Search

Record group consists of Administration, Office Reference, and Reforms subgroups; files relate to lobbying efforts on behalf of campaign reform, ethics in politics, lobbying reform.

The records of Common Cause in Michigan comprise nearly seventeen linear feet of materials and consist of agendas, minutes, newsletters, correspondence, memoranda, press releases, reports, and drafts and comments on pending legislation. The materials document this public interest group's efforts to secure a more ethical, open, responsive, and representative government in Michigan. The strengths of the record group derive from its reflection of the reform issues salient to the Michigan electorate and the perspective it manifests on the close relations between the Michigan legislature and lobbyists in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. The records also shed light on the internal workings and outreach efforts of Common Cause in Michigan. The record group is arranged into three series: Administration, Office Reference, and Reforms. Each series is further divided by period of time (with overlap) reflecting the different dates of accessioning.

Douglas Ross (1942- ) is a Michigan political figure. He has been active in many political organizations and the Democratic party and served as Michigan Director of Commerce and United States Assistant Secretary of Labor. He also ran, unsuccessfully, for governor of Michigan in 1998. Ross’ main concerns are economic policy and education. He currently runs a charter school in Detroit, Michigan. The papers cover most of his career, especially as Michigan Senator and at the Department of Labor, and include his notes and articles, correspondence, publications, and videotapes.

Janet Lynn, founder of the Citizens Council for Land Use Research and Education (CLURE), was an activist and environmentalist in southeastern Michigan. The collection documents CLURE's involvement with controversial land issues such as the construction of highways and shopping centers, as well as its efforts to educate the public about issues of land use and planning.

The Janet D. Lynn Papers (3.7 linear feet) document CLURE's activities in land use activism and education. These include the Northwestern Highway Extension project and the related M-275 freeway discussions, efforts to stop construction of proposed shopping centers in West Bloomfield and Novi, Michigan, as well as discussion of legislation in the state of Michigan and materials related to CLURE-sponsored symposia. In addition to these topics, the records also document CLURE itself, through legal, promotional and fundraising materials.

The collection is arranged in three series: Biographical/Historical Information, Northwestern Highway Extension, 1972-1981 and Citizens Council for Land Use Research and Education (CLURE) Records.

Group of University of Michigan students and other Ann Arbor, Michigan, residents formed to support progressive causes in Latin America and oppose U.S. government policies there; flyers, posters, press releases, position papers, photographs, and the group's journal La Palabra; also collected records of predecessor organization, Science for the People, and Farm Labor Organizing Committee, a support group within SFP.

The records of the Latin American Solidarity Committee comprise five series: Latin American Solidarity Committee (1981-1989); Science for the People (1970-1983); Ann Arbor FLOC Support Group (1979-1985); Miscellaneous Organizations (1977-1985); and Photographs. The records span from 1970 to 1989, but the bulk of the material falls between 1974 and 1983. The majority of the records represent the Science for the People series. The files are arranged alphabetically by topic within each series.

Livonia, Michigan human rights organization; administrative files, correspondence, topical files, newsletters, and newspaper clippings relating to activities of the organization.

The records of the Livonia Citizens for Better Human Relations contain rich information relating to race relations in the Livonia community during the years 1963 to 1976. The organization's activities are best documented in the extensive Meeting Minutes and Newsletters. The efforts of LCBHR members to discourage prejudice and discrimination within the community are documented in letters to various political figures in the Correspondence, Topical Files, Newspaper Clippings, and Newsletters files.

Organization formed in opposition to the Voter's Choice Amendment, an amendment to the state constitution to roll back taxes to their 1980-1981 level. Scattered minutes, agendas, mailings, and collected material relating to the Committee's political activities.

The Promote Michigan Committee collection provides some insight into how a professionally organized, well-funded, broadly based campaign successfully opposed tax reduction. The records are arranged alphabetically by type of material. The agendas, minutes, and correspondence provide some sense of the day-to-day functioning of the committee, but they are neither detailed nor complete. The background materials and press releases discuss the issues involved in tax reduction and amply delineate various groups' arguments against Proposal C.

Of special interest is Ray Brennan's review of the Committee's actions, "Keep our Comeback Alive." This is a report on the campaign's context, strategy, literature, finances., and results, and it is helpful in capturing the essence of the 1984 campaign. To gain the broader historical perspective on efforts to combat tax reduction in Michigan, one should also consult the League of Women Voters records and the Charlotte Capp collection.