Voice for the Badge finally breaks their silence over the GRPD murder of Patrick Lyoya with the One Bad Apple Theory
After 43 days of silence, the founder of Voice for the Badge, Johnny Brann Sr., finally responded to the GRPD murder of Patrick Lyoya……..sort of.
On May 16th, this is what the police apologist group, Voice for the Badge posted on their FB page:
Such a tragic and sad situation occurred in our city in early April.
Prayers for all involved and may Patrick Lyoya rest in peace.
I do understand the anger held by many, but should the entire GRPD be treated like they are all bad officers?
No – they should not – but the cop haters –heck they hated our P.D. before and now their hatred has escalated even more.
I value our GRPD and if I thought for one second – our department was what has been said the department is-I would not support the GRPD but I do not believe this so my support for our GRPD remains.
Been said…disband, dissolve the VFB -not happening —No -we have many, many officers that bravely protect us all– as we see on far to many nights in our city.
Hate me if you like but I will never apologize for supporting the good officers of our GRPD-and why should I? The far majority of citizens value our P.D. in every section of our city.
Johnny Brann Sr.
In fact why are haters even on our page?
This is the sort of cowardly and unsubstantiated crap we have come to expect from Voice for the Badge. Here are my responses to such drivel.
- The GRPD murder of Patrick Lyoya wasn’t a “tragic and sad situation,” it was murder by Officer Schurr, who was following the standard protocol for cops.
- VFB offers up prayers, but no thoughts
- Then there is the One Bad Apple justification. As Catherine Caruso wrote after the trial of Derek Chauvin – “At this point, the bad apple theory is nothing but an illusion, a convenient way to brush off and ignore a much more deep-rooted and pervasive problem. It’s time to move past the bad apple theory. It will not end systemic racism or police brutality. It will only be used to continue to justify racist police violence and perpetuate a system of injustice.”
- Another commentator put it this way: The ‘bad apple analysis’ however simply obscures the reality that the criminal (in)justice system is not designed to provide safety to those marginalised and minoritised. It never has been. It’s in fact built on the criminalisation and disposability of black people, people of colour, poor people, trans people, disabled people and beyond, in service of those with wealth and power.
After using the one bad apple theory for the GRPD murder of Patrick Lyoya, Johnny Brann Sr. then rambles on about haters and how he doesn’t believe anything the haters have to say. Instead, Brann says that the cops are here to protect us, without offering up any data, analysis or commentary to substantiate such a claim. Sure the cops motto is to protect and to serve, but do they really protect the public? The GRPD rarely prevents crime, they show up after the fact. Ask Black people if the GRPD protect them. Ask undocumented immigrants if they feel protected by the police, or trans and queer people? What about the unhoused or those who are brutalized by the system of Capitalism, which society refers to as “the poor.” Do you think they feel safe and protected when cops are around?
Once more the founder of Voice for the Badge says that the majority of people value the GRPD, and once more he provides no evidence to substantiate such a claim.
Lastly, Brann signs off by asking the question, “why are haters even on our page?” Well Johnny, speaking for myself, I monitor the Voice for the Badge FB page because I consider your organization as a hate group, a group that perpetuates harm, and a group that is rooted in a White Supremacist ideology.
The Business of the Grand Rapids City Government is Business: The 2023 Budget Priorities
US President Calvin Coolidge believed that the country’s well-being was best preserved by allowing business to create wealth. His most famous remark was in a speech that he delivered in 1925, in which he stated: “The business of America is business.”
Coolidge presided over a period when taxes and government spending were lowered. The President resisted appeals from Veterans for bonus payments. He vetoed the Soldiers’ Bonus and he was extremely antagonistic to the growing Labor Movement.
Based on the proposed 2023 Grand Rapids City Budget, it would seem that the Business of the Grand Rapids City Commission is business. According to a May 11th announcement from the City of Grand Rapids, the commissioners have already approved at total of $37,884,818 for several economic development committees, committees that are primarily stacked from members of the Business Class. (See Below) It should also be mentioned that these people are not elected, rather they are appointed by members of the Grand Rapids City Commission.
This $37,884,818 of public funding for business interests includes (see breakdown for each of the 12 areas)
- Business Development
- Business District Marketing
- Facade Improvement
- Business District Design
- Business Sponsorships
- Grand River Governance Planning – which is primarily designed to attract tourists and consumers
- Trade Shows
- Real estate development programs
- Infrastructure improvements – which primarily attracts tourists and consumers
- Major capital improvements to Downtown public spaces such as Lyon Square and the Van Andel Arena alley
These twelve groups, which are using nearly $39 million in public money, have a total of 96 current Board members. Of those 96 there are:
- 18 Current or former Government Officials
- 6 Non-Profit representatives
- 8 Educational Institutions
- 4 retired or without status
- 60 Business representatives
Now, if we are talking about how much the City of Grand Rapids has committed to things like Affordable Housing, Anti-Racism Work, or other critical social justice issues, the comparison to business interests is stark.
- We know that the City of Grand Rapids made a deposit of $957,365 for the Affordable Housing Fund in December of 2021.
- According to a document on Community Collaboration on Climate Change, this project is projecting to commit $900,000 over a three year period.
- Anti-Violence funding – the City of Grand Rapids is only a fiduciary for the Cure Violence Program, offering only resources and information.
- Last year, the City of Grand Rapids received $600,000 to advance racial equity in city operations
- Neighborhood Match Fund, which provides funding for neighborhood improvement, particularly around more progressive projects – estimate $100,000 per year
Even with these 5 critical issue areas, the City of Grand Rapids has committed no more than $2.7 Million, and some of that funding is for a three year period. Therefore, the City of Grand Rapids has committed roughly $2 Million for Affordable Housing, anti-racism work, Climate Change, anti-violence and resident-led Neighborhood projects, while the Business-led investment and development projects will be using nearly $39 Million of public money. Of course, this doesn’t even include the roughly $60 Million for policing, which demonstrates the issues that are prioritized by Grand Rapids City officials.
The proposed 2023 Budget for the Brownfield Development Authority is $15,507,194
BDA Board of Directors
Guillermo Cisneros – West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Lynn Rabaut – retired
Kristine Bersche – Natura Architectural Consulting LLC
Troy Butler – Thacker Sleight
Nathaniel Moody – City Commissioner
Dan Barcheski – Chairman of Axios HR
Kim McLaughlin – Wolverine Building Group
Micah Perkins – Retirement Services Officer US Army
John VanFossen – Meijer
Joshua Verhulst – Tech Defenders
The proposed 2023 Budget for the Downtown Development Authority DDA is $16,240,851
Board of Directors
Richard Winn – AHC Hospitality (DeVos-owned)
Mayor Rosalynn Bliss
Luis Avila – Varnum Law
Kayem Dunn – Consultant
Jermale Eddie – Malamiah Juice Bar
Greg McNeilly – Windquest Group (DeVos-owned)
Jim Talen – former Kent County Commissioner
Diana Sieger – Grand Rapids Community Foundation
Jen Schottke – ABC Western Michigan
The proposed 2023 Budget for the SmartZone Local Finance Development Authority is $2,374,546.
SmartZone LFDA Board of Directors
Hal Ostrow – Lawyer, Rhoades McKee
Al Vandeberg – Kent County Administrator
Keith Brophy – Emergent Holdings Inc.
Gerald Callahan – Van Andel Institute
Lisa Freiburger – GRCC
Kristian Grant – GRPS
John Helmholt – GRPS
Mark Washington – City Manager
Jerry Kooiman – MSU
Randy Thelen – The Right Place Inc
Fred Molnar – Michigan Economic Development Corporation
The proposed 2023 Budget for the Economic Development Corporation is $120,296.
Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors is the same as the Brownfield Development Authority.
Guillermo Cisneros – West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Lynn Rabaut – retired
Kristine Bersche – Natura Architectural Consulting LLC
Troy Butler – Thacker Sleight
Nathaniel Moody – City Commissioner
Kim McLaughlin – Wolverine Building Group
Micah Perkins – Retirement Services Officer US Army
John VanFossen – Meijer
Joshua Verhulst – Tech Defenders
The proposed 2023 Budget for the Southtown Corridor Improvement Authority is $647,858
Southtown CIA Board of Directors
Johnathan Farman – JF Consulting
Kristian Grant – GRPS
Helen Harp – Owner Joy Radio
Senita Lenear – City Commissioner
Eric Williams – United Methodist Community House
Nathaniel Moody – City Commissioner
Ruben Ramos – R&R MECHANICAL SERVICES LLC
Darel Ross – Start Garden and Owner Forty Acres Soul Kitchen
The proposed 2023 Budget for the Westside Corridor Improvement Authority is $290,000
Westside CIA Board of Directors
Brent Gibson – Construction Simplified
Johnny Brann Jr. – Brann’s Restaurant
Daniel Grinwis – Oasis of Hope Center
Lisa Haynes – GVSU
Aaron Jenks – Paradigm Design
Jon O’Connor – City Commissioner/Owner of Long Road Distillers
Dave Shaffer – CEO Interphase Interiors
The proposed 2023 Budget for the Uptown Corridor Improvement Authority is $133,505
Uptown CIA Board of Directors
Lynn Happel – owner of Veterinary Clinic
Stephanie Johnson – Urban Exchange LLC
Nathaniel Moody – City Commissioner
Matthew Smith – Open Systems Technologies Inc
Mark Stoddard
Tamara Sytsma – System Wealth Strategies
Peter Jacob – Kind Creative
Joana Hively – Owner Global Infusion
The proposed 2023 Budget for the Uptown Business Improvement District is $133,505
Uptown BID Board of Directors
Lynn Happel – Owner Eastown Veterinary Clinic
Stephanie Johnson – Urban Exchange LLC
Nathaniel Moody – City Commissioner
Matthew Smith – Open Systems Technologies Inc
Tamara Sytsma – System Wealth Strategies
Peter Vanderwier
Ted Lott – Lott3Metz Architecture
Jaye Van Lenten – Co-owner of Spirit Dreams
The proposed 2023 Budget for the Michigan Street Corridor Improvement Authority is $397,500
Michigan Street CIA Board of Directors
Max Benedict – Third Coast Development
Kevin Brant – Developer
Joe Jones – City Commissioner
Thomas Dann – Real Estate Agent
Alexander Lamkin
Jeff Lobdell – Restaurant Partners Inc.
Christopher Swank – GVSU
The proposed 2023 Budget for the South Division/Grandville Corridor Improvement Authority is $218,000.
South Division/Grandville CIA Board of Directors
Amy Brower – Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association
Fran Dalton – Garfield Park Neighborhood Association
Mary Dengerink – Green Leaf Consulting
Synia Jordan – Real Estate Agent
Kurt Reppart – City Commissioner
Leonard Van Drunen – Calvin University
Angelica Velasquez – owner of La Casa de la Cobija
Marcel Price – Executive Director of The Diatribe
The proposed 2023 Budget for the North Quarter Corridor Improvement Authority is $106,467.
North Quarter CIA Board of Directors
Hannah Berry – Lions and Rabbits Center for the Arts
Kim Bode – Owner and founder of 8THIRTYFOUR
Duane Culver – Culver CPA Group
Brianna Forbes – Urban Massage
Alan Hartline – President Kingma’s Market
Milinda Ysasi – City Commissioner
The proposed 2023 Budget for the Monroe North Tax Incremental Finance Authority is $1,390,901
Monroe North Tax Incremental Finance Authority Board of Directors
Rosalynn Bliss – Mayor of Grand Rapids
James Baldwin – West Michigan Mechanical Contractors Association
Diedre Deering – Literacy Center of West Michigan
Jim Talen – former County Commissioner
Richard Winn – AHC Hospitality (DeVos-owned)
The local commercial news media has all reported that there has been “vandalism” committed at the homes of three Grand Rapids Elected Officials, Mayor Bliss, First Ward Commissioner Jon O’Connor and Third Ward Commissioner Nathaniel Moody.
Now, there might be people who object to these kind of tactics, but it is important to point out that no one was hurt, no one was shot in the back of the head, and no property was destroyed.
However, this article is not about tactics, it is about how the local commercial news agencies reported on these incidents, which ultimately reflects how they practice so-called journalism in general.
First, there was a brief quote from the GRPD, where they acknowledged what had happened. More importantly, there is a statement that all of the four major daily local commercial news agencies included, which was a statement from Mayor Bliss, which said:
“While I understand people’s frustration and anger, acts of violence and vandalism doesn’t get us to just outcomes. I’m disappointed in these most recent incidents of vandalism. Social activism is a valuable part of our democracy – but targeted vandalism designed to intimidate is not. The challenges confronting our city require respectful engagement so that we can reach thoughtful solutions. Intentional vandalism is an empty response to the important issues we face.”
None of the news agencies questioned this statement, nor did they report that they sought out any sort of response from the various groups fighting for Justice for Patrick Lyoya. How can the local news media not question the Mayor, when she says, “The challenges confronting our city require respectful engagement so that we can reach thoughtful solutions.” What kind of engagement is the Mayor referring to? People have been coming to the City Commission meetings, which are not authentic engagement. There is no dialogue, because that is how the Commission meetings are designed. Despite the inauthenticity of the Commission meetings, there have been hundreds of people who have stepped up to the mic during public comment and have made demands from this elected body, none of which have been met. In addition, there have been over 130,000 messages sent to these seven elected Grand Rapids officials, along with City Manager Mark Washington, which have included the same kind of demands, yet that information has been ignored by the elected officials and unreported on by the local news media. When people get belittled by City Officials, ignored, written off and gaslighted, then systems of power and people like Mayor Bliss better expect that other tactics will be used force the City of Grand Rapids to do right by the Lyoya family and to actually listen to the movement demanding Justice4Patrick.
Second, all of the news agencies presented a narrative about what happened when a GRPD officer shot Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head. In fact, the local commercial news agencies spent as much time, if not more, on the biased narrative than they did on the graffiti at Commissioner’s homes. Perpetuating this kind of a narrative is not only poor journalism, it feeds into the systemic racism that permeates Grand Rapids, whereby it blames Patrick Lyoya for his own death and makes those who are demanding Justice4Patrick out to be an unruly mob. What if it was reported on how much the FOIA’d documents on the GRPD killing of Patrick Lyoya were redacted? How would that change public perception?
Lastly, for those who think that the tactics used at the City Commissioner’s home violates “peaceful protest” protocols, I would say two things. First, those who disagree are people with tremendous privilege, specifically white privilege and class privilege. Secondly, the history of social movements/resistance movements in the United States have never been exclusively non-violent. The Abolitionist Movement wasn’t non-violent when those who were enslaved rose up against the plantation owners, sometimes killing them and burning down the plantation. Hell, even during the Black Freedom Struggle from the 1950s through the 1970’s, there were lots of examples of disruption and even armed self defense. It wasn’t all Kumbaya.
Links to the four local commercial news agency stories:
There was a recent article at the online independent news site, The Intercept, entitled, A “WOODSTOCK” FOR RIGHT-WING LEGAL ACTIVISTS KICKED OFF THE 40-YEAR PLOT TO UNDO ROE V. WADE.
This article provides an excellent overview of the origins of the anti-abortion movement in the United States, a movement that is rooted in religious fanaticism. The author of the article is Ilyse Hogue, who also wrote the book, The Lie That Binds, from which the article was taken. The article looks at the group the Federalist Society and a more recent organization, the Alliance Defending Freedom, which is mostly a group of lawyers who claim to defend individuals and entities on religious grounds, when in fact they are really committed to imposing Far Right Christian values on the rest of society.
Since the “leaked” Supreme Court document, I have been thinking about the West Michigan version of the 40-year war against abortion and who are the major players in the Greater Grand Rapids area, institutions and individuals that have played a major role in attempting to undo the legal framework of Roe v. Wade.
Churches and other Religious Institutions
Beginning in the late 1980s, the antiabortion attacks certainly escalated in Grand Rapids. Operation Rescue, the anti-Abortion group led by Randall Terry, came to Grand Rapids on several occasions beginning in the late 1980s. Protests and efforts to stop women from choosing to have an abortion were intense and often confrontational, as you can see from this Grand Rapids Press article above.
There are literally hundreds of churches in West Michigan that embrace an anti-abortion stance, some evangelical, some Christian Reformed, along with the Catholic Church. Many of these churches would include information about protests and other so-called Pro-Life actions happening in Grand Rapids, Lansing or in Washington, DC.
As a more centralized entity, the Catholic Church has been firm on its stance against abortion. The Catholic Bishops in Grand Rapids since Roe v. Wade became law, have been consistently conservative on social issues, particularly on abortion. This means that there is entrenched opposition to abortion, with a structural mechanism to disseminate information around the issue of abortion and how people can become actively involved in opposing it. Catholic Church bulletins regularly include information about Right to Life rallies or action alerts on upcoming votes at the state and federal level as it relates to the issue of abortion.
There is also the Christian Reformed Church and while it is less centralized than the Catholic Church, their position on abortion has also been consistent in their opposition since 1972.
Then there are the numerous Evangelical Churches and independent churches, which are part of the larger Religious Right Movement in West Michigan. These churches have also consistently opposed abortion and have taken part in rallies and action to oppose reproductive choice. One example is The Ridge Covenant Church, where the pastor does regular video, such as this one, where he condemns abortion.
In addition to churches, there are other religious institutions that have also been part of the anti-Abortion movement. The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty has not only been opposed to abortion since their founding in 1990, they regularly provide analysis and information on their website that condemns abortion and endorses legal action, like their support of the Alliance Defending Freedom. The Acton Institute led the charge to endorse Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Amy Cone Barrett, who has been part of the Catholic group known as People of Praise, which believes that women should be subordinate to men.
Other religious entities that have provided support for the anti-abortion position is the Catholic Radio station, Holy Family Radio, which is 1140 AM and 98.3 FM in Grand Rapids. This radio station amplifies the anti-abortion positions on a regular basis and includes as one of its underwriter, Right to Life.
Funding the anti-Abortion Movement
Additionally, there are thousands of religious people in West Michigan that make regular contributions to Michigan Right to Life. More importantly, there are several members of the West Michigan elite that have collectively contributed millions of dollars to anti-abortion groups and other “family-values” organization that want to keep women in a subordinate role in society, which also means they do not want women to have bodily autonomy. In Russ Bellant’s book, The Religious Right in Michigan Politics, he cites the DeVos family, Peter Cook, the Prince family, the Van Andel family and the DeWitt family as major funders of the anti-abortion movement. Many of these same families continue to make significant financial contributions to anti-abortions groups like Right to Life.
These families fund anti-abortion efforts in two ways. First, they collectively have provided millions of dollars to political candidates and to the Republican Party, which has consistently opposed abortion and have weakened women’s access to abortion at the state level for the past four decades. The DeVos and Prince families have consistently funded Pro-Life candidates, candidates who have become members of Congress, along with State legislators, thus consistently pushing for policy that weakens access to abortions. According to the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, between 1999 and 2016, the DeVos family contributed $81 Million to the Republican Party.
The Second way that these families fund the anti-abortion movement, is through their foundations. Again, the DeVos family has been consistently the largest funder of the anti-abortion movement from West Michigan, which not only has included funding to groups like Right to Life, it means funding “pregnancy resource centers,” and other groups like Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council, the Acton Institute, the Alliance Defending Freedom, the Council for National Policy, the Federalist Society, Hiilsdale College, and many other groups that include opposition to abortion as part of their work/mission.
We have been tracking the various DeVos Family Foundations since 2013, where they have collectively contributed millions to organizations that oppose abortion.
If the reproductive justice movement is serious about keeping abortion legal and safe in the US, then they need to come to terms with the groups organizing against and bankrolling the anti-abortion movement. Recent rallies have been primarily held at Calder Plaza, but it might make sense for them to hold rallies outside the DeVos family headquarters in downtown Grand Rapids (200 Monroe NW) or the Catholic Diocese/Cathedral location on South Division, just north of Wealthy St. This would not only provide an opportunity to educate people about the Anti-Abortion Cartel in West Michigan, it would force these groups to have to respond to their role in funding hate and harm.
In addition, of the few rallies that have been held in Grand Rapids in recent weeks, there have been numerous Democratic Party politicians and/or candidates who have spoken and advocated for people to vote Democratic if they want to save Roe V. Wade or minimize the harm being done at the state level. However, advocating for the electoral strategy has not been terribly effective since Roe v. Wade was adopted. Too often we forget that Roe v. Wade was adopted during the Nixon Administration, primarily because of a strong women’s social movement.
Likewise, the electoral strategy doesn’t always measure up, especially when Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, who is backing the anti-Choice incumbent Henry Cuellar in Texas, over the more progressive primary challenger Jessica Cisneros. More importantly, as Margaret Kimberly writes on Black Agenda Report, the Democrats have had numerous opportunities to codify abortion rights into federal law, by passing legislation like the Freedom of Choice Act, which the Obama Administration promised to do, but never did.
I will conclude with some insightful analysis by Natasha Lennard, writing for The Intercepted, who says:
Democrats in Congress should have long ago codified the right to abortion access, as the party’s left flank has urged, but they didn’t. If they don’t act now to end the filibuster and pass abortion protection laws, they will deserve something approaching the same level of blame directed at anti-abortion Republicans.
After Texas passed an effective abortion ban last year, which was ruled unconstitutional by a state judge in December, President Joe Biden vowed to “launch a whole-of-government effort” to protect the right to abortion in the state. We are yet to see any such effort, even though, as I wrote at the time, there are a number of steps his administration could immediately take.
If — and this really is an if — the fear of a nationwide abortion ban and the shock of Roe’s undoing galvanizes Democratic voters in November, these will once again be votes against a greater evil, rather than votes the Democrats have earned. Just as today’s Democratic Party has refused to take the lead on this issue even as abortion access has fallen apart in so many places, they will not take the lead now. Instead, it is up to us — it always has been.
Since we cannot rely on Democratic leaders, we must — following the example of organizers on the front lines of this struggle — work around the law, exploiting the coming interstate jurisdictional chaos around abortion law that the end of Roe will bring into even sharper relief. The fight for free and accessible abortions has always required solidarity, risk, and cunning. To keep reproductive justice alive, we must fight on terrain beyond the law, in contravention of certain laws, or in post-Roe legal gray areas.
One such group that is operating outside of the establishment framework is Rise up 4 Abortion Rights.
Sources used for this article:
- The Religious Right in Michigan Politics, by Russ Bellant
- Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right, by Jane Mayer
- Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret hub of the Radical Right, by Anne Nelson
- Spiritual Warfare, by Sara Diamond
- The Lie That Binds, by Ilyse Hogue
- Without Apology: The Abortion Struggle Now, by Jenny Brown
GRIID Interview with Indigenous Activists on MMIP Rally in Grand Rapids and Performative Politics
GRIID was able to sit down recently with two local Indigenous activists to talk about the recent Mission & Murdered Indigenous People rally that was held in Grand Rapids.
We spoke with Joe (Banashee) Cadreau, Co founder of Bimose Ode and the executive secretary of The Native Circle of Newaygo County, and Jade (Giddigongoons-kwe) Green, Co-founder of Bimose Ode and Youth Council Chair at Native Circle of Newaygo County.
Here are the questions that we asked both of them:
- Can someone briefly talk about what the Indigenous Rally was for last week and who organized it?
- Did the organizers invite City Commissioner Joe Jones? If so, for what reason?
- What are your main critiques for objecting to have Joe Jones speak at an Indigenous event/rally?
- We talked about this just before the interview, what was the difference between this rally and the one that was organized last year?
- For people who will be watching this video, what message(s) would you like them to think about?
The interview is 13 minutes long.
Yesterday, MLive posted an article entitled, Grand Rapids leaders may make changes to public meetings following disruptions.
The article centers around the fact that since those protesting the GRPD murder of Patrick Lyoya have not practiced West MI Nice during the past two City Commission meetings, the Mayor of Grand Rapids decided to end those meetings. Earlier on in the MLive article, Mayor Bliss said:
“I’ll be meeting with our city attorney and city clerk and we’ll be looking at what options we have under not just the Open Meetings Act but our standing rules and potentially making changes to those.”
Bliss doesn’t provide any additional information or thoughts on what sort of changes or options there are regarding City Commission meeting rules, but it would be safe at this point to assume that those changes would be punitive, restrictive and essentially anti-democratic.
The MLive article then goes on to cite Mayor Bliss at length, who was expressing her dismay at how disrespectful people are and how they do not follow City Commission meeting rules. The article also mentions that there have been other instances during Mayor Bliss’s tenure that meetings have been disrupted, along with citing an example of when County Commission meetings were disrupted in 2018 and 2019 over the issue of the County’s contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Recent City and County Commission meeting disruptions
In late 2018, Captain Kurt VanderKooi, the GRPD’s liaison with ICE, while watching a local TV news story, contacted ICE to look into Jilmar Ramos-Gomez. The thing that VanderKooi didn’t know was that Ramos-Gomez was a US citizen and a former US Marine. After VanderKooi’s call to ICE, they detained Ramos-Gomez for several days, until it became public that he was a US citizen and former Marine. Grand Rapids City officials did not suspend VanderKooi, nor did they fire him, even though he also used racist language when talking about Ramos-Gomez to ICE.
In late February of 2019, members of Movimiento Cosecha GR and GR Rapid Response to ICE planned to disrupt the City Commission meeting, by standing in front of the Commissioners and holding signs while the Commission meeting was still in progress. Mayor Bliss adjourned the meeting.
Mayor Bliss was no doubt mimicking what the Kent County Commission had done in June of 2018, when Movimiento Cosecha GR and GR Rapid Response to ICE organized an action during their June 28th meeting. There were over 200 people who packed the County Commission chambers, with many holding signs. When public comment began, several activist moved into the area where the commissioners are seated and held up a banner and began to chant. The County Commission Chair adjourned the meetings shortly after that. Seeing that most of the Commissioners had left, people still got up and shared stories of ICE violence and how they live in constant fear of arrest, detention and deportation.
After that meeting, the County Commission then put up a barrier to deter people from coming near to where the commissioners were seated, so at the next meeting, activist sat down in front of the barrier and again began chanting for an end to the ICE contract. Once again, people brought signs and held them up during the meeting.
In late August, the same activists came to another Kent County Commission meeting after it was announced days before that people could no longer bring signs to the meetings. As a response, activist pinned large patches on their back and then stood up, with their backs facing the County Commissioners during the entire meeting.
In September, Movimiento Cosecha GR and GR Rapid Response to ICE activists again disrupted the Kent County Commission meeting, by holding their own People’s Commission, in an attempt to model the kind of meeting process that the public might actually benefit from. The Kent County Commission Chair once again adjourned the meeting shortly after the People’s Commission meeting had begun.
Over the next several meetings, the County Commission decided to have a closed meeting and only allow people to watch the proceedings on a TV monitor in a different room.
All of this is to say that it is possible that the Grand Rapids City Commission might follow the actions of the Kent County Commission. Mayor Bliss has already stated that to disrupt the meeting was a misdemeanor and people could be arrested. Whatever actions Grand Rapids City officials take, it will only embolden activists who are demanding Justice for Patrick Lyoya. The more that Mayor Bliss decides to adjourn meetings and not meet the demands of this movement, the more the resistance will continue.
Last night, Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss decided to stop the City Commission meeting because those who came out to protest for Patrick Lyoya would not play by the rules of commission meetings.
Many people addressed the City Commission last night, some more than once. During the first Public Comment portion, where people could speak on agenda items, several people got up to address the issue of the proposed 2023 City Budget. Virtually everyone who spoke at this point shared their disgust and outrage over the fact that the GRPD Budget would not be reduced and that the City was considering purchasing new vehicles for the Police Department. Several of those who spoke made it clear that they wanted the GRPD Budget reduced to the City Charter mandated 32% of the budget, which would be a significant reduction.
What is instructive is the fact that none of the local news agencies – MLive, WOODTV8, WZZM 13 or WXMI 17 – mentioned the demand that the GRPD be defunded to the City Charter mandated 32%. There was some mention in a few of the stories around police funding, but all four of the local news agencies failed to include he clear demand about defunding the GRPD, which has been one of the most consist demands since June of 2020.
Instead, the focus of the coverage was centered around people swearing during the public comment period, where people became “unruly” or didn’t “respect the space” or allow the City to “conduct City business.” Mayor Bliss was repeatedly quoted by the local news agencies and WOODTV8 even did a story they ran before the 7pm City Commission meeting, where Mayor Bliss and Chief Winstrom were provided a platform to verbalize their talking points, even though the Justice4Patrick movement was not afforded the same opportunity to share their thoughts.
Once the Mayor decided to end the meeting, the rest of the coverage focused on but of video footage of protestors in the Commission Chambers, then outside of City Hall, since the GRPD – which had several dozen officers present – threatened people with arrest if they didn’t leave the building.
Several of the news agencies did report that one of the those protesting the GRPD murder of Patrick Lyoya was arrested, but the only source to confirm this was the GRPD. Once again, those with the Justice4Patrick Movement were not asked to provide any comments about the arrest.
The continued reliance by the local commercial news media on official sources – people with political and economic power – is not just a reflection of how journalism is produced in this city, it demonstrates that the local commercial news media doesn’t have a functional relationship with grassroots community organizers. This lack of relationship with grassroots community organizers stems from the fact that the community doesn’t trust the local commercial news agencies, since they often present biased coverage on policing in this city, which is also due to the fact that the local commercial news agencies have internalized the same values of the very systems of power that they are supposed to hold accountable. #Justice4Patrick#
West MI Foundation Watch: Peter & Joan Secchia Foundation – contributions to fit their political agenda
Even though Peter Secchia, a member of the Grand Rapids Power Structure, died in 2020, his foundation continues to promote the myth that rich white guys really want to make a difference in the world.
For more than 5 decades, Peter Secchia contributed money to the Republican Party, which means that he funded the hateful rhetoric and the harmful policies of the Republican Party, from Ronald Reagan all the way through the neo-fascist Trump Administration.
The Secchia Foundation was created, like all foundations of the Capitalist Class, as a way hide some of their money from being taxed and to generate a positive PR buzz about how generous they are with the money they made off the backs of the workers they exploited.
GRIID just downloaded the 990 documents for the Secchia Foundation for 2020, which is the most recent year to access from GuideStar.
The Peter and Joan Secchia Foundation, like most foundations started by members of the Capitalist Class, contributes some of their money to charitable organizations, organizations which do not challenge structural inequalities nor the families that the foundations are named after. Some of the local charitable organizations that the Secchia Foundation contributed to are:
- Baxter Community Center
- Steepletown Neighborhood Services
- YMCA of Grand Rapids
Secchia was also a member of the Catholic Church, so there are also several contributions to Catholic organizations, like St. Thomas Church and the St. Andrews Cathedral.
Then there are the education institutions that Secchia has contributed to, in the case much larger contributions than the charity groups, such as:
- Davenport University Foundation – $50,000
- GR Community College Foundation – $84,333
- GVSU – $12,500
- West Michigan Aviation Academy (Dick DeVos) – $5,000
Lastly, there are organizations that have an Capitalist Agenda, that the Secchia Foundation has contributed to, such as:
- Downtown Market Ed Fund – $11,000
- Experience Grand Rapids – $12,030
- Grand Rapids Community Legends – $117,392
- Russell Kirk Center – $25,000
The Grand Rapids Community Legends is particularly problematic, as they are the one responsible for most of the statues that have been erected in downtown Grand Rapids, centering around “great leaders,” most of whom are white. The Grand Rapids People’s History Project has written about many of them, including:
As we mentioned in the beginning of this post, the Secchia family has contributed a great deal more money to the Republican Party, but that reality tends to be less of any interesting story to the local news media. The foundation contributions are often what solidify the legacy of Capitalists like Peter Secchia, thus hiding how they made their wealth and how they used it to further their own agenda.
The City of Grand Rapids has already presented a Budget proposal for 2023, submitted to the Commissioners by the City Manager. The City Commission is meeting this morning (Tuesday) in a Budget Workshop session, and then again at 1pm.
There is a 2023 Budget Hearing scheduled for May 17 at 7pm, which is the only public meeting that has been set aside for public input. At the May 24th, Committee of the Whole meeting the Commissioners will then deliberate on the Budget, then adopt the budget later that night, based on the existing schedule.
Based on how the City of Grand Rapids has dealt with the annual budget process, it is safe to assume that they have already adopted the 2023 Budget, despite the window dressing known as a public hearing. When City Manager Mark Washington sent out a press release on May 3, with his 2023 Budget proposal, I believe that he knew then that his proposal would be adopted (with maybe minor tweaks), regardless of whatever comments or input the public provides. This is the kind of political system we have in Grand Rapids, where a handful of City officials get to make decisions that will impact the rest of us, without any real regard for what hopes and aspiration we might have, particularly as it relates to the substantial community desire to defund the GRPD.
Using Radical Imagination for the Abolition of the GRPD
Now, no one is expecting that the GRPD will go away tomorrow or anytime soon. However, if we want to see the GRPD, a known institution of oppression, to be dismantled, then we need some kind of a proposal/plan to make that become a reality. What I am proposing is just an idea, it is not the only idea and it may not even be the right idea. However, we have to begin with an idea to start down the path of actually working towards the abolition of the GRPD.
I am proposing a 6-year defunding plan of the GRPD, where 10% of the current GRPD budget would be defunded and diverted to the African American community to do whatever they decide to do.
The current GRPD Budget, which also includes some grant funded projects is roughly $60 Million annually. This would mean that in year one, the GRPD would be defunded by $10 Million, $20 Million in year two, $30 Million in year three, $40 Million in year four, $50 Million in year five, and $60 million in year six.
We could thus phase out the GRPD within six years, thus acknowledging that such an institution could not be dismantled over night.
At the same time, $10 Million would be given to the Black community in year one, $20 Million in year two, $30 Million in year three, $40 Million in year four, $50 Million in year five and $60 Million in year six. This would mean that the Black community would receive $210 Million in total over a six year period.
Imagine what kind of an impact that $210 Million would have over those six years. According to the most recent census data, about 18% of Grand Rapids identifies as African American out of roughly 200,000 people. This would mean that about 36,000 Grand Rapidians are African American. Considering these numbers, think about how $210 Million over a six year period could contribute to things such as:
- Housing costs – both home ownership and rent
- Health care costs, including preventive care
- Educational scholarships
- Food security
- Transportation costs
- Business start up costs
These are just some of the ways that divesting from the GRPD and investing in the Black community could radically alter the lived experience of the very community that has disproportionately been affected by policing in Grand Rapids.
Lastly, the $60 Million annual GRPD Budget cost would not have to end after the 6 year plan. In fact, the $60 Million annually, after the first six years, could be used in other ways or they could continue to be directed towards the Black community or the BIPOC communities in general, as a form of reparations for the historical exploitation, police abuse, drug war, land theft, etc. that BIPOC communities have experienced since the founding of Grand Rapids. We all can radically imagine how things would be different if such a plan were enacted.
In the agenda for the May 11th meeting of the SmartZone Local Development Finance Authority, which is a committee of the City of Grand Rapids, there was an interesting brief paragraph that was part of the minutes from their April 13th meeting, which read:
City Manager Mark Washington acknowledged the GRPD shooting incident the previous week which resulted in the death of Patrick Lyoya. He stated that he had been asked by members of the business community if the city anticipated any interruptions to normal operations as a result of planned protests and demonstrations. Mr. Washington said that at this point the city did not anticipate any interruptions to City operations.
This is a very revealing and very instructive comment, which we will get to, once we provide some background on this Grand Rapids City Committee.
Now, the mission of this group states: The SmartZone Local Development Finance Authority (LDFA) supports high-technology entrepreneurs and businesses. The SmartZone captures increased property tax dollars and reinvests that money back into the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Grand Rapids.
This means that the City of Grand Rapids has a committee that is represented primarily by those in the business world, who promote businesses in the high tech field, then uses the tax dollars that comes to the City from these very businesses, only to use that money to promote more businesses. Sounds like a great ponzi scheme.
The committee of the SmartZone group is made up of the following people:
- Hal Ostrow, Chair – Lawyer with Rhoades McKee
- Jerry Kooiman, Secretary – Assistant Dean for External Relations at MSU College of Human Medicine
- Al Vanderberg, Treasurer – Kent County Administrator
- Keith Brophy – Chief Operating Officer at ADHD Online, LLC
- Jerry Callahan – Chief Strategy Officer at Van Andel Institute
- Lisa Freiburger – GRCC’s Vice President for Finance and Administration
- Kristian Grant – Real Estate Loan Officer, Investor & Developer, GRPD School Board President
- John Helmholdt – Executive Director of Communications and External Affairs at GRPS
- Randy Thelen – President & CEO of The Right Place
- Mark Washington – Grand Rapids City Manager
- Fred Molnar – Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Michigan Economic Development Corporation
In addition, the Agenda Packet for the May 11th meeting also includes a great deal of information about the DeVos-created entity, Smart Garden and Spartan Innovations, which have a joint contract with the City of Grand Rapids. This means that the City of Grand Rapids use public money to pay these two groups to figure out ways to bring more entrepreneurs into the city. This is a perfect example of how Neo-Liberal Capitalism works in Grand Rapids.
Making Grand Rapids Safe for Capitalism
Ok, now we can get back to Mark Washington’s comments to the business community when asked about protests and disruption following the GRPD murder of Patrick Lyoya.
City Manager Mark Washington believes that there will be no “interruptions to normal operations” for both the business in the downtown area, nor the City government. Now, we saw what the City of Grand Rapids did just days after the video was released of the GRPD murder of Patrick Lyoya, which was to barricade the police headquarters and to use salt trucks to block off the roads leading to the police station. These actions on the part of the City sent a clear message about they want to protect, which was primarily the police headquarters.
In terms of the business community, they have no doubt been on high alert since the GRPD killing of Patrick Lyoya, hoping to not see a repeat of the property damage that was done during the May 30th uprising that took place in Grand Rapids because of the national outrage over the police killing of George Floyd.
If there is anything we have learned in recent years it is this…….the City of Grand Rapids and the GRPD will not tolerate any disruption to profit making of any kind, whether it is tourism or just the daily business activities, particularly of those that take place in the downtown area. The City and the GRPD will especially not tolerate any interruptions to profit making, even when police kill civilians, when there is war, when people are protesting White Supremacy, economic inequality or any other form of oppression in the city. Private property and profit making are sacrosanct.
