2022 West Michigan Candidate Policy Platforms: Kent County Commission

July 6, 2022

tags: candidate platforms, Kent County Commission races, social movement demands, systemic change

Over the next few weeks, we will be posting information and links to candidate websites and/or social media pages so that people can see what their policy positions are and what they say they will do if elected.

So far we have looked at the candidates and their policy platform information for the 3rd Congressional race, the State Senate races, and the State Representative races. Today, we will look at those running for seats on the Kent County Commission.

We do this in part, since we cannot rely on the dominant commercial news media to provide this information or any robust analysis of the policy platforms of those running for office.

In late July we will also be posting information on campaign financing for these same candidates, so that people have as much information as possible about candidates before the August Primary and the November 2022 Election.

Now, personally I identify politically as an anarchist, so I don’t put much stock in representative democracy or the electoral process. However, I do think it is important for people to think critically about the political/electoral process that currently exists.

In today’s post, we look at Kent County Commission races. As a Kent County Commissioner, these candidates will be voting/deciding on a wide range of critical issues, such as, funding for the Kent County Jail, which has a disproportionate number of Black and Latinx inmates. Then there is the Kent County Sheriff’s Department, which continues to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, by notifying ICE and holding undocumented immigrants until ICE decides what to do with them. Kent County Commissioners could also take a position in support of undocumented immigrants who want to obtain a driver’s license, since they are currently prohibited from doing so. Kent County Commissioners will also decide on important issues like affordable housing in this area and not contribute to the gentrification of neighborhoods. Kent County could promote the idea that everyone should make a livable wage, which is roughly $20 an hour for a single person to afford the basics in this area. Kent County Commissioners will make important ecological decisions, around how to effectively deal with PFSA’s that are in the water and soil in Kent County because of corporate malfeasance, along with a more robust policy to deal with corporate polluters, the protection of the Grand River, and preventing the use of chemical fertilizers, which will impact the main water supplies in the area. Kent County has yet to offer concrete policy decisions on the matter of structural racism in this area, even though they have been presented with a proposal to adopt a Racism is a Public Health issue framework.

As an anarchist, I believe that my aspirations and the desire to work towards Collective Liberation is rarely reflected in the electoral/representative democracy process. Where are the candidates who are publicly anti-capitalist and anti-racist? Where are the candidates that oppose the homophobic and transphobic policies and practices in this country and in this community? Where are the candidates that are anti-colonialist, who believe that Indigenous sovereignty and land should be a priority? Where are the candidates that are committed to reparations for Black people? Where are the candidates who believe that housing, income, education and health care are fundamental rights? Where are the candidates who are committed to resisting the current climate crisis and oppose things like the Enbridge Line 3 and Line 5? Where are the candidates that want to deal with root causes of problems, instead false solutions perpetuated by charitable groups and the Non-Profit Industrial Complex? Where are the candidates that not only support labor unions but actively work to support workers to create workplace democracy? Where are the candidates who support reproductive justice? We all deserve a better world and we need to support politics that dismantles systems of power and oppression, not perpetuate them.

Below are the candidates for the 21 different Kent County Commission seats. In looking at all of their campaign platform/policy pages, no one stands out as embracing positions that many social movements have been demanding, although a few candidates do mention some of those demands, without providing solutions or commitments. The language for many of the candidate platforms are often vague, and almost always the candidates avoid language that seeks to work towards structural or systematic change. There are also 9 Democratic Candidates and 6 Republican candidates which had no online platform information.

Kent County Commission District 1

Jerry Berta D

No online platform

Ben Green R

https://www.votebengreene.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BenGreeneMI

Mark Jordan R

https://votemarkjordan.com/#

https://www.facebook.com/BenGreeneMI

Kent County Commission District 2

Rebecca Diffin D

No online platform