Communities resisting data centers in West MI show up to protest The Right Place Inc. during “developer day”.
A dozen people showed up late Tuesday morning at the old Rogers Department Store at 1001 28th St. SW in Wyoming, since The Right Place Inc. was hosting their annual Developer Day event.
According to a Press Release made available to GRIID:
The protest, held outside the Developer Day follows mounting public concerns and calls for transparency after The Right Place’s CEO Randy Thelen ignored requests to meet with community members to discuss the data center projects its spearheading in Solon, Lowell, and Gaines Townships and the detrimental effects they would have on those communities and West Michigan.
“As a public-private organization receiving taxpayer funds, The Right Place has a duty to conduct due diligence with the communities their proposed projects would impact for generations,” said Cedar Springs resident Katie Valtchev of Stop Solon Township Data Center.
There were roughly 100 cars that showed up for The Right Place Inc. event and early on they held what was billed as a Walking Tour along 28th Street in Wyoming, which was intended to provide examples of what development spaces existed in that area. As people were beginning their Walking Tour, those who showed up to protest The Right Place Inc. greeted them with chants, as you can see in this short video.
The Right Place Inc.
For those who may not be deeply familiar with The Right Place Inc. they are a non-profit organization that works to bring businesses to the greater Grand Rapids Area. GRIID has identified them as one of the organizations that makes up the Grand Rapids Power Structure, plus their Board of Directors is made up of representatives from business and government that also represent powerful interests.
GRIID has documented over the years The Right Place Inc.’s involvement in bringing Israeli military companies to Grand Rapids. In 2016, The Right Place Inc. was the target of Israeli Apartheid Week in Grand Rapids and over the years they have continued to solicit and support Israeli military companies, even after the Israeli government began their genocidal campaign against Palestinians in 2023. The Right Place Inc. was also involved in attempting to lure Amazon in 2017-2018 in a failed campaign, but not before they were forced to reveal economic incentive documents.
The groups in West Michigan opposing data centers that The Right Place Inc. has been cheerleading for had strong words targeted at The Right Place Inc. Quoting from the Press Release:
“The Right Place’s lack of meaningful community engagement on these proposed hyperscale AI data centers shows, even at a perfunctory level, its only mission is to support Big Tech at the expense of our public health, environment, and community values of being good, honest neighbors – all while using taxpayer funds.” said West Michigan residents Betsy López-Wagner and Kathryn Robertson of Residents United for a Healthy Lowell.
Marjorie Steele, Executive Director of the Economic Development Responsibility Alliance of Michigan, says that The Right Place’s large-scale economic development projects have already scarred Michigan’s communities. “The work of Mr. Thelen and his colleagues has left a $23M crater in the Big Rapids community thanks to the Gotion project,” she says, “which was the inevitable outcome of The Right Place’s gross negligence, corrupt dealings, and total disregard for the local community’s right to self-determination. There is no evidence to indicate that The Right Place is conducting these hyperscale data center projects any differently. These communities are right to be concerned, and we’re here to stand with them.”
The people who showed up to protest the Right Place Inc. received lots of positive feedback with honking horns and thumbs up from lots of motorists driving up and down 28th Street. However, when the “walking tour” was returning, one of the developers shouted something like, “you all should be grateful for all the good things we have done for your communities.” One of the protesters responded by saying, “not in my community.”
I helped myself to one of The Right Place Inc.’s agenda handouts, which included breakout sessions that were partnering with the DeVos-created entity AmplifyGR and the Grand Rapids Chamber-created group Housing Next. Other breakout session included housing development incentives, gas and electric development planning and community engagement best practices. There were also Wyoming and Grand Rapids city staff there to assist developers, along with the support from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
One important take away for me was that it is vitally important that we understand how groups like The Right Place Inc. insert themselves in to municipal issues like data centers, and realize that they represent business interests, not most residents and communities.
During the June 2nd Grand Rapids City Commission meeting Dean Pacific was approved to be a member of the Grand Rapids Police Civilian Appeals Board. Pacific had already been on the Police Civilian Appeals Board, but Mayor LaGrand appointed him again to serve of that 9 member board.
For those who remember Pacific received $12,500 from the GRPD union, while running for the First Ward Commissioner seat in the November 2024 Election and made it part of his strategy to attack his opponent because they supported defunding the GRPD, a claim that wasn’t even true.
In that same election Pacific also received $12,500 from the GR Chamber of Commerce along with a list of people who make up the Grand Rapids Power Structure. Pacific also received $1225 from Johnny Brann Sr., the founder of the pro-cop group Voice for the Badge.
It seems that Mayor LaGrand wants to make sure that the Police Civilian Appeals Board has an additional pro-cop member on that board. This is consistent with LaGrand’s pro-police stance since he became Mayor just 18 months ago, where he has approved the massive GRPD budgets for 2026 and 2027, along with his apology to the GRPD last month because residents were challenging the GRPD budget during a public hearing.
The other item I wanted to point out is that Kent County Sheriff LaJoye-Young recently received an award from the Michigan Sheriff’s Association for her, “incredible law enforcement career and lasting contributions to the criminal justice system.”
Cops giving cops awards is pretty standard, but this award doesn’t erase the fact that the the Kent County Sheriff’s Department has perpetuated institutionalizes racism and has collaborated with ICE during Sheriff LaJoye-Young tenure.
In 2024, the non-profit Linc Up worked with community partners to do research and put together informational graphics on the Kent County Jail, which you can find here.
Equally important is the fact that Kent County Sheriff LaJoye-Young has refused to be transparent about the fact that her office is collaborating with ICE by engaging in ICE holds at the Kent County Jail. When confronted about this Sheriff LaJoye-Young refused to talk with people in November of 2025, which led to people doing civil disobedience at the Sheriff’s office in January of this year.
On Friday, Crain’s Grand Rapids Business posted an article with the headline – Amphitheater, convention business push Kent County hotel occupancy to rare high.
The Carin’s article stated that on May 30th, “when the county’s approximately 11,000 hotel rooms reached 91% occupancy, two weeks after the venue’s (Amphitheater) opening.”
Former Grand Rapids Mayor and Convention Arena Authority board member Rosalynn Bliss was also quoted in the article, stating:
“It’s really critical that we have hotel taxes. Logistically, I think it’s really important that we keep our eye on the ball. But also, we should appreciate the impact that the work we’re doing is having on other retailers downtown.”
Besides being the former Mayor of Grand Rapids, Bliss also sits on the board of the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and she was part of the Destination Kent Committee, which pushed the August 2024 ballot initiative to increase the hotel tax and generate more funds for Grand Action 2.0 projects. Bliss and members of the Grand Rapids Power Structure made up the Destination Kent Committee, along with the fact that this small group contributed nearly half a million dollars to the campaign, which barely won.
In 2024, when the hotel tax was on the ballot initiative I wanted to find out when the hotel tax policy had been created, who proposed it and why it was limited to funding entertainment venues. The most recent iteration of the state policy was signed into law by Gov. Whitmer in April of 2024, known as Public Act 35 of 2024. State Rep. John Fitzgerald was the sponsor of the bill, which also was passed in the Michigan Senate.
The language of Public Act 35 clearly states that hotel tax money collected by a county or other municipal body must be used for entertainment venue projects, which includes sports venues. However, this is by design, meaning that the legislation piece could have been written in such a way that hotel taxes could be used to build affordable housing, environmental justice projects or any number of ways of generating funds to support the most vulnerable communities in Kent County.
Who really benefits from the high occupancy rate of the hotels in downtown Grand Rapids?
The argument that those in power like to use is that Grand Action 2.0 projects like the Amphitheater and the Soccer Stadium will be good for the economy. Others will say that people who work in downtown venues, restaurants, etc. are the real winners of places like the Acrisure Amphitheater, but rarely do they provide hard evidence of how it will benefit service industry workers. Most service industry workers are paid hourly, so no matter how busy they are they will get paid the same amount. If you are relying on tips then you might be able to make more money with increased customers, but it also means they are working their butts off.
The real economic winners of venues like the amphitheater, the arena, the soon to be soccer stadium and potentially an aquarium, are the owners of restaurants, bars, retail shops, privately owned parking ramps & lots, and hotel owners. In other words the ownership class, not the working class.
Lets take the hotel industry in downtown Grand Rapids, which was the subject of the Crain’s article to begin with. Guess how many hotels are owned in downtown Grand Rapids by the DeVos family, which owns AHC Hospitality? Here is a list of the hotels owned by the DeVos family in downtown Grand Rapids:
- AC Hotel by Marriott
- Amway Grand Plaza
- Courtyard by Marriott Grand Rapids
- Hyatt Place Grand Rapids
- JW Marriot Grand Rapids
Add to this dynamic that the DeVos family also has representatives on the DDA, the Convention Arena Authority, co-founded Grand Action 2.0 and was a major contributor to the Destination Kent Committee ballot initiative in 2024, you can see how their enthusiastic support for the Grand Action 2.0 projects helps to expand their wealth.
There has been a great deal of rhetoric in recent months regarding to US involvement in forever wars. This rhetoric has come about since the beginning of the year when the Trump Administration sent the US military into Venezuela to kidnap their president and his family, followed by the US military actions against Iran and now the ongoing threat to invade Cuba.
On Thursday, Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib put forth a resolution that would have limited the Trump administration’s military options in Lebanon, yet the resolution failed with only 91 members of Congress voting for it and 324 voting against. This resolution would have forced U.S. troops out of Lebanon in seven days.
According to a recent post on Politico regarding the resolution, “House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Minority Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California said the fact that there are currently no U.S. servicemembers involved in combat operations or hostilities in Lebanon gave them pause.”
A major reason why so many Democrats voted with the Republicans against this resolution is because of the loyalty that the Democratic Party has to Israel, and since Israel invaded Lebanon the Democratic Party will not support any efforts to weaken Israel’s position or oppose them.
However, another major reason for voting against the Lebanon war powers resolution is because the Democratic Party is equally committed to US Imperialism, US militarism and the US involvement in forever wars.
Take for example the 3rd Congressional District Representative Hillary Scholten. Scholten was first elected to Congress in the 2022 Election and began her tenure as a member of Congress in 2023. During her few years in Congress Rep. Scholten has consistently voted for the annual US Military budget, both during the Biden Administration and now under the Trump Administration. Rep. Scholten has also consistently supported Israel and their genocidal campaign against the Palestinians and she only objects to the lack of a formal declaration of war against Iran.
However, Rep. Scholten is the norm when it comes to Congressional Democrats and even Democratic Administrations regarding war, militarism and US Imperialism. In the US Foreign Policy since 1945 class that I offer, I provide a list of US President’s since WWII and what countries they have supported war or longterm US imperialist policies, a list you can find here. See also Normal Solomon’s excellent book, War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death.
Here are a few examples of how US militarism and US Imperialism are a bi-partisan reality.
Iran – The CIA engaged in a coup in Iran in 1953, which resulted in putting the ruthless Shah in power, which every US Administration supported until he was overthrown by his own people in 1979. Since 1979, every US President has treated Iran as a terrorist state and done everything in their power to undermine that country. For more details go here.
Venezuela – The US has been trying to undermine democracy in Venezuela since Hugo Chavez became president in 1999. Watch the documentary The Revolution will not be televised, which deals with the US-backed attempted coup in 2002. This means that the Bush, Obama, Trump I and the Biden Administrations have all been viewing Venezuela as a pariah state, but this is an ideological position and is not rooted in what is happening on the ground in Venezuela. See the Liberal and Democratic Party responses to the Trump Administration’s kidnapping of Venezuela’s President.
Israel – The US has consistently supported the Israel since the Israeli state was created in 1948. For the past 50 years the number one recipient of US military aid has been Israel, regardless of who sits in the White House and who controls Congress. The Biden and Trump Administrations have been equally complicit with the Israeli genocide of the Palestinians.
Cuba – The US has intervened or attempted to intervene in Cuba since 1898, which you can see here in this history of US interventions timeline. Since the Cuba Revolution in 1959, the US has attempted to militarily invade Cuba, has imposed brutal sanctions on Cuba, engaged in assassination attempts and have broadcast State Department propaganda into Cuba for decades regardless of who sits in the White House or who contraols Congress. For further exploration I would recommend the following books: Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana; Dateline Havana; Bacardi: The Hidden War; Masters of War: Latin America and U.S. Aggression From the Cuban Revolution Through the Clinton Years.
Every major US war since Korea has had bi-partisan support from Congress. Every year since WWII when Congress votes for the US military budget it always passes with bi-partisan support, Every year that the US allocates foreign US military aid, whether that is Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, El Salvador or the Congo, there has always been bi-partisan support.
With the most recent bi-partisan effort to vote against Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s resolution we have to come to terms with the fact that the Democratic Party is equally committed to US Imperialism, US militarism and forever wars.
For those who read my blog you know that there was organized actions on Tuesday from several different grassroots groups in Grand Rapids. I wrote about those protests earlier this week, which you can read here.
The actions were organized because the Econ Club invited former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, along with giving a “leadership” award to the DeVos family. I had written about this a month ago and provided some context for why people were enraged with Clinton, Bush and the DeVos family.
Dick DeVos received the award on behalf of his family and Mark Secchia posted his comments on social media. I am re-posting Dick’s comments here in italics, but providing commentary that is highlighted to provide a counter-narrative to the viewpoint of DeVos who only speaks for the Capitalist Class. His comments clearly demonstrate not only his contempt for poor people, but the kind of ideology he wants to impose on the rest of us.
Lastly, it is important to note that the media was not allowed to attend this event, so we have no way of know what both Clinton and Bush had to say.
Remarks to the Economic Club of Grand Rapids
Dick DeVos, Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Thanks, Dan, and let me add my thanks to the board of the Grand Rapids Economic Club and to each of you for this award and this opportunity to share a few thoughts. Here is a link to the Econ Club’s Board.
You heard what makes us passionate about this community. We are committed to making this a place where families thrive, generation after generation. Members of the Grand Rapid Power Structure keep saying they want everyone to thrive in this city, yet there are over 40% of Grand Rapidians living paycheck to paycheck. We have seen many of the pieces needed for that vision strengthened over the past decades. We have seen downtown progress from a place where you couldn’t host a parade for a US president because it was too unsafe, a place without any venue for a 100-person wedding reception, to a place with facilities and amenities that attract people from every corner of our great state and country. Here we can see that Dick DeVos was simply using part of his brother Doug’s Wall Street Journal Op Ed earlier this year.
But as my family has noted, we are facing some challenges as a community. There are clouds on the horizon. We can’t think that the good things we have accomplished have happened by accident, or that success can be put on autopilot. In the video, Betsy noted the difference between building a house and building a home. One of the key differences, is caretaking. Without it, houses get run down over time. They don’t care for themselves. So, we must be honest and direct about what has been done and what is not being taken care of here in Grand Rapids. We’re seeing some troubling signs around town again. The progress that’s been made is at risk.
– Downtown residential growth has slowed. It is because people can’t afford to live there!
– One in five downtown storefronts sit vacant. Smaller businesses can’t stay open because of the cost of renting space and doing business.
– We are mortgaging our future – when 8 out of 10 children in 3rd grade at Grand Rapids Public Schools can’t read at grade level. Here Dick uses one of the talking points from the West Michigan Policy Forum (which the DeVos family co-founded), which wants to undermine public education across the state.
- Vagrants and pan handlers accost our city’s residents and guests, all too often. Here DeVos clearly shows his contempt for people who are struggling. Dick and his family also co-signed the GR Chamber of Commerce proposal to criminalize the unhoused in 2022.
– Crime is all too present despite the tremendous work of our brave men and women of the Grand Rapids police….And we just lost our police chief due, in his words, to “anti-police politics” from a vocal minority that some of our leaders wrongly listened to. Another false claim. I wrote a counter-narrative about Chief Winstrom when he fist announced he was leaving in February. I also responded to the claim that Winstrom left because of all the anti-police sentiment in GR from a “vocal minority.”
– And podiums in our community are too often filled by outside voices that are out of step with west Michigan values. What podiums is Dick referring to hear?
This isn’t acceptable. We can and must do better. Equally concerning is the risk of losing our uniqueness. The Grand Rapids area grew to what it is today because we are different.
– We celebrate vibrant churches on every corner. Most of which ignore all of the suffering in Grand Rapids, are silent about the massive wealth gap in Grand Rapids and refuse to offer sanctuary for immigrants being terrorized by ICE.
– Children and families aren’t just welcome here, they are a priority. Only the children who are part of the privileged classes.
– We don’t practice pseudo compassion and let our fellow citizens sleep on the street, we help them. . . even when it requires “tough love.” What the hell does this even mean? What it could mean is that DeVos and his fellow members of the Capitalist Class fund the homelessness industrial complex, especially since these groups are Christian and never challenge the root causes of being unhoused.
– We know safety isn’t optional – it’s essential. Especially for the privileged classes in downtown Grand Rapids and tourists who spend their money at the businesses and hotels that the DeVos family owns.
– We believe in people and their possibilities, and want every child to learn so they can reach their full potential. Dick and Betsy DeVos have spent decades undermining public education, so this comment is just a flat out lie. What Dick means to say is that lets use public money for charter schools, private schools and especially religious schools to educate children and not subject them to the unAmerican things being taught in the public schools.
– We believe that hard work is a good thing that leads to a life of meaning and purpose . . .and that earned success is a good thing too! This is almost humorous, since the DeVos family wealth was built on the pyramid scheme Amway Corporation, which used the labor of countless people for the wealth of a few.
– And yes, cleanliness is next to Godliness and we are happy to “culturally appropriate” that from our community’s Dutch roots. Ah yes, those Dutch roots, like the Dutch CRC that would not support the 1911 furniture workers strike in Grand Rapids.
We must ignore the voices who tell us we are “not progressing enough” to be like other cities. That’s not easy when their voices get loud. We don’t want to be New York, or Chicago, or LA, or San Francisco, or Portland, or Seattle.
We want to BE Grand Rapids! Let’s get back to having pride in who we are and confidence in where we want to go. Leading with strength and courage, knowing we can make tomorrow better than today. Let’s get back to doing what’s right for the vast majority of our community, with less concern about offending a vocal few. We have work to do.
Yes, “west Michigan nice” is a real thing (and it’s a good thing), but we are called to something greater. Because it’s not enough to be west Michigan nice. We need to be west Michigan good. Nice means we can avoid challenges and conflict. Good means we address challenges directly and we engage personally. Being good protects what matters. Being good makes Grand Rapids special.
It’s time we recapture the spirit of our friend Peter Secchia. Remember him? Many of you here do. And some of you got one or more of those pink paper memos with smiley faces or – more often – frowny faces. I sure did. Sometimes I wasn’t so happy about those. But most often, upon reflection, the “kick in the butt” was just what was needed. Our city is so much better thanks to him and other”s who never accepted “just okay,” but always challenged us to be good. See my article Bankrolling hate and harm: On the Death of Peter Secchia,” as a counter-narrative.
We must take up that challenge again – to make our west Michigan house a better home. So it’s time to get back to sweeping the streets – literally and figuratively. We have a solid foundation, thanks to the vision and leadership of generations that have come before us, and so many of you right here in this room. We are deeply grateful for that. The “so many of you right here in this room” have been and continue to be contributing to the wealth gap, the emphasis on investing in downtown GR and perpetuating structural racism in this city, what I refer to as the Grand Rapids Power Structure.
At the same time, there is much more work to be done. We hope each of you – in your own ways – will join us in working to reclaim all that makes Grand Rapids and West Michigan the very best place to call home. On behalf of the entire DeVos family, thank you again, very, very much. For those who want to explore the history of what the DeVos family has done in West Michigan, I invite you to check out the 830 page document – A DeVos Family Reader, which chronicles the commitment the DeVos family has to expanding its own wealth and their efforts to influence public policy for their anti-union, anti-public education, anti-LGBTQ, pro-business and pro-Christian positions that have caused tremendous harm.
According to a recent Crain’s Grand Rapid Business article, CWD Real Estate Investment LLC is nearing completion of a former office building to be used for housing, but now they want to more, especially if they can benefit from additional public subsidies.
At a Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce event this past Spring, Sam Cummings talked about a state law that was adopted in 2023, which amended the Brownfield Redevelopment Financing Act. This amendment made housing development projects, like the One Eleven Lyon project eligible for brownfield capture. However, Cummings – who is the C in CWD Real Estate Investment LLC, hopes to benefit from the use of additional public subsidies for a third building conversion project.
According to the Crain’s article, “Cummings called the 111 Lyon project “step one” in the firm’s downtown strategy to invest in its downtown assets. He anticipates beginning construction on July 1 at CWD’s Ledyard Building at 125 Ottawa Ave. NW to convert part of the downtown office building into 36 apartment units.”
The same article then cites Cummings who makes the claim:
“The market and our downtown has changed in the past six years as cities across the country face new challenges,” Cummings said. “We will be transforming this building and others, adding residences and supplemental uses that piggyback on the new cultural anchors, courtesy of Grand Action, to strengthen the demographics of our city and make it a vital 24-hour community.”
I appreciate the comment from Cummings where he acknowledges that the Grand Action 2.0 projects, like the Amphitheater and the Soccer Stadium, has been a game changer. However, Cummings fails to acknowledge that this change has primarily benefited companies like CWD and the other downtown property owners.
Of course the Brownfield Redeveloping Act currently has a cap of $1.6 billion for development projects throughout the state. Not to worry, because in, “December, the Democratic-controlled Senate voted to more than double the $1.6 billion cap on post-construction tax captures to $3.5 billion. It would be the second expansion of the program, which was created in 2017, is funding 13 projects and is just $15 million short of the $1.6 billion limit,” according to a June 2nd Crain’s article.
In that same Crain’s article it states that the Michigan State Legislature House Speaker Matt Hall is now open to adopting the $3.5 billion amount for the Brownfield Redeveloping Act. This would make Sam Cummings and Dan DeVos (the principals of CWD) very happy, since it would all but guarantee that their ongoing efforts to turn office buildings into apartments in downtown Grand Rapids would be significantly subsidized by the public.
It is also worth mentioning that when running for Mayor of Grand Rapids, David LaGrand received $2,450.00 from Sam Cummings, which is why LaGrand was pictured in the photo with Cummings (see photo above) for the 111 Lyon ribbon cutting and quoted in the Crain’s article. Crain’s wrote, “Grand Rapids Mayor David LaGrand applauded Cummings’ vision for downtown and how the project will provide a more walkable lifestyle for its residents.”
LaGrand failed to mention that the primary beneficiaries of a walkable lifestyle in downtown Grand Rapids would primarily be members of the professional and capitalist classes. The rest of us will still have to drive to work and meet other basic needs, but hey, it should be clear by now that downtown Grand Rapids has been the playground of the rich for several decades now, often at the public’s expense.
Once again Democrats are celebrating additional funding for a US military base in Michigan
Last year I wrote about how Michigan Senators Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin had sent a letter to President Trump to secure a new fighter mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County., Michigan. Part of that letter read:
“We appreciate your recent commitment to base a new fighter mission at Michigan’s Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Michigan has always stepped up to defend our nation. In World War II, Detroit earned the title “Arsenal of Democracy,” by producing the tanks, airplanes, and equipment that powered the forces of freedom’s victory over fascism and tyranny. Today, that same spirit of grit and innovation lives on at Selfridge. Selfridge is the ideal location for a future fighter mission with the experienced pilots, crews and maintainers, access to world class exercises and training ranges with state-of-the-art infrastructure. As you highlighted, Selfridge has enjoyed bipartisan support from the Michigan Congressional delegation, state and local leaders and the Macomb County community to recapitalize the 107th Fighter Squadron’s A10 aircraft with an advanced fighter. Your announcement is an important step towards realizing our long-held goal and we are ready to work with you, the Department of Defense and the Air Force to identify and base a new advanced fighter mission at Selfridge.”
Besides supporting the economic system of capitalism, the Democratic Party has always supporter US militarism.
At the state level Democrats are once again celebrating additional legislation for the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County., Michigan. On a recent Facebook post, State Senator Winnie Brinks posted the photo above, along with the following comments:
Yesterday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed bipartisan legislation to strengthen the future of Selfridge Air National Guard Base and ensure our state is ready to lead the next generation of defense missions. This a powerful testament to what we can achieve when we work together across the aisle in support of those who selflessly serve our country — a meaningful win for Michigan that we can all be proud of. And a special thanks to Senator Kevin Hertel for his key leadership on this effort.
I highlighted the phrases that stood out the most, all of which suggest that more funding for militarism keeps the public safe and that we should all be proud of it. US militarism has rarely ever brought justice or saved lives. For a detailed account of US military spending check out all the data at https://www.nationalpriorities.org/, along with their blog section, which includes great analysis.
In Senator Brinks’ comments she gave hi praise to Gov. Whitmer who said during the announcement for the $152 million for the Selfridge Air National Guard Base:
“Today’s funding is a huge, bipartisan win for Michigan that will grow our economy and make our country safer. Since securing a new F15-EX fighter mission last year, I’ve been working closely with our federal partners and Congressional delegation to prepare Selfridge with upgrades to runways and taxiways. But we needed state funding to ensure the base will be ready for new aircraft to start arriving by 2028.”
In that same Press Release, Gov. Whitmer’s office also provided an overview of her office’s commitment to the US Military Industrial Complex, sharing what has happened during her tenure as Governor:
Growing Michigan’s Defense Industry
Governor Whitmer has worked hard to grow Michigan’s defense industry, create good-paying jobs, and build more cars, chips, drones, and batteries right here in Michigan.
- Announced Michigan’s NADWC was designated by the U.S. Department of War as a National Range for Deep Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) Training.
- Launched the Uncrewed Triple Challenge, a first-of-its-kind competition to drive innovation in autonomous drone technology.
- Established new Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation, enhancing Michigan’s defense and aerospace ecosystem.
- Announced the release of Michigan’s Defense and Aerospace Strategic Plan, which is designed to grow the state’s defense and aerospace sectors, strengthen national security, and create high-paying jobs that support Michigan’s economy.
- Announced an innovative partnership between U of M and the Los Alamos national Laboratory to build a computing facility to research national security, cybersecurity, AI, energy, and more.
- Announced a $50 million partnership to build Michigan’s defense manufacturing workforce.
Again, US militarism is and has always been a deeply bi-partisan reality. This bi-partisan commitment to US militarism has translated into funding for war, while thousands of families in Michigan struggle to survive. It is never about whether or not there is enough money to support families, rather it is a matter of priorities. The US, Senators Peters and Slotkin, Gov. Whitmer and Senator Brinks all choose to fund militarism over basic community needs.
The Econ Club hosted their annual dinner last night in Grand Rapids, with the featured speakers being former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. In addition, the Econ Club gave an award to the DeVos family because of their “leadership” in this city.
There were several grassroots groups that had planned to protest the event last night, such as Together West Michigan, Kent County Indivisible, Grand Rapids Opponents of War, and Palestine Solidarity GR and Signs Against Fascism.
Most of these groups stayed on the east side of Monroe across from the DeVos Center, but several of us made the decision to be on the side of the DeVos Center, since those attending the Econ Club meeting were lining up to get in the building.
The event had been sold out for weeks, which is why those in attendance were waiting in lines outside of the DeVos Center. We took this opportunity to confront those going in the hear two war criminals and celebrate the DeVos family oligarchs. We also wanted to make these people uncomfortable, so we blew whistles, we chanted, but most importantly we yelled at people waiting to go inside because they were going to hear two war criminal presidents speaker and to watch the DeVos family receive an award.
I wrote about this event when it was first announced about a month ago, with details of what happened under the Clinton and Bush administrations. I discussed war crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and the former Yugoslavia. I also noted oppressive domestic policies such as the implementation of NAFTA, the end of welfare, the Crime Bill and the increase of mass incarceration under Clinton, along with the domestic war on terror, the passage of the USA Patriot Act, the creation of ICE, and No Child Left behind under Bush. Those in our group were addressing some of these points, but also talking about how Bill Clinton is in the Epstein files.
We also talked about the DeVos family, how their use their wealth and how they have a long history of attacking the LGBTQ community, public education, unions, opposing an increase in minimum wages, and trying to imposed their brand of Christianity in civil society.
Our point was to shame these people for spending a lot of money to get all dressed up, roll up in their expensive cars and pay hundreds to purchase tickets for this event. We did just that and clearly there were people who were annoyed, some yelled back, while others tried to look away and some even attempted to take selfies with us in the background. In fact, many of those in attendance did what we expected, they gave us looks of contempt, which is exactly what members of the Capitalist Class do when confronted for their wealth and privilege.
I noticed several members of the Grand Rapids Power Structure there, specifically Autocam CEO John Kennedy and several executives with the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce. I also saw former Mayor Bliss and current Mayor David LaGrand. Our group gave LaGrand an earful.
There were also a few clergy there, which in some ways was bizarre, along with numerous Executive Directors of local non-profits, which included two civil rights organizations. Why people from these organizations would attend such an event that is designed specifically for members of the Capitalist Class is puzzling to me, but then again this is West Michigan and more often than not religious leaders and non-profit directors rely on funding from those who run this city.
Some of the other groups did come across the street to interact with those attending the Econ Club event, but some of the groups only came in numbers after everyone was inside for the event. If people had been on the west side of Monroe the whole time it would have made those attending even more uncomfortable and it would have provided some protection for those of us who were in their faces.
Also after everyone who had tickets for the event went inside, the groups that remained and were protesting were using a bullhorn. One of the speakers was then cited by the GRPD for using a bullhorn and was told to expect something in the mail. The GRPD purposely waited until those attending the Econ Club event were out of site to crack down on protesters, even though there were other people using bullhorns earlier and they did not receive a citation.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office recently announced the Kent Safety Network (KSN), which is a program to utilize resident and business cameras for the purpose of “enabling the people of Kent County to help keep their community safe.”
There are two ways that people can participate in this program, which will allow the Kent County Sheriff’s Office to obtain more information and engage in more surveillance in the county. The first option is for residents who want to register external cameras they have on their home. In the FAQ portion of the KSN page it asks the following question: Can The Kent Safety Network remotely access my cameras at any time? Here is how the Sheriff’s Office responds – No. Registering cameras means the sheriff’s office will know where your cameras are located in the event of a crime or a critical incident. There is no direct access to any privately-owned cameras and the registry is only used to request footage if an incident were to occur in their vicinity.
The second option is called Business Camera Integration, where businesses would allow the Sheriff’s Office access to a company’s camera feed. This would not require the Kent County Sheriff’s Office to ask consent, since the businesses that participate would allow the Sheriff’s Office immediate real time access. In the FAQ of this section there is an interesting question: Does Axon Fusus utilize artificial intelligence? The response is – Yes, Axon Fusus utilizes artificial intelligence to rapidly search video provided to the system by users in order to mitigate criminal activity. All AI use cases exclude facial recognition, but may be utilized to automatically recognize weapons, vehicles of interest, etc.
According to the Kent Safety Network site they already have 182 registered cameras (residential cameras) and 2229 integrated cameras or business cameras participating in this program. This means there are an additional 2411 cameras that the Kent County Sheriff’s Office can access, which also includes the Flock Cameras they have been using since 2022.
If you recall, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office was only able to add this program of additional surveillance, because Rep. Scholten supported the program with $750,000 in federal public tax dollars for the Kent County Sheriff’s Office in February. At the time Rep. Scholten provided her rational for why she chose to fund the Kent County Sheriff’s Office by stating: “Out of those dozens of projects, I only get to choose 15. And so I choose the ones that matter most to this community. The ones that have, from my perspective, the best chance of doing the most good in the community. And that’s why I chose this project.”
The Kent Safety Network also has a video they created which I encourage people to watch (included below). The video, like all law enforcement videos, tries to communicate the notion that if they have more immediate information they will be able to respond faster. However, responding faster doesn’t always translate into more safety, but it does mean that cops can show up quicker and potentially use deadly force more frequently.
The other interesting thing about the video is that it feature the director of Government Affairs with the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, Josh Lunger, who is inviting businesses to participate in the program and integrate their cameras into the Sheriff’s Office program. At about 4:25 into the video Lunger says that having more businesses participate in this program will enhance community safety overall. Such a claim is patently false, since real community safety happens when public money is spent on meeting community needs, not more surveillance technology.
Happy Pride Month: What to know about the history of the LGBTQ struggle for justice in Grand Rapids
It is Pride Month and we all need to do what we can to support people who identify as part of the LGBTQ community, along with organizations that are continuing the fight for queer and trans lives in Grand Rapids.
Please support the Grand Rapids Pride Center, the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation, and autonomous groups like Protest for Progress. These groups not only provide ongoing support and services for queer and trans people, but they doing great education work, along with organizing people to fight for their rights.
Another way we can support this ongoing struggle for LGBTQ justice is to know the history of organizing that has happened and what people have sacrificed over the years to make life for those who are part of the LGBTQ community a little bit better.
In 2011, we produced a documentary about this history, which you can watch here.
The Network organized the first Pride Celebration in 1988, which was not supported by the Mayor of Grand Rapids. Mayor Helmholt had granted at least 119 proclamations since the Network’s first request in 1988. Among the groups/events that Helmholt wrote proclamations for were: Michigan Beverage News Week, Family Sexuality Education Month, Polish Heritage Month, National Roofing Week and Bozo Show Day. Here is short interview with Mayor Helmholt.
Someone also videotaped the first Pride Celebration in Grand Rapids, which you can watch here.
In 1990, the Grand Rapids Pride Celebration invited AIDS Quilt founder Cleve Jones to speak about his work to educate the public about HIV/AIDS.
Jones, who was a close friend of the late Harvey Milk, spoke with Bryan Ribbens about his experience of being in Grand Rapids in the video below.
Another example is this powerful video of a Network event in 1992 billed as a discussion about the lessons learned from Stonewall. In this video (below), Holly VanScoy and Dennis Komack facilitate a discussion, which covers a whole range of topics, such as the Lesbian influence in the local movement, how Grand Rapids responded to the AIDS crisis, dealing with the reactionary right in West Michigan and the evolution of Pride events.
At one point in the discussion, one of the participants makes the point about “necessary radical thought.” This comment stands out in many ways, because what the person was saying is that it is absolutely necessary that we not only continue to reflect on where we came from as a community, but that we continue to challenge our understanding of who we are and where we are going. Movements for social change are resilient to the degree that they can embrace the idea of necessary radical thought.
Here is this powerful video from 1992 that should inspire all of us to continue to reflect and challenge what it means to be liberated in a world that either despises us or wants to co-opt us.
Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy 