It appears that MSU Extension is in jeopardy in the midst of Michigan’s financial woes and budget wrangling in Lansing.

Below is a personal message I’ve sent to Governor Jennifer Granholm, state Senator Cameron Brown, and state Representative Matt Lori.

I am writing to express my deep concern that a gubernatorial line-item veto may be forthcoming to eliminate state funding for Michigan State University Extension (MSUE).

For many of my nearly 63 years, Extension has played a variety of important roles in my life and the lives of many others.

From my childhood in which I participated in the 4-H program, to the Extension-sponsored leadership training program as a young adult that encouraged me to become involved in community affairs, to involvement in a variety of issues and projects since then, Extension has been there as an extremely valuable and helpful resource.

During my 15 years as news director at WLKM Radio in Three Rivers and 15 ½ years as president and CEO of the Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce, I was privileged to work closely with Extension personnel on a wide array of issues and projects affecting the residents and communities of St. Joseph County.  That relationship continues today as I work to provide news and information to our area from my home-based business, an online publication called the River Country Journal.

I know these are difficult and challenging times and all of us, including Extension, should expect to share some of the pain of dealing with the rather stark realities we are facing.  However, the idea of doing away with Extension is foolish and extremely short-sighted.  Such action would have a severe negative impact on our area and the entire state.  I strongly encourage you to do everything you can to assure that Extension remains in place as an effective tool for – as its mission statement says – “Helping people improve their lives through an educational process that applies knowledge to critical needs, issues and opportunities.”

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Bruce Snook, President
River Country Journal LLC

If you’re concerned about the future of MSU Extension, I encourage you to express your thoughts to the governor and our elected representatives.