personal choices and public policy. Contamination, loss of habitat and other kinds of damage to the environment isn’t good for the planet and the people who live on it.
So, let’s keep the discussion going.
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Traverse City Record-Eagle. Nov. 22, 2019
Big tech boost for homeless families
Have you ever been asked “what would you do with a million dollars?”
For Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan this was more than a party icebreaker question.
The Traverse City-based organization was invited to apply for a grant - 5 weeks later, they had it - $1.25 million.
Fortunes come fast in Big Tech - and we’re thrilled that this particular boon favors the fortunes of homeless families in our region.
Goodwill pledged to use it to invest in permanent housing for families, as the Goodwill Inn often has a wait for family housing.
“There will still be families who are homeless as a transition, but we want it to be brief, rare and not occur again,” said Dan Buron, executive director in a press statement.
Congratulations to the agency on a job well done; Goodwill is one of 32 nonprofits nationally to get a combined $98 million in grants.
This is the second year of the Bezos Day 1 Fund, an Amazon foundation project steered by CEO Jeff Bezos, one of the earth’s richest men.
The foundation is focused on funding existing nonprofits that help homeless families, and creating a network of new, nonprofit tier-one preschools in low-income communities, according to a press release.
We’re glad to see it, as Big Tech, especially the giants that collect on mega-tax breaks, need to be a part of creating sustainable, healthy communities.
Our world changes; how we do almost everything has been tweaked by technology, from banking, shopping and eating, to how we get around and where we go.
A consolidated few companies control the vast majority of this market, including Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon, and this growth shows no signs of slowing.
We’re glad that our homeless families will have more space, and hopefully shorter stays as a result of this one-time influx.
We applaud Goodwill for being a stand-out community player, and for acting quickly for our families’ best interest.
They got to ask the question ‘what would you do for $1.25 million?’ and do it.
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