For decades, skeptics have alerted us to the potential detriment the digital age could have on society, and while the majority of us have shrugged off the paranoia, it is difficult to ignore the challenges the internet has presented.
I consider myself a fairly rational person, but I hold tight to the freedoms I’m given as an American and can become a little suspicious when I feel they have been violated.
The Michigan House of Representatives are currently discussing a bill that smells a bit too Orwellian to me.
Rep. Rob Verheulen, R-Walker reintroduced a replica of a bill that has been introduced in the last two sessions by former Rep. Amanda Price, R-Park Township. The bill would eliminate all public notices from newspapers.
I may be preaching to the choir for those of you reading this in print because clearly you already understand the value of your newspaper, but I cannot say enough how crucial it is to publish government information in a forum that is not controlled by the government.
Our founding fathers went to great lengths to ensure our elected officials were held accountable for transparency. Local governments are required to offer proper notice of upcoming meetings and actions and offer the people they serve access to public records.
Officials supporting the bill on the house floor are proposing that public notices be taken out of the newspaper and published on government websites.
This proposal presents a number of issues.
Most importantly, it puts government transparency in the hands of the government, removing the check and balance system that publishing in an outside unaffiliated product (i.e. a newspaper) offers. Even if all politicians were perfectly open and honest, this is a lot of responsibility for elected officials to shoulder.
Furthermore, publishing public notices such as requests for proposal, meeting notices or records, on the internet also segregates a large population of readers in Cass and Berrien counties who do not have regular access to a computer.
I am not disputing that publishing the information on the internet is useful, as a large percentage of the population opts to find information on the web these days. However, the digital component of public notices should be only a supplement to the newspaper, not a replacement, for all the reasons already mentioned.
The Michigan Press Association polled Michigan citizens about issues regarding the bill and found that 71 percent of citizens polled trust a local newspaper or newspaper website, while only 19 percent of those polled supported government-site only posting. Additionally, 72 percent of Michigan citizens said they found their local newspaper or news website to be more effective than a posting on a government website.
If you value a transparent government and do not want the government to control what you know, I encourage you to reach out to your local representative. Aaron Miller can be reached at (517) 373-0832 and Dave Pagel can be reached at (517) 373-1796.

Ambrosia Neldon is the general manager at Leader Publications. She can be reached by phone at (269) 687-7713, or by email at ambrosia.neldon@leaderpub.com.