Comments for Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy

Comment on LGBT and pro-immigration activists confront Rep. Agema by kswheeler

kswheeler — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:06:55 +0000

It’s good to see people making a commitment to confront this unspeakable bigot who is forcing his views via legislation on constituents who don’t agree with him–and who he seems to view as less than human beings.

I did love the irony that Agema would choose a place to meet called the Rainbow Grill, and then tell LGBTQ people that he didn’t care about what they had to say…

Comment on LGBT and pro-immigration activists confront Rep. Agema by Brett Colley

Brett Colley — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:29:55 +0000

Nice work, y’all. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there this morning to join you…I was really looking forward to asking him about his sheep-hunting exploits.

Comment on LGBT and pro-immigration activists confront Rep. Agema by Richard T. Desvernine Jr.

Richard T. Desvernine Jr. — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:16:38 +0000

Keep up the good work! it’s good to see that Agema and cohorts are NOT getting a free pass! it’s nice to resistance in Michigan to his onerous policies.

Comment on Dave Agema, MLive and Islamophobia by LGBT and pro-immigration activists confront Rep. Agema « Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:24:18 +0000

[...] there were also people who came today to address Agema’s anti-immigration stance, anti-Muslim position and his support for the anti-union proposed Right to Work [...]

Comment on Bill to destroy partner health care benefits heads to Snyder’s desk by LGBT and pro-immigration activists confront Rep. Agema « Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:24:15 +0000

[...] The issue that brought most people out today to confront Rep. Agema was his proposed legislation to eliminated domestic partner benefits to some state employees. The legislation was passed by both the House and the Senate late last year and signed into law by Gov. Snyder just before the holidays. [...]

Comment on Local Media Directory Updated on GRIID by kswheeler

kswheeler — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:19:33 +0000

Thanks very much, Togo. We selected the reporters we thought would be the most important contacts for people interested in news, politics, and local coverage here in Grand Rapids, along with the key management staff of the new organization. But we’ll check the list to see if there’s anyone we should add.

Comment on Local Media Directory Updated on GRIID by togo

togo — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:22:50 +0000

You should look in Thursday’s Grand Rapids Press as they published a complete list of all reporters who cover Grand Rapids and their email addresses.

Comment on Capitalist Chaos at the Grand Rapids Press by kswheeler

kswheeler — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:54:03 +0000

Sorry for the typos in this. The reply system locked up on me and was overwriting everything I typed. Some extra letters got left in, and so did a few random punctuation marks. GRIID could use a copy editor!

Comment on Capitalist Chaos at the Grand Rapids Press by stan roth

stan roth — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:48:51 +0000

I totally agree. I have been a frequent contributor to the letters to the editor over the years and now i see reader opinion totally disvalued. Instead we get ads from birgit klohs weekly telling us how wonderful something will be when intuitively we know it won;t.
The job losses are enormous and gov synder is not bringing them back.
I feel for any legitimate journalist…and the disrespect that they have shown to the ‘old readership”. Oh well, they are gonna die off anyway attitude I have heard expressed is discrimnatory and shows a lack of concern about the readers> In the end, it is about greed,just like OLD Kent Bank.

Comment on Capitalist Chaos at the Grand Rapids Press by kswheeler

kswheeler — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:33:09 +0000

What a vicious, compassionless answer! Really, BJ, is this your idea of what Jesus would do? .

Leave the business and go where, exactly? Have you checked the unemployment ratie in Michigan lately? In some cases here we’re talking about people who literally gave their entire working lives to the Grand Rapids Press and then were tossed out like trash without a blink of an eye.

The Press could have held with its former prormise not to lay people off due to changes in the economy or technology. But it didn’t, because there was more money to be made by taking the easy way out. It just wasn’t easy for the 550 families who just lost their income, or the hundreds of families who lost their income prior to the big “changeover.” So is job security
something that only executives should experience? Is that your idea of equality?

It’s so easy for people like BJ. Talk radio has given them the
“if they don’t like it, they can go somewhere else” answer and these people apply it to everything. “If you don’t like Snyder, move to another state.” “If you don’t like the Iraq War, move to Cuba.” Etc. It’s glib, it’s easy, and it requires no compassion whatsoever.

Yes, that’s capitalism. It’s cruel, it’s unecessary, and it’s time for it to go..