Palestine Solidarity Information, Analysis, Local Actions and Events for the week of August 11th
It has been 10 months since the Israeli government began their most recent assault on Gaza and the West Bank. The retaliation for the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel, has escalated to what the international community has called genocide, therefore, GRIID will be providing weekly links to information and analysis that we think can better inform us of what is happening, along with the role that the US government is playing. We will also provide information on local events and actions that people can get involved in. All of this information is to provide people with the capacity of what Noam Chomsky refers to as, intellectual self-defense.
Information
Children traumatized by 10 months of genocide
Rape & Genocide: the Israeli War Machine We Support
“Uncommitted” Co-Chair Layla Elabed on Meeting Kamala Harris, Pressing VP for Arms Embargo on Israel
Investigation Exposes How Etsy Profits From Israeli Apartheid
Zionism on the Brink: The Gaza War Beyond Netanyahu
VIDEO OF SEXUAL ABUSE AT ISRAELI PRISON IS JUST LATEST EVIDENCE SDE TEIMAN IS A TORTURE SITE
Analysis & History
Decades of US Arms Deals With Israel Paved the Way to Genocide in Gaza
Jeremy Scahill on New Head of Hamas, Questions About Haniyeh Assassination & Iran Retaliation
Local Events and Actions
Power to Palestine: Weekly Rally in Grand Rapids
Wednesday, August 14th, 12 – 1pm, Rosa Parks Circle
Image used is from https://visualizingpalestine.org/visual/treating-trauma-under-israeli-fire-july-update/
50 years ago today Gerald Ford was sworn in as President: The unsanitized version of Ford’s Presidency
(This post is one of the 40 chapters in my new book, Radical Grand Rapids, which will be available in September.)
Probably the biggest reference being made about former President Ford when he died in December of 2006, was that he “healed the nation.” Not surprising, this is the title of his memoirs, but what exactly does that mean when pundits and politicians say he healed the nation? It means that Ford pardoned Nixon, which is to say that he did not seek an indictment of Nixon for illegal activities during what is now known as the Watergate scandal.
The Ford museum literature says that by pardoning Nixon, Ford helped restore confidence in the office of the presidency that negatively under the Nixon administration. Is this the reality or was it a way to sidestep any serious investigation of the illegal practices of the Nixon administration, which ultimately would lead people to see the very nature of the US Imperial Project? When Nixon’s crimes are mentioned what most people think of was the wiretapping of the Democrats before the election. What is usually omitted from the official record are Nixon’s war crimes in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. This is what “official historians” mean when they say Ford healed the nation, that the American public was protected from the ugly realities of US foreign policy. Well, what are we being protected from? Looking at the brief history of the Ford administration might help us to answer that question.
Ford became Nixon’s Vice President in October of 1973 and was sworn in as President in August of 1974. He served as President until Carter took the oval office in January of 1977. Ford supported the repressive government in the Philippines in its counterinsurgency war against rebels. During the coup in Argentina in 1976, Ford supported the generals who took power and slaughtered thousands of dissidents. Under Ford the US provided millions of dollars in military aid to the right-wing movement in Angola known as UNITA. He negotiated military bases in Spain with the fascist dictator Franco. Ford maintained the illegal terror war and embargo against Cuba and was president during the final days of the US occupation of South Vietnam. But probably the foreign policy that best defines Ford was his support of the Indonesian invasion of East Timor.
Much has been written about what took place in the meeting between Ford, Henry Kissinger, and Indonesian President Suharto on December 5th and 6th in 1975, but it wasn’t until December of 2001 when the National Security Archives finally obtained declassified documentation of what took place. What we now know is that Ford and Kissinger not only knew of the Indonesian plans to invade East Timor, but that they offered diplomatic and military support for the invasion, which became a multi-year and bloody genocidal campaign. In fact, the US role in the murderous campaign by the Indonesia military against the East Timorese people was one of the proportionately worst genocides of the 20th Century.
For additional information on this topic:
The National Security Archives FOIA documents on Ford & Kissinger’s visit with Indonesian President Suharto, just prior to their invasion of East Timor. https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB62/
895 Days That Changed the World: The presidency of Gerald R. Ford, by Graeme Mount.
Don’t be fooled by the same old bullshit that the group Thrive and Prosper is promoting in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids is synonymous with the phrase West Michigan Nice. West Michigan Nice is an ironic reference to the fact that while people and institutions might appear to be polite, in reality they look down on people with contempt or paternalism, especially those people made vulnerable by systems of power and oppression.
Therefore, the label of West Michigan Nice could aptly be given to the recently created group known as Thrive and Prosper. Yes, Thrive and Prosper. Sounds like a get rich quick scheme or a cult or just simply the logical outcome of how Grand Rapids deals with everything. The group’s mission statement is a clear indication of what they are really about:
We’re a collective of local businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, philanthropists, community organizations, faith organizations and residents with
a shared vision.
Change cannot be achieved in a vacuum. It needs collaboration, and for those involved to plan intentionally for actions that actually make a difference to people in our communities.
We must find the answers by working together, because if we’re going to build a city where everyone can thrive and prosper, we need everyone involved in finding solutions.
We believe that opportunity is a result of access to a certain set of circumstances. And by removing barriers, we can improve access and spur economic vitality for all. But change is hard.
Great. We all just need to remove barriers – conveniently not named – and then opportunities will just open up for people to prosper and thrive. Sweet Jesus! First, the group is made up of the usual suspects, as is reflected in their Partners in the Work list, shown above. You have groups that are members of the Grand Rapids Power Structure, government entities that collaborate with them, and members of the Non-Profit Industrial Complex, which helps to deliver people who might benefit from the limited amount of wealth creation. The only outside entity is Stand Together, which is a creation of the Koch Brothers.
Thrive and Prosper is just the latest iteration of the talent development and entrepreneurial pipeline that will allow a small sector of the local population to make money and be successful. The problem with this tired old approach is that it is just another manifestation of Capitalism 101, where given the right opportunity, you too can be financially successful.
Of course, the problem is that only a small percentage of Grand Rapids will Thrive and Prosper, since wealth creation under this model always requires profit making from cheap labor and the extraction of natural resources.
Thrive and Prosper will only benefit a few people, who will ultimately have to play the game created by members of the Grand Rapids Power Structure. However, the few that will Thrive and Prosper will also have to abandon their communities, since you can’t thrive and prosper without causing others hardship, poverty and despair. Welcome to West Michigan Nice!
Understanding the GR Power Structure – Part VI: The role of the local commercial news media
In Part I of this series I began an updated version of a Grand Rapids Power Analysis, which lays out the ground work for what the Grand Rapids Power Structure looks like and what it means for this community.
When I use the phrase, the Grand Rapids Power Structure and who has power, it is important to note that I mean power over. A local power analysis is designed to investigate who has power over – who oppresses, exploits and engages in policy that benefits them to the exclusion of everyone else – the majority of people living in Grand Rapids.
In Part II of this series on the Grand Rapids Power Structure, I looked at the DeVos family, which I argue is the most powerful family in this city, in terms of economics, politics, social and cultural dynamics.
In Part III of this series I looked at some of the other families and individuals that also wield tremendous power in this city, economically, politically and socially. In today’s post I will focus on the private sector organizations that also have tremendous power and influence on daily life in Grand Rapids.
In Part IV, I focus on private sector organizations, many of which have individuals who are part of the Grand Rapids Power structure sitting on their boards. These private sector organizations serve a vital role in dictating local policy, which primarily benefits their own interests.
Part V took a critical look at the role that the Grand Rapids City Commission and the Kent County Commission play in representing the interests of the private power sector, along with how they use fear and violence against residents who are actively challenging the local power structure.
Today, I want to talk about the role that the local commercial news media plays in normalizing systems of oppression that protect and expand the Grand Rapids Power Structure.
One significant misunderstanding about the media, specifically, the news media, is that it is often viewed through a liberal vs conservative lens. While there are nuances within various news media outlets, the main function of most news media is to serve and normalize power. The news media in the Greater Grand Rapids area also reflects this function.
In addition to serving and normalizing power, the local news media also serves the following functions:
- Consumerism
- Distraction
- Pacification
- Dumbing the public down
- Normalizing the values and perspectives of systems of power
Commercial news media functions within the framework of capitalism, which means that its primary objective is to make money. This is especially the case, since most local news media is owned by a much larger corporation. For example, WZZM 13 is owned by Gannett, MLive is owned by the Advanced Publications (Newhouse Brothers) and WXMI 17 is now owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. In fact, very little local news media is owned locally and none of the daily news entities parent companies are based in Grand Rapids. Since we last posted on the GR Power Structure in 2018, both MiBiz and the Grand Rapids Business Journal were bought up by the Detroit-based company Crain’s Communication, thus making the consolidation of local news media even more controlled.
Last month I posted an article about the methodical news media monitoring I have been doing since January 1st, particularly looking at critical issues such as policing, public education, climate justice and local democracy. The data is startling and is a reflection of the low quality of journalism that is being practiced in this community.
There are endless examples of how the local news media normalizes systems of oppression and defends the Grand Rapids Power Structure. One example is the local news coverage of the May 30th uprising that took place in Grand Rapids, including the 5 days after. Despite the fact that the the uprising included several thousand people in the streets, the local news media centered the perspectives of Grand Rapids City officials, the GRPD and downtown business owners.
A second example of how the local news media normalizes systems of oppression can be seen in the news coverage of the GRPD murder of Patrick Lyoya. GRIID has posted numerous stories that deconstruct how the local news has treated the GRPD murder of Patrick Lyoya, like a June 12th article about how the lawyers representing the killer cop want to control the narrative, how the local news coverage has been sympathetic towards the cop who killed Patrick Lyoya, clear examples of bias, and how the 2nd anniversary of Patrick Lyoya’s murder was reported.
A third example is how the local news reports on the current housing crisis, such as not adequately reporting on the un-affordability of housing in Grand Rapids, how the local news continues to present false solutions to the housing crisis and how the local news has made a GR Chamber of Commerce group the appointed experts on the housing crisis instead of talking to people who are actually most impacted by the housing crisis.
The last example(s) I want to share has to do with how the local news reports on development projects in downtown Grand Rapids and just how subservient the news is to those in the GR Power Structure. Here is a short list just in the past 6 months:
- Power Dynamics, community engagement and the Grand Action Soccer Stadium proposal
- MLive article doesn’t challenge the unelected, anti-democratic DDA Board, who also makes decisions on how millions in tax dollars are spent
- The end of the Richard & Helen DeVos Foundation – Part I: The news media’s subservience
- MLive’s Amphitheater coverage is a disgusting display of Neo-Liberal Journalism
- WZZM 13 provides a platform for the Destination Kent Committee to claim misinformation regarding August 6th Hotel Tax vote billboard
As long as the local news media choses to defend and protect the interests of the Grand Rapids Power Structure, it will mean that fewer people will be exposed to how this power structure functions and how much it controls. In Part VII, I’ll take a look at how local colleges and universities act as a buffer system for the Grand Rapids Power Structure.
Recently, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that an “adopt-and-amend” tactic used by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2018 was unconstitutional. This means that the minimum wage in Michigan could go up to $12 an hour (it’s only $10.33 an hour right now) and that businesses would be required to provide paid sick leave.
While any increase in the minimum wage in Michigan is a good thing, just raising it to $12 an hour in 2025 is still grossly inadequate for people to make a living. The National Low Income Housing Coalition has stated that for people living in Grand Rapids they would have to make $25.50 an hour to afford the average rental costs in this city.
One would think that upon hearing about the Michigan Supreme Court ruling that local news agencies would have wanted to talk with working class people, especially those in the service industry. Unfortunately, WOODTV8 decided to talk with the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce on their reaction to the slight increase in the minimum wage for Michigan.
The channel 8 story not only avoids talking to workers, especially those who make the minimum wage, they provide a platform for the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, which has consistently opposed a raise in the minimum wage. The GR Chamber’s position on opposing an increase in the minimum wage is also reflected in which political candidates they make campaign contributions to at the state level.
The Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce spokesperson that news 8 spoke with was Josh Lunger, who was quoted as saying:
“Our team’s going to be working with the administration, the Legislature, departments and our other peer associations across the state in trying to get further details. And then try to see if there’s a consensus, bipartisan consensus, to fix some of the concerns that we have, particularly for small employers and for those in the service industry.”
The WOODTV8 reporter either didn’t know the history that the GR Chamber has with opposing minimum wage increases and their desire to only represent “labor costs” for businesses. If channel 8 had a sharp reporter, they should have at least asked tough questions to the GR Chamber spokesperson and challenged them around their consistent opposition to increasing the minimum wage.
Local reporters would only have to look at the GR Chamber of Commerce’s website, specifically the State Policy recaps they provide on a regular basis to members, such as the one from July of 2023, which stated: Repeal of a Right-to-Work and prevailing wage were the first big dominoes to fall over business community opposition.
The GR Chamber of Commerce even posted about the Michigan Supreme Court ruling last week, complaining about the hardship it will cause for Michigan businesses, both on the wages issue and the paid sick leave requirements.
One wonders why local news agencies are so removed from the economic realities of working class people, that they chose to get a powerful business association to talk on camera, a business association that has opposed minimum wage increases and other basic labor rights since they were founded in 1887.
For several weeks now GRIID has been posting articles focusing on campaign finance information for candidates and ballot initiatives.
Following the money is always important, since those individuals with deep pockets and Political Action Committees (PACs) are always trying to influence the outcome of elections to protect and expand their interests.
Grand Action 2.0, the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce and a few other capitalists have raised nearly half a million dollars in 2 short months in the hopes of convincing people to vote for the so-called Hotel Tax. The Destination Kent Committee is also being deceptive in their campaign literature.
The money behind the Grand Rapids Mayoral race is dominated by donors to David LaGrand. Check out who is backing him and the other candidates for Mayor.
The Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce and the Grand Rapids Police Officers Association PAC are also trying to buy candidates in the 1st and 3rd Ward races in Grand Rapids.
In Kent County, see who is bankrolling the Sheriff, Treasurer, Clerk and Prosecutor, along with all of the Kent County Commission races.
The State Representative races in West Michigan also have lots of corporate PAC money involved, plus see my piece on which West MI families are the largest donors to the Republican Senate and House Committees in Michigan.
The largest campaign contributor to 3rd Congressional Rep. Hillary Scholten re-election campaign is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Also, two additional voter information sources should be useful for people. The first is the new Local Democracy, Transparency and Accountability Project work being done through the Community Owns Safety Coalition. So far they are providing campaign finance records for local candidates, but they will also be tracking voting records for the Grand Rapids City Commission the Kent County Commission and the GRPS School Board.
The other new source is a voter guide for Grand Rapids and Kent County candidates and ballot initiatives for 2024 produced by the Urban Core Collective. This voter guide was created by the BIPOC members of the Urban Core Collective.
Palestine Solidarity Information, Analysis, Local Actions and Events for the week of August 4th
It has been 10 months since the Israeli government began their most recent assault on Gaza and the West Bank. The retaliation for the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel, has escalated to what the international community has called genocide, therefore, GRIID will be providing weekly links to information and analysis that we think can better inform us of what is happening, along with the role that the US government is playing. We will also provide information on local events and actions that people can get involved in. All of this information is to provide people with the capacity of what Noam Chomsky refers to as, intellectual self-defense.
Information
“Ethnic Cleansing Tactics”: 86 Percent of Gaza Is Under Evacuation Orders
‘Cruel and Dangerous’: Netanyahu Delays Evacuation of Sick Children From Gaza
The US Is Backing Israel’s Systematic Killing of Journalists
Israel Has Damaged or Destroyed 85 Percent of Schools in Gaza
What Does Arming Israel Cost Us?
Analysis & History
VIDEO: Netanyahu’s Political Survival Depends on “War Continuing Forever”
Local Events and Actions
Power to Palestine: Weekly Rally in Grand Rapids
Wednesday, August 7th, 6 – 7pm, Rosa Parks Circle
Image used is from https://visualizingpalestine.org/visual/30-days-at-sde-teiman-israels-torture-camp/
Follow the Money: State House Races in West Michigan with lots of corporate PAC money
All week long I have been providing documentation on campaign finances around candidates for political races in Grand Rapids and Kent County, along with the group behind the Hotel Tax ballot initiative, the Destination Kent Committee. I even posted a piece about how West MI dominates funding to the House Republican Campaign Committee and the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. Today I want to look at campaign contributions to the 10 different State House races in West Michigan.
State Representative – 78th District
Christine M. Terpening (D) – no campaign finance data available
Gina Johnsen (R) – Raised over $50,000, from numerous members of the Capitalist Class, like the DeVos family, etc. https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/documents/565659/details/filing/contributions?schedule=*&changes=0&page=1
Jon Rocha (R) – Raised roughly $30,000, with Rocha providing the the largest portion of campaign finances. https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/documents/566080/details/filing/contributions?schedule=*&changes=0&page=1
State Representative – 79th District
Jason Rubin (D) – Raised just over $70,000, with almost all of the money coming from Rubin himself. https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/documents/565693/details/filing/contributions?schedule=*&changes=0&page=1
Angela Rigas (R) – Raised less than $10,000 from 29 different contributors. https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/documents/565839/details/filing/contributions?schedule=*&changes=0&page=1
State Representative – 80th District
Phil Skaggs (D) – Raised roughly $25,000, with most of it coming from Corporate and Union PACs. https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/documents/565796/details/filing/contributions?schedule=*&changes=0&page=1
Bill Sage (R) – no campaign finance data available
State Representative – 81st District
Stephen Wooden (D) – Raised over $50,000 from 389 contributors, with the largest from the Kent County Democrats ($7000) and Climate Cabinet PAC ($6000). https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/documents/565797/details/filing/contributions?schedule=*&changes=0&page=1
Jordan Youngquist (R) – no campaign finance data available
State Representative – 82nd District
Kristian Grant (D) – Raised about $30,000 with $6000 from the Grand Rapids Firefighter Union PAC, $5000 from the Michigan Manufactured Housing, RV, and Campground Association and $3500 from the Michigan Realtors PAC, all of which is important since Rep. Grant is the chair of the Housing Committee. https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/documents/564788/details/filing/contributions?schedule=*&changes=0&page=1
Ryan Malinoski (R) – no campaign finance data available
State Representative – 83rd District
John Fitzgerald (D) – Raised over $100,000 from numerous PACs and individuals who gave $1000 or more. https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/documents/565701/details/filing/contributions?schedule=*&changes=0&page=1
Tommy Brann (R) – Raised around $40,000, with contributions from many of the members of the Grand Rapids Power Structure. https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/documents/565856/details/filing/contributions?schedule=*&changes=0&page=1
State Representative – 84th District
Carol Glanville (D) – Raised over $100,000 with big contributions from numers Democratic Party PACs, Union PACs and several corporate PACs. https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/documents/565759/details/filing/contributions?schedule=*&changes=0&page=1
Justin Rackham (D) – no campaign finance data available
Ben June (R) – no campaign finance data available
State Representative – 89th District
Lois E. Maassen (D) – Raised around $5000, with no large donors. https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/documents/564883/details/filing/contributions?schedule=*&changes=0&page=1
Luke Meerman (R) – Raised around $10,000, with a few $1000 or more contributors. https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/documents/564853/details/filing/contributions?schedule=*&changes=0&page=1
State Representative – 90th District
William J. Higgins (D) – no campaign finance data available
Bryan Posthumus (R) – Raised nearly $25,000, with lots of corporate PACs. https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/documents/565045/details/filing/contributions?schedule=*&changes=0&page=1
State Representative – 91st District
Jason A. Dillingham (D) – Raised less than $10,000, with a few $1000 or more donors. https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/documents/565277/details/filing/contributions?schedule=*&changes=0&page=1
Pat Outman (R) – Raised nearly $30,000, with numerous corporate PACs. https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/documents/565740/details/filing/contributions?schedule=*&changes=0&page=1
In the case where there is no campaign finance data available, it means that those candidates are merely a name on the ballot, but likely to lose. There was significant corporate PAC contributions to both Democratic and Republican candidates, which means they hope to influence public policy to protect their interests. There were also a few examples where members of the Grand Rapids Power Structure contributed to candidates, those who best represent their interests.
West Michigan donors make up half of the top 25 contributors to the Michigan Republican House and Senate Committees
All week long I have been providing documentation on campaign finances around candidates for political races in Grand Rapids and Kent County, along with the group behind the Hotel Tax ballot initiative, the Destination Kent Committee.
I will be posting campaign finance data for State House races that are in West Michigan as well, but before I add that piece, I wanted to share some very interesting data as it relates to West Michigan and the GOP campaign contributions for the entire state.
There are two GOP groups that are consistently the largest recipients of campaign contributions during elections cycles, the House Republican Campaign Committee and the Senate Republican Campaign Committee.
According to data from the site https://www.transparencyusa.org/, the top 25 contributors to both of the Republican groups mentioned above are contributors from West Michigan during election cycles from 2017 to the present. What follows is the data for the top 25 contributors to the House Republican Campaign Committee over the last 8 years. I will highlight the people/orgs that are from West Michigan.
- Maria & Doug DeVos – $691,300.00
- Wentworth Majority Fund – $603,530.82
- Matt Hall PAC – $590,100.00
- Daniel DeVos – $345,650.00
- John Kennedy III – $345,650.00
- Nancy Kennedy – $345,650.00
- Richard DeVos Jr. – $345,650.00
- Suzanne Cheryl DeVos – $345,650.00
- J. C. Huizenga – $335,650.00
- Mary Whiteford – $327,620.00
- Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers State PAC – $309,200.00
- Republican State Leadership Committee – $305,650.00
- Ron Weiser – $303,675.00
- Matthew Hayworth – $293,875.00
- Michigan Realtors SuperPAC – $287,225.00
- Richard Hayworth – $274,875.00
- Pamella DeVos – $265,650.00
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan PAC – $260,475.00
- Michigan Republican Party – $250,850.00
- Matthew Moroun – $247,825.00
- DTE Energy PAC – $246,975.00
- Meijer PAC – $236,975.00
- Michael Jandernoa – $236,875.00
- Luke Meerman – $233,500.00
- James Nicholson – $228,950.00
You can see that there are 14 of the top 25 contributors to the House Republican Campaign Committee that are from West Michigan.
Now let’s look at the data for the top 25 contributors to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee over the last 8 years. I will highlight the people/orgs that are from West Michigan.
- Maria & Doug DeVos – $593,550.00
- Aric Nesbitt – $543,025.00
- Compete Michigan PAC – $415,089.68
- James Stamas – $337,950.00
- Richard DeVos Jr. – $336,775.00
- J C Huizenga – $335,650.00
- John Kennedy III – $301,700.00
- Daniel DeVos – $296,775.00
- Suzanne Cheryl DeVos – $296,775.00
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan PAC – $283,975.00
- DTE Energy PAC – $280,000.00
- Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers State PAC – $272,925.00
- Michigan Realtors SuperPAC – $267,950.00
- Ron Weiser – $262,000.00
- Meijer PAC – $251,975.00
- Nancy Kennedy – $241,700.00
- Matthew Moroun – $238,950.00
- Wayne Schmidt – $236,550.00
- Heather and Ronald Boji – $230,000.00
- Michael Jandernoa – $228,000.00
- Curtis VanderWall – $222,325.00
- Pamella DeVos – $216,775.00
- Stephen Ehmann – $216,775.00
- Growing Michigan Majority Fund – $212,550.00
- Republican State Leadership Committee Michigan PAC – $207,750.00
Here you can see that there are 12 of the top 25 contributors to the House Republican Campaign Committee that are from West Michigan, just shy of half.
What we can clearly see is that in terms of campaign contributions to the two largest Republican committees in Michigan, the House Republican Campaign Committee and the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, those from West Michigan dominate in terms of money. Sort of adds another layer to the notion of West Michigan Nice!
Follow the Money: Kent County Commission races that are backed by big donors and the usual suspects
Yesterday I posted an article about how the rich and powerful are funding the campaigns for the Kent County Prosecutor, the Kent County Clerk, the Kent County Sheriff and the the Kent County Treasurer. Today, I want to look those same donors are with regards to the Kent County Commission races.
Kent County Commissioner District 1
Jerry Berta (D) – no funding
Ben Greene (R) – Raised $4925.00 and backed by the rich and powerful, such as: Dab Burrill $1250.00, Dan DeVos $1225.00, Dick DeVos $1,225.00, Doug DeVos $1225.00 and many more, according to the campaign finances documents 1 and 2. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/19666.PDF https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20330.PDF
Kent County Commissioner District 2
Russell C. Yonkers (D) – no funding
Joel J Langlois (R) – raised $10,000.00, but it was all self-financed. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20480.PDF
Elizabeth Morse (R) – Raised $6050.00, with top donors being Maintain Our Majority $4,000.00, Richard and Melinda Gorski Trust $1,000.00, Friends of West Michigan Business PAC $500.00, Jeffrey Vanderwerff $250.00, Melinda Gorski $200.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/21538.PDF
Kent County Commissioner District 3
Jenn Merchant (R) – Raised $500.00 from the GR Chamber PAC.
Kent County Commissioner District 4
Judy A. Wood (D) – Raised $1500.00 from Judy Wood $1,000.00 and Kent County Democratic Party $500.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20977.PDF
Kathy J. Clark (R) – Raised $5108.00, with top donors being Margaret Potter $1000.00, Norma Vankuiken $1000.00, Yvonne Curtis $500.00, Joan Mitchell $300.00, Duane Ritter $250.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/21660.PDF
Katie DeBoer (R) – no funds raised
Kent County Commissioner District 5
Vanessa E. Lee (D) – no funds raised.
Dave Hildenbrand (R) – Raised $4200.00, with top donors being Dan DeVos $1225.00, Doug DeVos $1225.00, Richard DeVos $1225.00, and the Grand Rapids Chamber PAC $500.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20243.PDF
Kent County Commissioner District 6
Nicholas VanderVeen (D) – $5369.00, with top donors being Kent County Democratic Party $3000.00, Nicholas Vander Veen $1,692.00, Patrick Miles $500.00, Brennen Gorman $250.00, and Jai Maw $100.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20217.PDF
Stan Stek (R) – Raised $26,075.00, with top donors being Grand Rapids Chamber PAC $7000.00, Betsy DeVos $1225.00, Daniel DeVos $1225.00, Doug DeVos $1225.00, and Maria DeVos $1225.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20288.PDF
Kent County Commissioner District 7
Sonia Riley (D) – no funds raised.
Stan Ponstein (R) – Raised $1000.00, with top donors being Commercial Alliance of Realtors PAC $500.00 and Stan Ponstein $500.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20099.PDF
Kent County Commissioner District 8
Chris Herweyer (D) – Raised $19,103.80, with the top donors being Kent County Democratic Party $3000.00, Climate Cabinet PAC $2000.00, Michigan LCV PAC $1500.00, Joshua Ferguson $1225.00, and Tracy Dobson $800.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20278.PDF
Dan Burrill (R) – Raised $30,500.00, with the top donors being The Friends of West Michigan Business PAC $7000.00, Mark Bissell $1225.00, Betsy DeVos $1225.00, Dan DeVos $1225.00, and Doug DeVos $1225.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20148.PDF
Kent County Commissioner District 9
Matt Kallman (R) – no funds raised.
Kent County Commissioner District 10
Roslund Harris (D) – Raised $1080.00, with the top donors being Kent County Democratic Party $500.00, Paul Kearny $200.00, Johnny Know $100.00, Christopher Polzin $100.00, and Angela Bunn $50.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20761.PDF
Bill Hirsch (R) – Raised $6806.31, with the top donors being Christine Guitierrez $1000.00, Dennis Heffron $1000.00, Anna Timmer $1000.00, Eric Fouch $500.00, and Tim Zanderberg $500.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20145.PDF
Robin Halsted (R) – Raised $42,476.91, with the top donors being Maintain Our Majority $10,000.00, John/Nancy Kennedy $2450.00, Grand Rapids Chamber PAC $2000.00, Mark/Mary Bissell $1225.00, and Betsy DeVos $1225.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20678.PDF
Kent County Commissioner District 11
Alyssa Joy Arnemann (D) – no funds raised
Lindsey Thiel (R) – Raised $44,520.00, with the tops donors being TGIF Victory Fund $12,250.00, Sidney Jansma Jr $2450.00, Grand Rapids Chamber PAC $1500.00, Mark Bissell $1225.00, and Betsy DeVos $1225.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20327.PDF
Steve Kenyon (R) – no funds raised
Kent County Commissioner District 12
Monica Sparks (D) – Raised $1750.00, with the top donors being Realtors Political Action Committee of Michigan $500.00, Kent County Democratic Party $500.00, Grand Rapids Chamber PAC $250.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20604.PDF
H. Lee White (R) – no funds raised.
Kent County Commissioner District 13
Michelle McCloud (D) – Raised $4255.00, with the top donors being Michelle McCloud $3000.00, Kent County Democratic Party $500.00, and the Grand Rapids Chamber PAC $250.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20415.PDF
Nick Prill (R) – no funds raised.
Kent County Commissioner District 14
Carol M. Hennessy (D) – Raised $750.00, with the top donors being Kent County Democratic Party $500.00, and the Grand Rapids Chamber PAC $250.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20409.PDF
Catherine Edwards (R) – no funds raised
Kent County Commissioner District 15
Lisa S Oliver-King (D) – Raised $2185.00, with the top donors being Kent County Democratic Party $500.00, and the Grand Rapids Chamber PAC $250.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20425.PDF
Alexa Otte (R) – no funds raised.
Kent County Commissioner District 16
Melissa LaGrand (D) – Raised $2395.00, with the top donors being Kent County Democratic Party $500.00, Robert VanStright $500.00, Grand Rapids Chamber PAC $250.00, Isabelle Selles $250.00, and Judy Freeman $100.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20379.PDF
Emil Savoy (R) – no funds raised.
Kent County Commissioner District 17
Tony Baker (D) – Raised $12,270.00, with the top donors being Jim Williams $1000.00, Robert Wolford $1000.00, Tony Baker $800.00, Paul Boyer $500.00, and McCalvery Merchant PAC $500.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20412.PDF
Robert Womack (D) – Raised $3750.00, with the top donors being Ven Johnson $1200.00, Robert Womack $1000.00, Wayman Britt $300.00, Richard Thrush $300.00, and Johnathan Veldt $300.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/21769.PDF
Jason Gillikin (R) – no funds raised.
Kent County Commissioner District 18
Steve Faber (D) – Raised $25,740.00, with the top donors being Steve Faber $10,124.34, Taggert Town $1225.00, Lisa Town $1225.00, James Williams $1225.00, and the Grand Rapids Chamber PAC $1000.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20353.PDF
Dan Hesse (D) – Raised $10,059.02, with the top donors being Kathryn Smith $1225.00, Angelyn Royce $500.00, Dan Hesse $485.00, Richard Maycroft $450.00, and Duncan McCleod $420.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20404.PDF
James R. Rinck (D) – Raised $22,620.64, with the top donors being James Rinck $22,500.00, Mike Koelzer $97.07, Tom Trzybinski $23.84, and Ryan Wieland $.73. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20738.PDF
Josie Kornev (R) – Raised $2788.59, with the top donors being Anna Timmer $500.00, Michael Dubiel $300.00, Duane Gritter $260.59, Martha Schaut $200.00, and Barbara & Dave Agema $100.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20236.PDF
Tim Allen (R) – no funds raised.
Kent County Commissioner District 19
Kris Pachla (D) – Raised $1850.00, with the top donors being Friends of West Michigan Business PAC $500.00, Kent County Democratic Party $500.00, Johnathan Vandenberg $250.00, Mark Pachla $200.00, and Kathleen Underwood $150.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20422.PDF
Karen G. Machiorlatti (R) – no funds raised.
Kent County Commissioner District 20
Nancy L. Morales (D) – Raised $2015.00, with the top donors being Kent County Democratic Party $1000.00, Nancy Morales $300.00, Mark McClain $100.00, Dale Hurst $100.00, and Ericka Lozano-Buhl $100.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/21486.PDF
Derek Anderson (R) – Raised $2820.00, with the top donors being Norma Vankuiken $1000.00, Derek Anderson $500.00, Marty Shaut $220.00, Bonnie Burke $240.00, and Adlai Brown $200.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/21719.PDF
David Lee Boelkes (R) – no funds raised.
Kent County Commissioner District 21
Walter Bujak (R) – Raised $1225.00. https://campaignfinance.us/docs.kent.mi/20376.PDF
As you can see for yourself, there are certain names of Political Action Committees and individuals that are the primary donors to campaigns for Kent County Commission. Some districts are sacrificed, since candidates have not raised any money. Like the previous posts I have done about campaign financing in Kent County and in the City of Grand Rapids, those with deep pockets are likely to get their candidates elected, which often means that policies at the city and county level will not challenge systems of power and oppression.
Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy 