Who knew the City of Grand Rapids is giving taxpayers money to a DeVos-owned business?
We recently discovered that the City of Grand Rapids signed a contract with SG Ecosystem Inc, one of the DeVos-owned entities, in April of 2016.
In the Memorandum of Understanding, the City of Grand Rapids states it gave the DeVos-owned business entity $362,500 on April 1, 2016 and will will give an additional $181,250 on October 1, 2016 and another $181,250 on January 1, 2017. This means that by March of 2017, the City of Grand Rapids will have given $725,000 of taxpayer money to the DeVos-owned entity known as SG Ecosystem Inc.
SG Ecosystem Inc. is an outgrowth of Start Garden, created by Rick DeVos in 2012 as a venture capital funding source for those seeking to start new businesses. Start Garden has evolved, however, with a for-profit fund called Wakestream, the Start Garden Foundation (formerly known as eMerge West Michigan) and SG Ecosystem Inc., which has the contract with the Grand Rapids Smart Zone, run by the city of Grand Rapids.
According to a Start Garden Media Release, they have been working on this project of diverting public money with GVSU and the Grand Rapids SmartZone Local Development Finance Authority. Mike Morin, CEO of the new Start Garden Ecosystem, said in the same Media Release, “Start Garden has taken risks on people who want to take risks, and our region has benefitted from it. As the needs and demands of entrepreneurs change, we are adapting the ecosystem’s traditional public and private structures.” Which is just another way of saying, they wanted to divert public money to the private sector.
“We created eMerge to be the non-profit, go-to resource for early-stage entrepreneurship support in West Michigan, and its programming has brought new visibility and awareness to the needs of entrepreneurs within the ecosystem. By combining our forces with Start Garden, we can further realize our efforts that will create a stronger talent system for West Michigan.” This statement is from Mike Jandernoa, chair of eMerge West Michigan, member of Talent 2025’s CEO Leadership Council and a part of the Grand Rapids power structure.
This Media Release from Start Garden was sent out by Brian Burch, who has also been the PR guy for ArtPrize (another skilled mechanism for diverting public money to the private sector) and a Holland City Council member who voted against including LGBTQ people in the city’s anti-discrimination ordinance.
Many of those who sit on the board of the Grand Rapids SmartZone Local Development Authority Board are people who have a strong interest in promoting neoliberal capitalism and the diversion of public money into private coffers. Some of these board members are with the Right Place Inc, the Van Andel Institute, the Michigan Small Business Development Center (run by the GVSU Seidman School of Business) and the CEO of the GRAM.
None of this is surprising, however. In fact, it is celebrated as good financial sense even amongst progressives. This is a direct result of economic austerity measures, meant to weaken the state and make it more submissive to the private sector. Reduce public services, privatize public services and divert funds from the public to the private because it is more “efficient.” Those are some of the defining elements of what makes up Neoliberal Capitalism. In this case, brought to you by the DeVos Family.
DeVos Family has a financial hand in the 10 most contested House races in Michigan
As we reported last month, the DeVos Family wants to make sure that the election outcome for Michigan in November works in their favor.
As one of the wealthiest families in Michigan, the DeVos Family knows that contributing so much money to candidates not only increases their chance that their candidates will win, but that their candidates will also pass policy which benefits their interests.
According to the research conducted by the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, the DeVos Family has contributed funds to eight of the top ten most hotly contested races for the House in Michigan.
Here are the 8 out of the top 10 most hotly contested races for the House in Michigan and how much money the DeVos Family has contributed:
- 91st House District: Collene Lamonte vs Rep. Holly Hughes – DeVos Family has contributed $9,000 to Hughes
- 39th House District: Michael Stack vs Rep. Klint Kesto – DeVos Family has contributed $9,000 to Kesto
- 62nd House District: Jim Haadsma vs Rep. John Bizon – DeVos Family has contributed $9,000 to Bizon
- 24th House District: Steve Marino vs Dana Camphous – DeVos Family has contributed $9,000 to Marino
- 71st House District: Rep. Tom Barrett vs Theresa Abed – DeVos Family has contributed $9,000 to Barrett
- 66th House District: Annie Brown vs Beth Griffin – DeVos Family has contributed $9,000 to Griffin
- 61st House District: John Fisher vs Rep. Brandt Idem – DeVos Family has contributed $9,000 to Iden
- 104th House District: Rep. Larry Inman vs Betsy Coffia – DeVos Family has contributed $9,000 to Inman
New GRIID Study looks at Gender Representation in 2015 Films
In 2012, we conducted a study looking at gender representation in Hollywood films. In that study we determined that the overwhelming majority of movies reflected a male-dominant cultural narrative, based, in part, on the actual numbers of leader characters and the content analysis.
Our most recent film study, Normalizing Male Dominance, did not reflect that Hollywood was improving much when it comes to gender representation. To read the entire study, click here.
What follows are some conclusions from the study.
- Statistically, there was some minor improvement in the number of lead female characters in the 2015 film study compared to the 2012 film study.
- Despite the increased female lead representation in the 2015 study, there are several films with lead female characters that do not challenge the dominant gender narratives – Sisters, Hot Pursuit, Cinderella, Fifty Shades of Grey, The War Room and The Age of Adaline.
- There were several films with lead female characters that challenged the male-dominant narrative, such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, The Divergent Series: Insurgent, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Sicario. However, even in many of these films, which are disproportionately action oriented or fantasy based, the female lead characters are juxtaposed with dominant male lead characters.
- There were several films where women’s bodies are hyper-sexualized and objectified, such as Get Hard, Fifty Shades of Grey, The Boy Next Door, Straight Outta Compton, The Wedding Ringer, Hot Pursuit, Vacation, Ted 2 and Sisters.
- Films with male lead characters rarely challenge the male dominant narrative and present a cookie cutter version of masculinity, such as Avengers: Age of Ultron, Creed, San Andreas, Black Mass, Pixels, Sniper, Bridge of Spies, Sicario, The Night Before, Jurassic World, The Kingsman, Taken 3, The Gift, Ted 2, The Maze Runner, Southpaw, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Spectre, Mission Impossible 6, The Gift, Max, Furious 7, The Night Before and the Wedding Ringer.
- There were films where men are presented as caring, sensitive and empathetic towards others, such as in Selma, The Imitation Game, The Martian, The Intern, McFarland USA and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
- As was the case in the previous film study, children’s films and animated films do challenge some gender norms provide more space to explore human in a less stereotypical fashion, with films such as Inside Out and Home.
Showing up after the Standing Rock Action in Grand Rapids: WZZM 13 misses half the story
(Updated version)
What happens when a local TV station shows up late to a protest in solidarity with the Standing Rock encampment in North Dakota? Essentially they butchered the story.
About 60 people showed up in solidarity with the Standing Rock encampment on Michigan Street, in front of the offices of G4S, a British company that is provide security for the pipeline project and has been beating native protestors and using dogs to maul them. This was the main reason for the organized protest and why that location was chosen. G4S also has a long history of supporting the Israeli occupation of Palestine and profiting from the US prison industrial complex.
However, channel 13 completely omitted this fact in their story, as if people were randomly standing on Michigan Street in an area that wasn’t exactly the most visible.
WZZM 13 showed up as people were leaving after the 2 hour demonstration and was able to talk with someone from the local native american community. They missed the ceremony, the prayers, the drumming and the singing which centered the demonstration in solidarity with Standing Rock. On top of that, they used photos taken by demonstration participants without sourcing the photos or asking permission to use some of them. One participant from the demonstration did send them a few pictures to use.
This is what Gentrification Looks like in Grand Rapids
It has begun. The decimation of the first block of homes, right now, today, in the process of gentrifying the Belknap neighborhood by Grand Valley State University and other private developers that are taking advantage of the re-development of the area.
This posting is not designed to provided detailed analysis of the GVSU-led gentrification of the Belknap neighborhood, rather we want to present a series of pictures, accompanied by brief commentary on the harsh realities of what gentrification looks like in this community.
GVSU owns virtually all of the land shown here in this map, which was included in the Memorandum of Understanding.
Working class families used to live in these houses that are now being bulldozed in the name of progress.
Families have been displaced, uprooted from friends, their children’s school, memories…..
Even if any concession were made, do we have any idea what it must be like to be forced from where you live?
This is just the beginning, just the first block to be leveled. These houses, which do not need to be destroyed, are now fenced off and waiting to be torn down.
These machines are owned by companies making a profit from the decimation of this neighborhood and it’s memories.
But wait, there is new housing being built just around the corner………oh, we’re sorry, it’s not for those working class families who were told to leave.
Housing Development Projects are an assault on working class families
One of the strongest indicators of how working class individuals and families are under attack in this community is the recent housing development trend.
According to a recent report from the Economic Policy Institute, Grand Rapids has the highest wealth gap of any community in Michigan, with over one quarter of the community experiencing poverty (27%).
However, such statistics do not tell the whole story. Indeed, statistics are not enough to tell us that what we are seeing in an all out class war being waged against working families.
In April it was reported that Rise Real Estate received approval for a $53 million dollar housing development project on Grand Ave NE, between Michigan and the 196 highway.
This project, which will provide 287 Market-rate apartments, means that they will be unaffordable to working class individuals and families. In addition, the project will include a 4 story, 334 car parking garage.
This entire project received substantial tax breaks, to the tune of $8.9 million dollars.
This project has already resulted in the destruction of over a dozen homes (see above graphic of what used to exist before the current project) and the displacement of over a dozen families. What do you say to these families? Families who may fall deeper into poverty by being displaced. Families who may have lost jobs because of the displacement and have had to pull their kids out of the schools that they attended. Do we have any idea of the harm that is caused by such a project?
Those defending such a project will no doubt say that 287 housing units far outweighs the number of homes bulldozed in the process. What they are really saying is that those who can afford market rate housing are more important than working class individuals and families.
Such project ultimately promote contempt for working class people and are part of a class war, whether we recognize it or not.
Rapid Board members ignore GR Bus Drivers Union comments, give administrative staff a raise
On Wednesday, August 31st, about 20 members of the Grand Rapids bus driver’s union, the ATUGR, along with supporters, spoke during the monthly board meeting of the Rapid in downtown Grand Rapids.
Before the meeting took place, about 15 people gathered in front of the Rapid facility at 300 Ellsworth Ave SW, holding signs, talking to bus riders and confronting members of the Rapid board and staff as they entered for the monthly meeting.
We had a chance to talk briefly with the Vice President of the Amalgamated Transit Union International Javier Perez Jr, who was in town to support the Grand Rapids bus driver’s struggle.
By the time the Rapid board meeting began, the Grand Rapids Police Department decided to deploy four officers to sit in the meeting, clearly meant as an intimidation tactic and to make sure that union members or their supporters were not disruptive.
The Rapid board meetings provide an opportunity for people to address the board in public comments, before the main agenda items are presented. I counted 14 people who addressed the issue of the Rapid board’s failure to negotiate a contract with the ATU GR. What follows are some of the comments from those who spoke in support of the union.
The first person to speak was a bus driver named Donald. He states that the Rapid won’t get a millage, because the drivers won’t support any new millage, unlike what they have in the past. “There has been no raise in 2 years and no increase in pensions in the past 10 years. They just don’t want to negotiate a new contract.”
Then a woman who is an employee with the Grand Rapids Public Schools spoke. She trains students on how to ride the buses. “The bus drivers are outstanding to our students, but I don’t see any of you riding the buses. The mode now is to simply screw the workers.”
ATU member Louis DeShane, a bus driver, spoke about how the lack of negotiations has impacted him personally. He said it makes him not want to negotiate with the riders, some of which don’t want to pay the full amount for the fair and this puts his safety at risk. He also implores the Rapid board to leave the pension and health care benefits alone and to negotiate in good faith.
A woman named Dione, who is a Rapid rider, believes that if the contract isn’t settled that more drivers are likely to leave. “It would be a huge loss for the community if the Rapid cuts back on route/times. I am really torn apart by what is going on and I want you to make sure the riders and the drivers are taken care of.”
Another bus rider, Heidi, spoke next. She uses the Go Bus, which is critical to her ability to be mobile in the community. Heidi said, “Lots of Go Bus drivers are leaving to find better paying jobs, like truck driving.” She also stated, “What I think is happening is that it is not about the riders, but it is about keeping the Rapid Board members happy. Lifestyles will be impacted, if the contract is not negotiated.”
Justin, a driver and member of the ATU GR, also spoke. He believes that this is an attack on the middle class. “The middle class is the backbone of society. I love coming downtown and I love GR, even though I don’t live in GR. I support the bus and have friends who supported previous millages. I don’t appreciate the attacks and the failure to negotiate. So, I ask you, who do you stand with?”
The secretary for the ATU local said that last year the union gave the Rapid a savings of $1 million by going to Blue Cross/Blue Shield and that there are no longer awards given to drivers, like their used to be. “All of the apartments down here are too expensive, I could not afford to live down here on the salary that I make.” She also stated that it costs ATU members with a family, $887 a month in health care premiums per month.
There were several students from GVSU who spoke. The GVSU United Students Against Sweatshops has been a huge supporter of the ATU GR struggle. Lindsey said that despite cops being sent to their homes earlier this year, because of the student’s support for the bus drivers, “we will continue to stand with drivers/workers. I grew up working class and my dad went through something similar to what the Rapid drivers are experiencing now. We dealt with not knowing where we would eat and not being able to go to the doctors.”
Jen, also with GVSU USAS, said that two detectives showed up at her house for participating in the labor action earlier this year. “Take the time you spend sending cops to intimidate to actually listen to the workers.”
Abby, who works as an organizer with the ATU International office, also spoke. “I have been working with this local for over a year. What is happening here with the health insurance is horrible. Imagine growing up in a family that has to ask if they can afford to eat or go to the doctor. The drivers are the folks who move this city. They deserve good lives and a good retirement and health insurance. They deserve that.”
Peter, an ATU GR member and driver, said that this didn’t make any sense to him and he believes that the Rapid would ultimately save money if they negotiated. “Their goal is clear, that they want to do away with the pension. You are going to risk the new millage over the pension costs. These people will tell their friends and family to not vote for the next transit millage.”
Lastly, John, who is a Rapid maintenance worker, said he raised his family on the wages of the Rapid. However, he is not able to put retirement money away with the current salary. He stated that he needs the current pension and wants a fair contract.
Several other people spoke, but it didn’t seem to phase the Rapid board members, who remained silent on the matter. How effective was it for the ATU GR members to address the Rapid board once again? It’s hard to say, but their members and supporters made it clear they are not going away and will continue to apply pressure to achieve justice in this labor dispute. However, in a demonstration of how much contempt the Rapid boards members have towards the union, they voted to give the administrative staff a 2% raise. Clearly, this was a big “Fuck You” to the union and its supporters.
Is it a Dialogue when the speakers are Pro-Israel?: GVSU forum not an opportunity for learning on the Israeli/Palestine issue
The Hauenstein Center and the Kaufman Interfaith Institute at GVSU are co-hosting a forum on September 8 entitled Can We Find Common Ground Between Israel and Palestine?
The speakers invited are Abdullah Antepli and Donniel Hartman. Antepli teaches at Duke University, is an Imam and is co-director of the Muslim Leadership Initiative. Hartman is President of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and an Orthodox rabbi. While it is beneficial at some level to have a dialogue on critical topics such as Israel and Palestine, these two speakers are likely to both present Israel in a favorable light.
The Hartman Institute is a recipient of funding from the Russell Bernie Foundation, which is listed as one of the top anti-Muslim hate groups in the US, according to the study by the 2011 study from the Center for American Progress entitled, Fear, Inc.: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America. 
In addition, the Hartman Institute is on the list of centers of learning in Israel that are being boycotted in the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions campaign (BDS), because of their relationship with the Israeli military, according to an article by Ali Abunimah, founder of the blog, The Electronic Intifada.
During the last major Israeli military assault on Gaza in July of 2014, Donniel Hartman called the Israeli military campaign, known as Operation Protective Edge, a “just war.” In fact, Hartman wrote a whole article in defense of the Israeli assault on Gaza in 2014, where he lauds the Israeli military are refers to Palestinians as nothing more than terrorists.
Then there is the question of where Hartman stands on the BDS Campaign. Hartman has written, “BDS is repulsive to me and alien to my Jewish consciousness.” In an article he wrote in December of last year, Hartman denounces BDS and frames it as another form of anti-Semitism. In another piece written in response to the growing BDS campaign, Hartman refers to the BDS campaign as the “new danger” for Israel on campuses across the work and particularly in North America.
Entering into this dialogue with Hartman is Abdullah Antepli. Antepli major contribution in the area of interfaith dialogue has been his involvement with the Muslim Leadership Initiative (MLI). That organization’s website says, the program specifically targets “emerging North American Muslim leaders to develop a deeper understanding of Judaism, the Jewish people and Israel” in order to “change attitudes in the North American Muslim community and in Muslim-Jewish discourse in communities and on campuses across North America.” So how is it that the MLI wants to change participant’s perspective?
The Muslim Leadership Initiative has increasingly come under fire from the BDS campaign, especially since the Israeli assault on Gaza in 2014. One analogy that was written by a mentor of Antepli, Omid Safi, states:
“Imagine an MLI-type program that was designed to address racial tensions and understanding of police violence in the United States,” it said. “MLI is akin to going to Ferguson, but not meeting with Michael Brown’s family, and instead devoting oneself to ‘engaging’ the supporters of Officer Darren Wilson.”
The overt support of the Muslim Leadership Initiative for Israel has led several chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine to call for a boycott of any campus that brings MLI participants, according to a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
The Hauenstein Center and the Kaufman Interfaith Institute either did not do their homework on these two speakers, they are either denying the positions of these two speakers or they are complicit in hosting a forum that is clearly biased in favor of Israel.
GRIID Class for Fall 2016: Fighting Racism, Dismantling White Supremacy – The Responsibility of White People
Beginning on September 26, GRIID will be offering another 8 week class for people who are serious about fighting racism and White Supremacy. The Title of the Class is Fighting Racism, Dismantling White Supremacy: The Responsibility of White People.
The class will be structured in 3 parts. During the first session we will discuss White Privilege, Institutionalized Racism and White Supremacy in a workshop format. In the second part of the class (weeks 2 – 5), we will be reading and discussing the book Towards the Other America: Anti-Racist Resources for White People Taking Action for Black Lives Matter, by Chris Crass. Everyone taking the class is responsible for purchasing their own copy.
Here is what Alicia Garza, one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement says about Towards the Other America:
“Towards the ‘Other America’ is an important primer for new and seasoned white anti-racist organizers and activists in the era of #BlackLivesMatter. Today, the Right attacks and attempts to de-legitimize the movement for Black lives by using the age-old wedge of white supremacy and hetero-patriarchy. But tomorrow—the one we must work together to build—will have millions of anti-racist whites who say ‘Not in our name.’ This collection of essays and interviews, grounded in practical lessons, will help us get one step closer to that tomorrow.”
In the final part of the class (weeks 6 – 8), we will be using The Movement for Black Lives policy document and discussing ways to work on these issues in West Michigan.
This is a class only for White people who want to seriously work to confront racism and White Supremacy.
Class begins on Monday, September 26, from 6:30 – 8:30pm and will be every Monday until November 14. (8 weeks)
We are asking for a $25 contribution for the class, but no one will be turned away because of money. Class is limited to 15 people and will be held at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, located at 1025 3 Mile Rd NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505. Send an e-mail to jsmith@griid.org if you are interested in signing up for this class.
Also of interest, there is an good interview with Chris Crass and Dara Silverman on the Laura Flanders show, talking about White anti-racism organizing in the US.
Last week we reported on how much money the DeVos Family spent just 2 months before the August 2nd Primary election. The West Michigan family spent $1.5 million during the 56 day period just prior to the August Primary, which means they spent $26,785 a day to buy candidates and political influence at the state level.
Now we turn to the two congressional districts that make up Grand Rapids and Holland, the 2nd and 3rd Congressional Districts.
These two congressional races have been dominated by Republicans for decades and that trend is not going to change in the near future. According to OpenSecrets.org, the Republican candidates (both incumbents) have a huge advantage in funding compared to their Democratic challengers.
In the 2nd Congressional race, Bill Huizenga has raised $1,047,454, compared to $11,235 raised by the challenger, Dennis Murphy. The disparity in campaign funding is roughly the same in the 3rd Congressional race, with Justin Amash raising $561,183, compared to a mere $8,157, raised by Douglas Smith. What is more interesting than the amounts that have been raised in both Congressional Districts is the sources of those campaign contributions.
Again, according to OpenSecrets, Bill Huizenga has raised money from some of the wealthiest entities in the state.
One can see from the graph above that the top contributor so far to Huizenga’s campaign is the DeVos/Van Andel run Amway/Alticor Inc. at $18,000. This contribution from Amway is more than the total amount raised by the Democratic challenger. The second largest donor to Huizenga’s campaign is Rock Holdings, which is the parent company of Quicken Loans, owned by billionaire Dan Gilbert.
Huizenga has also received money from Port City Group, CMS Energy, insurance companies and Koch Industries. Koch Industries is none other than the company owned and run by the Koch Brothers, who are in many ways the national version of what the DeVos family is to Michigan.
In the 3rd Congressional race, Justin Amash dominates in fund raising. One can see from the graph above that the largest contributor so far has been Michigan Industrial Tools, which is a company founded by the father of Justin Amash. The second largest contributor is S Abraham & Sons, owned and operated by a wealthy Arab-American family in West Michigan.
The third largest contributor to the Amash campaign is the Windquest Group, which is part of the DeVos family empire. In addition to the Windquest Group, Amway, RDV Corp and DP Fox ventures have also contributed to the Amash campaign and all of them are part of the DeVos family empire.
Other major contributors to the Amash campaign are Wolverine Gas & OIl and Autocam Corp. These two companies are run by some of the richest men in West Michigan, Sydney Jansma (Wolverine Gas & Oil) and John Kennedy (Autocam Corp). Jansma is a former board member of the Acton Institute and has been a major player fracking throughout Michigan in recent years.
Kennedy is a major player in West Michigan politics and throughout the state. One can see from the chart on the right that both Kennedy and his wife have contributed to hundreds of thousands to candidates across the state and the fifth largest donor to Michigan Political Committees from 2013 – 2014, according to a report from the Michigan Campaign Finance Network. (see chart below) The Autocam Corp CEO sits on the board of the West Michigan Policy Forum and the Acton Institute.
More clear evidence that money from the capitalist class is what determines the electoral process in this country.
