I was disappointed but not surprised to see The State News endorse Joel Ferguson for re-election to the MSU Board of Trustees.

This is a candidate who is supportive of outsourcing part or all of the College of Human Medicine to Grand Rapids, who helped to insure that the meetings where Provost Lou Anna Simon was promoted to the presidency were held in secrecy from his constituents and who voted to approve McPherson's leave of absence to be part of the colonial administration of occupied Iraq.

I could understand the endorsement more easily if The State News was not on record as being opposed to the outsourcing of the College of Human Medicine, being critical of closed board meetings and opposing the war in Iraq.

The reason that it is, however disappointing, not surprising is that it is at least consistent with The State News' previous endorsements. You endorsed ultra-right-wing incumbent Mike Rogers for Congress, despite disagreeing with him and agreeing with Alexander on issues from equal marriage rights to the invasion of Iraq.

Never mind these basic human rights issues, since Alexander was too "negative."

MSU students, faculty and staff who value democracy and human rights have every right to be disappointed when they see The State News endorse a candidate (Ferguson) who is on record as opposing the long-standing requests of progressive student groups for MSU to join U-M and more than a hundred other universities by joining the Workers Rights Consortium, which would ensure that Spartans apparel is not manufactured in third-world sweatshops.

After The State News' endorsement of Rogers, however, they have no right to be surprised.

Ben Burgis
candidate for MSU Board of Trustees