GRIID end of the year in review: Part II – Monitoring the Grand Rapids Power Structure

In Part I of the GRIID end of the year review I looked at my efforts to monitor the local news in 2025, particularly around critical issues like immigration, policing and the Schurr trial. Today I will focus on the monitoring I do regarding the most powerful families, institutions and organizations in Grand Rapids, what I refer to as the Grand Rapids Power Structure.

There were a total of 73  stories that I posted on GRIID that were specific to the GR Power Structure, and I began the year with a story about who was behind the dark money in the 1st Ward race for City Commission in 2024.

With the growing resentment that is directed at the Trump Administration, I wrote two articles to try to get people to make the connection to who are the biggest supporters of Trump. One article in early February was entitled, Why are we not more pissed off with the DeVos family regarding the shit show that is the Trump Administration? I followed that article up a month later with an article entitled, Why are we not focusing as much attention on the Billionaires in our own back yard as we are on Musk and Bezos? 

I also started a new segment called, Monitoring the Rich and Powerful in Grand Rapids. There have been 8 different segments run, focusing on local members of the GR Power Structure. The first one was posted on March 12.

It has been interesting to see which Grand Rapids groups are actively opposing the Invest in MI Kids ballot initiative, which would increase taxes for millionaires and billionaires and use that money to fund public education. The first article I wrote to expose those opposing an increase in taxation for millionaires and billionaires was in July. This was followed by another post on August 25th, November 12th and December 15th. In each case it was the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce and the West Michigan Policy Forum.

I also wrote other articles about the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce and how they are influencing policy right here in Grand Rapids, my critique of the GR Chamber’s history timeline, the GR Chamber-created group Housing Next, and the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce’s secret meeting to discuss immigration policies.

In addition, I wrote my annual critique of Crain’s Grand Rapids Business 200 most influential people, which is really a critique of the GR Power Structure.

Of course, monitoring the Grand Rapids Power Structure wouldn’t be complete without including all the things I have written about regarding the DeVos family in 2025. Here are 11 articles I wrote about the most powerful family in West MI.

Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce video is filled with misinformation, crafted moments and self-serving commentary by Dick DeVos 

“We had to destroy the art community in Grand Rapids, now we want to control it”, is what I take from the DeVos Institute’s strategy 

Billionaires like the DeVos family will also benefit from the Big Beautiful Bill just for owning private jets 

DeVos family always looking to expand their wealth, this time with high end bourbon and whiskey 

An interesting response to my recent post about the DeVos-owned bourbon label: Liberals acting as apologists for the DeVos family 

Believe in Our City: Just another iteration of the same old business as usual brand in Grand Rapids 

Why is Rep. Scholten celebrating a DeVos created charter school? 

The billionaire families of DeVos & Van Andel have hired a Chicago-based Real Estate developer for the 3 tower project in Grand Rapids 

Further evidence of how much the DeVos family has their tentacles in all things Grand Rapids 

9 years ago the GRPS Superintendent was praising Betsy DeVos: What is she up to now? 

State board OKs $561M tax incentive to billionaire Amway families for 3 tower project: Mayor LaGrand celebrates this decision 

I write about the Grand Rapids Power Structure because it is absolutely essential that we know what they are doing, especially if we want to resist the local oligarchy and practice radical change in this city. Tomorrow I will write about social movement work in Grand Rapids in Part III.