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From: "Pam Swiler" <>
Subject: [MIIONIA] Something to consider
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2009 18:16:40 -0500


>From our friend, Shirley Hodges…

Greetings from Arizona, 
 
It is a little difficult to keep up with all of the current news from
Michigan while we are here in AZ. I did hear one very disturbing thing that
I would like to ask you to give some thought to.
 
I understand that in the State of the State of Michigan message, the
Governor proposed eliminating the Dept. of History, Arts and Libraries.  If
this would happen, it is very likely that the Library and Archives would
probably be moved into another larger department and potentially be
marginalized in importance.  Breaking up HAL could seriously have a
negative impact on projects like the digitization of death records and
creating of the Seeking Michigan web site.  This would be a real step back
for genealogy in Michigan.
 
We certainly understand that we are in a period of very difficult times not
only in Michigan, but also in the nation. If you feel strongly about the
future of HAL, I would encourage you to make a few calls to your legislators
or the governor’s office expressing your support for the Library and
Archives. We, of course, understand the problems when you put genealogy up
against unemployment or Michigan history versus feeding hungry kids through
the school lunch program. However, our collections are significant and we
need to find a long-term solution for preserving the State's history and
heritage.
 
I would encourage all of us to also pray for guidance and wisdom for our
leaders, as they have to make some very difficult choices.
 
Go to the following web page to find the name of your representative.
 
http://house.michigan.gov/replist.asp
 
Thanks for your time.
 
Cheers!


Shirley Hodges
Genealogical Speakers Guild:
http://www.genealogicalspeakersguild.org/member_details.php?member=HodgesS
My Global Gazette articles:
http://globalgenealogy.com/globalgazette/authors/authsh.htm




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