Lots of mailed propaganda for the August 6th Hotel Tax proposal that is being endorsed by the rich and powerful in Kent County

Within the past 2 weeks I have received two different mailers endorsing the is usually referred to as the Hotel Tax ballot initiative that will appear on the August 6th Primary Ballot.

One of the mailers came from the committee that is responsible for promoting the Hotel Tax ballot initiative, the Destination Kent Committee. According to their website, the Destination Kent Committee was formed earlier this year with the following members: 

Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss – voted for ordinances in 2023 to criminalize the unhoused, has consistently voted for massive subsidies and tax breaks for developers, has opposed community calls to reduce funding for the GRPD, has been a recipient of the Grand Rapids Police Officers Association PAC and the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce PAC, known as Friends of West Michigan Business.

Kara Wood of Grand Action 2.0 – used to work on economic development for the City of Grand Rapids and started at Grand Action 2.0 in 2022. Grand Action was created by the DeVos family and other members of the GR Power Structure to get the city and county to use public funds to finance projects like the Van Andel Arena, the Convention Center, the Downtown Market and now the Amphitheater, the Soccer Stadium and the proposed Aquarium.

Joshua Lunger from the Grand Rapids Chamber – is the VP of Government Affairs for the Chamber, which means he is a paid lobbyist who spends his time getting local and state politicians to adopt policies that benefit business interests. Lunger was the architect of the push to criminalize the unhoused in downtown Grand Rapids, which the City adopted in 2023. 

John Helmholdt of SeyferthPR – has previously worked as director of communications for the Grand Rapids Public Schools, along with working for Republican State Senator Glenn Steil Sr. Helmholdt also endorsed the ordinance adopted last year in Grand Rapids that criminalizes the unhoused.

Bill Jackson of McAlvey Merchant & Associates – Bill was the first Director of the West Michigan Policy Forum, which has worked to eliminate the Michigan Business Tax, made Michigan a Right to Work State from 2012 – 2022, has worked to keep Michigan’s minimum wage low and has worked to undermine public sector unions. McAlvey Merchant & Associates is also a Michigan lobbyist group. 

Bob Herr as treasurer – Bob Herr also sits on the Board of Directors of the Economic Club of Grand Rapids and is the Chairman of the Downtown Improvement District. 

The other mailer, which was the standard glossy political mailer, but was an 8.5 by 11 inch mailer, came from the Grand Rapids Kent County Convention Arena Authority (CAA). It is no surprise that the CAA sent out their own mailer in favor of the 3% increase in the hotel tax, especially when you consider who sits on their board and the fact that the CAA had previously benefited from the use of public funds for the venues that they manage, which will include the Amphitheater once it is completed. 

Dissecting Talking Points

The Destination Kent Committee has been using several primary talking points to try to convince the public to vote for the 3% hotel tax increase on August 6th. Here are a few of those talking points:

• The venues that will be the beneficiaries of the 3% hotel tax increase will have an economic impact that will generate $1 billion in economic impact and create 1,200 plus jobs. While $1 billion might be spent because of these new venues, that almost always means that the bulk of those profits will go to those who already have deep pockets. When people come to the Amphitheater, the Soccer Stadium or the Aquarium, they will have to pay for parking, which will mean more revenue for Ellis Parking or the City of Grand Rapids, neither of which really benefits the general public. Most of the hotels that people will stay at in the downtown area are owned by the DeVos family and the restaurants and bars that people will go to will benefit those businesses, but will not translate into increased wages for those who wait tables, wash dishes, tend bar, janitorial crews, etc. 
• The 1,200 plus jobs that are cited is an estimate at best or is more likely way off. Then there is the fact that most of these jobs will not pay a living wage with good benefits. These jobs might also be part-time or temporary. Using the job creation argument is an old Capitalist Class mantra, but more often then not it means lower wage jobs and temp jobs. 
• Another talking point is that the 3% hotel tax increase is a modest increase. For many people it is a modest increase, but for thousands that are housing insecure, staying in a hotel for a day, a week or a month could be costly. There are lots of people who stay in hotels/motels for the weekly rate, since they don’t have more permanent housing. The 3% hotel tax would be a burden on those who have limited housing options and stay in motels for a week at a time or more.
• One last talking point is that the increased hotel tax would be for “community owned assets.” This is just an outright lie. The community will not own the Amphitheater, the Soccer Stadium or the Aquarium, just like they don’t currently own the Convention Center the Van Andel Arena or the Downtown Market. These are privately owned and privately managed venues, which generate a shit ton of money for those who already control a great deal of the economy in Kent County.

As I have stated previously, why don’t the people and the organizations who are pushing for the increased hotel tax pay for the Amphitheater, the Soccer Stadium and the Aquarium themselves. Not only can they afford it, they will be reaping the benefits every time people purchase tickets at these venues and primarily spend their money in and near the downtown area.

More importantly, according to the Destination Kent Committee, 1 year after the increased hotel tax would generate $24 million dollars. Imagine if $24 million were put to providing social housing for families, rental assistance for tenants, addressing food insecurity, improved health care and more environmental justice outcomes for the people who already live in this city and are struggling to survive. When are we going to put the lives of Kent County residents ahead of the tourists who visit this community?