Oakland County introduces voting reminder emails
Source: metromode, 10/8/2009
Oakland County is using cyberspace methods to get more real people voting in the next election cycle.
Its latest innovation is to send out an email reminder to voters two weeks before elections and then again on election days. The reminder will also include a bevy of other information voters can use to make the process easier.
"It's kind of like an electronic post-it note," says Ruth Johnson, Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds.
The
emails will be sent out before all local, school, state, and federal
elections and will link to the clerk's website. The site will feature a
list of candidates and ballot proposals, campaign finance reports,
polling locations, and instructional videos for using voting machines.
It
will also feature a new election reporting system that reveals results
in real time. Also included will be information on voter registration
and on how to become a poll worker, and a link to the state's Voter
Information Center.
"This is just one more tool in the tool box," Johnson says.
For information on these new systems, click here.
Source: Ruth Johnson, Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds
Writer: Jon Zemke
AMERIT IT Consulting looks to conquer last frontier
Source: metromode, 9/10/2009
Gary Van Poperin was one of the odd men
out when EDS and Hewlett Packard merged earlier this year. Good thing,
because it led to a new job where he didn't have to worry about the
boss since he is one of the five co-founders (all ex-EDS employees) of
AMERIT IT Consulting.
"I was a redundancy in the new corporation
so I was released after 31 years," Van Poperin says. "I went into the
job market and realized it's tight for guys with my experience."
Most
software firms focus on providing services and support. The new
Milford-based start-up focuses on perfecting IT for small- and
medium-sized businesses.
"The last frontier for IT is getting your arms around what you got and employing best practices," Van Poperin says.
That's what AMERIT IT Consulting
does. The 6-month-old company focuses on creating a culture change in
small IT departments so they're run more by the book and less by the
seat of the tech's pants.
"We're about telling you where the hidden expenses are that you don’t have to pay," Van Poperin says.
Right
now the firm is focusing on establishing itself on the local level. It
hopes to expand across the state and nation within the next year or so,
bringing more people on to accommodate that growth.
Source: Gary Van Poperin, president of AMERIT IT Consulting
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland County notches $2.4 billion in investment since 2004
Source: metromode, 7/16/2009
During these tough economic times, many
companies and organizations bring out the long-term statistics from the
past several years to put themselves in a better light. Oakland County
can fall back on both the long- and short-term statistics.
The
county released a report that shows not only has it taken in about $2.4
billion worth of investment over the last five years, it did well in
June, with $748 million in investment.
Most of that comes from
General Motors' plans for a $650 million Orion Township plant, which
will build smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. However, that leaves
about another $100 million that the county was able to attract in the
midst of one of the toughest economies in generations.
Oakland County
has had more than $2.4 billion worth of business investment in the past
five years, giving residents a reason to be optimistic about its future
during the most difficult economic challenge in its history, County
Executive L. Brooks Patterson said recently.
"We had our best
month ever during one of the worst times ever," Oakland County
Executive L Brooks Patterson said in a press release. "We've withstood
all of the body blows and we're still standing."
More of the
$2.4 billion came from emerging sectors based in the new economy ($1.3
billion), compared to traditional business sectors, like automotive
manufacturing. Oakland County created its Emerging Sectors program five
years ago to help diversify its economy and make up for lost
manufacturing jobs.
Source: Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Green Space: GM partners with biofuel producer
Source: metromode, 1/24/2008
General Motors has made a big announcement: they have partnered with Coskata, an Illinois-based company that can convert just about anything to biofuel. Corn, move over and let garbage take over.