New Report on how the Philanthropy of the Rich costs the public, confirms what we have seen here in West Michigan
The U.S. charitable system is shaped by laws — particularly those set out by a sweeping charitable tax reform package passed in 1969. Over the five decades since then, however, we’ve witnessed an extraordinary concentration of wealth and power in the hands of our wealthiest citizens. We’ve also witnessed the attendant explosion of a wealth-defense industry — tax attorneys, accountants, and wealth managers — who have an institutional bias toward unlimited capital accumulation, tax minimization, and dynastic succession. That bias has crept its way into the philanthropic sphere as well. The meteoric rise of donor-advised funds as giving vehicles, for example, has been driven in part by wealth advisors selling tax-avoidance products. You will get a play-by-play of financial industry shell games in our discussion of how wealthy donors are gaming foundation excise taxes and payout requirements. And there are signs that some billionaires are starting to think that certain for-profit investments are a replacement for philanthropy — or even that their own companies are more socially beneficial than any sort of giving.
This paragraph above is from a new report by the Institute for Policy Studies, entitled, The True Cost of Billionaire Philanthropy. The reason why In think this report is so important is that it confirms many of the things I have been writing about in regards to the wealthiest families in West Michigan, their philanthropy through foundations and their charitable contributions. I’m speaking specifically about the DeVos and Meijer families, the two billionaire families in West Michigan, but this new report also could apply to some of the other sizable foundations in the Greater Grand Rapids area, such as the Jandernoa Foundation, the Secchia Foundation, the Cook Foundation, the Wege Foundation, the Van Andel Foundations and the Frey Foundation.
Here are some of the major findings in the report, The True Cost of Billionaire Philanthropy, which is what we have seen with the wealthy philanthropists in West Michigan.
What Ultra-Wealthy Philanthropists Costs Us?
- We know for certain that $73.34 billion in tax revenue was lost to the public in 2022 due to personal and corporate charitable deductions.
- If we include just the little data we have about charitable bequests and the investments of charities themselves, the revenue loss is pushed up to roughly $111 billion.
- And if we also include the capital gains revenue lost from the donation of appreciated assets, the true revenue costs of charity likely add up to several hundreds of billions of dollars each year.
The news is full of stories about billionaires giving huge gifts to charity. But for all but the most generous, their giving is nowhere close to keeping up with the growth in their wealth. And while some billionaires make an earnest effort to give back, others appear to be using philanthropy more to enhance their public image, their political voice, and even their wallets.
The wealth of billionaire philanthropists has grown exponentially. For example, “The 73 living U.S. Giving Pledgers who were billionaires in 2010 saw their wealth grow by 138 percent, or 224 percent when adjusted for inflation, through 2022. Their combined assets increased from $348 billion to $828 billion over those twelve years.”
A 2021 report from the Council on Michigan Foundations, or CMF, showed that the money flowing out to working charities from donor-advised funds at community foundations in Michigan was astonishingly slow. Based on account-level data for 2,600 DAFs, CMF found that in 2018 the median payout rate for Michigan’s DAF accounts was just 3.1 percent.
And it gets worse. The CMF found that in 2020, only 43 percent of DAF accounts paid out grants to charity at 5 percent or more—the minimum currently required of private foundations. 22 percent of the accounts paid out less than 5 percent. And 35 percent—more than one third— paid out nothing at all to charity that year.
In fact, on average, 37 percent of Michigan’s DAF accounts don’t pay out any money in any given year. And most of Michigan’s community foundations require a DAF to make a distribution at least once every three years — making it likely that if this requirement didn’t exist, the portion of DAFs that didn’t distribute anything to charity in any given year would be even higher.
What Billionaire Philanthropists Cost Us? 
Our national tax system contains a large and complex set of deductions, exclusions, and other provisions related to charitable giving. All of this results in lost tax revenue, forcing less wealthy taxpayers to pick up the slack to fund crucial public services. There is broad public support for this taxpayer subsidy for charitable giving when funds reach working charities in a timely manner.
In fact, according to nonprofit law experts Ray Madoff and Roger Colinvaux, if you add up all the possible federal charitable tax reductions related to income, capital gains, estate, and gift taxes, taxpayers can subsidize wealthy philanthropists by up to 74 cents for every dollar those philanthropists donate. And the wealthier the donor, the larger the public subsidy.
The last time Congress overhauled the legal framework for the philanthropic sector was in 1969, when wealth was considerably less concentrated than it is now. This framework provided important tax-reduction incentives to encourage timely giving to charity — but it also created the loophole that allowed for the commercial exploitation of donor-advised funds. It is time to modernize the rules governing philanthropy to:
- Promote a robust independent nonprofit sector outside of individual, political, and corporate influence.
- Prevent abuses of the tax system by philanthropy primarily used for aggressive tax avoidance or as a means to maintain control over donated dollars.
- Protect democracy and public society from the undue influence of private wealth and power.
Again, I am sharing the major findings from this new report, because I believe that it is reflective of some of the same dynamics I have seen with local wealthy foundations and how it negatively impacts the community.To read the GRIID section where we monitor local wealthy foundation, go to this link. Ultimately, we need to pay attention to these dynamics, because the rich not only costs the public, it impacts how we normalize and even valorize members of the Capitalist Class to our own detriment.
Rep. Scholten says she is working hard to make sure US Imperialism wins the day in Gaza
In her most recent weekly newsletter for November 17th, Rep. Scholten once again included some comments about Israel, Palestine and US policy. The Congresswoman began her comments about this most pressing foreign policy matter with the headline: The Israel-Hamas War: Hearing your concerns.
Once again, Rep. Scholten mislabels what has been happening, since there is not a war between the state of Israel and the Palestinian political faction known as Hamas. Wars can only happen between two countries. In addition, the most important thing is that the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 did NOT start anything. Israel has been illegally occupying Palestinian land for decades, which the international community recognizes.
What follows is the narrative from Rep. Scholten’s weekly newsletter in italics. I will offer my own responses to each of the three paragraphs.
“Even as we continue our critical work on other important issues in Washington and West Michigan, I want you to know that I am deeply engaged in and paying attention to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israel. This week, I attended a high-level classified briefing for members of Congress and was updated on the status of the Israeli operation to recover hostages and dismantle Hamas’ military capabilities, the civilian casualties and the humanitarian aid being delivered. I also called the White House to impress on the President how critical it is that the United States not minimize the loss of human life as we work with Israel to regain these hostages, and emphasize that we must do all we can to return those hostages as soon as humanly possible.”
First, it is important to point out that Rep. Scholten was at a classified briefing regarding the Israeli army’s plan to “recover hostages and dismantle Hamas’ military capabilities.” We can look at a recent example of how the Israeli army operates, specifically the military raid on Al-Shifa, the largest hospital in Gaza.
The Biden Administration and the Israeli government have made the claim that Hamas has been using the Al-Shifa hospital as a command center, which is below the the hospital. However, there has been no concrete evidence that after the hospital raid that Hamas had a command center underneath, as has been reported by the Electronic Intifada and by a recent post on Common Dreams, entitled, Probe Demanded Over ‘Absurd’ Israeli Narrative About Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital.
In the second paragraph Rep. Scholten states:
“Like so many of you, I cannot watch the constant images of death and destruction, the loss of precious and vulnerable human life, hear from the families of hostage victims longing to see their loved one again, and not be stirred to action. Every day, I am working to make sure we can negotiate the safe return of over 240 hostages (including American citizens), remove Hamas from power, and establish a viable two-state solution for shared peace and prosperity between Israel and Palestine.”
In this paragraph, Rep. Scholten never mentions the fact that as of this writing, the number of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israel assault on Gaza is up to 13,000 in just 5 weeks. The second point, which is pretty alarming, is that Rep. Scholten says she is working to “remove Hamas from power.” Rep. Scholten, nor the Biden administration, has the right to remove Hamas from political power, and even to suggest that the US can play this role smacks of imperialism.
In the final paragraph, Rep. Scholten engages in misinformation lofty sentiment, stating:
“Whenever I face a challenging moment of deep division, I always do the same thing–I close my eyes and refocus on the fundamentals that unite us. In listening to so many different voices on this issue, one thing that rises to the top for me is that at the heart of this issue, everyone truly wants the same thing. From our neighbors here in West Michigan, to the overwhelming majority of my colleagues in Congress, and our leaders in the White House, we all want the same thing–a return of the hostages, an end to the violence, and lasting peace and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians. I will continue to work toward these things every day.”
Everyone does not want the same thing. Many of the people who have been organizing in West Michigan and across the US want Rep. Scholten and the Biden Administration to demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to US military aid to Israel. In addition, Rep. Scholten is either engaging in self-deception or is lying to those of us who live in the 3rd Congressional District when she says that she is working to put an end to the violence. Rep. Scholten has stated repeatedly that she does NOT support an immediate ceasefire and an end to the Israeli assault on Gaza. On top of that, saying you are working towards peace is just a lie. No member of Congress or the Biden Administration can say they want peace and prosperity for the Israelis and the Palestinians, when they only provide military aid to one side, the Israelis. On top of that, the Biden Administration wants to send an additional $14.3 Billion is US military aid to Israel. Providing massive amounts of military aid to Israel will never result in peace it will only mean the deaths of thousands more Palestinians.
Rep. Hillary Scholten needs to stop sentimentalizing what she thinks people want to hear and actually start listening to what most Americans are actually saying, which is for the Biden Administration to push for an immediate ceasefire. As Jeremy Scahill recently wrote, “As Israel intensified its attacks on Gaza last week, including strikes against multiple hospitals, and presided over a forced exodus of hundreds of thousands of civilians from their homes, President Joe Biden was asked about the chances of a Gaza ceasefire. “None,” Biden shot back. “No possibility.” The resistance continues………..
WOODTV8 story on the BringThemHomeNow event in Grand Rapids was rife with misinformation and omissions
Last Thursday, there was an event in Rosa Parks Circle that centered on the hostages that Hamas took on October 7.
The only local news agency that covered the event was WOODTV8. In channel 8’s coverage they state:
Multiple people who support Israel spoke out at Thursday’s demonstration at Rosa Parks Circle. Yellow balloons and photos of children, teenagers and adults were put on display. Organizers said the people on the posters are those who have been kidnapped and held hostage by Hamas.
Those who attended the demonstration said that this was not a Pro-Israel or Pro-Palestine event. “If this makes me look pro-Israel, that doesn’t mean I am anti-Palestinian. I’m pro-people. If we don’t stand up to terrible things that’s happened, that started this, if we think that’s OK, for any reason, if that is ever justified, then it’s only a matter of time before somebody uses that on us,” Franson said.
The channel 8 story misses a few key elements and never challenges or questions what this event was really all about. First, it is worth noting that the woman who was interviewed by channel 8, Jennifer Franson, is the founder of the group iCI Nation, a group that supports cops, which GRIID has reported on numerous times.
Second, for Franson to say that this wasn’t a pro-Israel event is ridiculous, when there were numerous people at the event with Israeli flags.
Third, there is no mention of the fact that the resources used by the organizers on Thursday, which focused on the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, are from the group BringTheHomeNow. If one looks at the website or the Facebook page of BringThemHomeNow, it is clear that they are a pro-Israel entity.
Fourth, during the WOODTV8 comments from their reporter, she refers to Hamas as, “a Palestine terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip.” This is the language that the US State Department uses, along with the Biden Administration. However, calling Hamas a terrorist group is an over simplification. One could certainly call what Hamas did an act of terrorism on October 7, but the reality is that Palestinians have lived under occupation for decades, a reality that is almost always ignored in US news coverage. In addition, Palestinians voted for Hamas, which means that simply saying they “control the Gaza Strip” is also an inaccurate statement.
Fifth, at the end of the written piece from channel 8, it states: “I don’t think this is just a one-people issue,” Franson added. “To talk about the hostages, really focuses on the humanitarian effort of any group, that we value life, and that doesn’t matter what side.”
If this was only a humanitarian effort then why did the group that held the event on Thursday not talk about all of the Palestinian civilians that have been killed (roughly 11,000) since Israel’s retaliation for the Hamas attack on October 7. And why didn’t the group call for a ceasefire, which would only improve the chances of Hamas releasing the hostages. The continued Israeli aerial and ground assault in Gaza and the West Bank, with US diplomatic and weapons support, will not help the chances of releasing the hostages being held by Hamas.
For me, this event held in Grand Rapids last Thursday was clearly a Pro-Israel event, that only focused on Israeli lives, which used resources provided by a national Pro-Israel organization, and the only person interviewed in the story is the founder of a Kent County pro-cop organization. Lastly, it is worth noting that WOODTV8. or any other local news agency, did not cover the admittedly Pro-Palestinian vigil/City Commission action on Tuesday.
Always Follow the Money: Campaign Finances for State Representatives and State Senators from West Michigan in 2023
This will be my last post dealing with campaign finances for this quarter. I want to focus on campaign finances for area State representative and State Senators, including the total they have raised so far and some of their top campaign contributors. These numbers will only increase over the next 12 months as candidates will be gearing up for the 2024 elections.
There are 15 people listed below, five being State Senators and the other ten being State Representatives. So far, they collectively have raised $875,000, with a great deal of that money coming from corporate PACs. With one more year of fundraising, it will like put the total for the candidates who are running for re-election between $2 – 3 million, which doesn’t even include how much money their opponents will raise. The campaigns that will challenge these incumbents could reasonable raise between another $2 – 3 million, which would put the total at somewhere between $4 and 6 million.
What if these candidates keep very little of this money for campaign purposes, since so much can be done on social media these days. Instead, what if they all gave the majority, let’s say 75% of what they raised during the campaign to people who really need it – those struggling to afford rent, health care costs, transportation, food and education. Seventy-five percent of the money raised by just the 15 incumbents and their challengers, could be $3 – $4 million. Imagine how much good, and how much press these candidates would receive, by actually providing some relief to thousands of families in West Michigan and making an immediate difference, as opposed to maybe impacting policy, that more often than not is reformist at best.
What we do know for sure is that the companies and the other entities that are contributing significant sums of money to these incumbents know is that they will be buying access and influence with future legislative and policy decisions in Michigan.
State Representatives
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $25,160.00
Top contributors
- Grand Rapids Firefighters Union PAC – $2,500
- McCalvey Merchant PAC – $2,000
- Priority Health PAC – $1,500
- Michigan Laborer Political League – $1,000
- American Federation of State County – $1,000
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $172,352.00
Top contributors
- Jeff Sakwa, Realtor – $1,225
- Michael Callton, Consultant – $1,225
- Amy Herbrucks, Herbrucks Poultry – $1,000
- William Wortz, Public Affairs – $750
- MI Association of Health Plans PAC – $500
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $92,981.83
Top contributors
- Scott Tubergen, Tubergen Construction – $1,075
- Judy Tubergen, Tubergen Construction – $1,075
- ABC PAC, Associated Builders and Contractors – $250
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $30,743.29
Top contributors
- Joshua Griffin, Public Affairs Firm – $1,000
- Ledger8760 Inc, Carbon management – $1,000
- Michigan Manufacturers Association – $500
- Cindy Kreig, not employed – $500
- Michigan Optometric Association – $500
82nd District – Kristian Grant
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $18,410.00
Top contributors
- Joe Jones, Hekima Group LLC – $1,225
- Marlin Feyen – $1,000
- Michigan League of Conservation Vote – $1,000
- Michigan Home Health Association PAC – $1,000
- Shoran Williams, Lawyer – $1,000
- Meijer PAC – $500
83rd District – John Fitzgerald
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $89,100.23
Top contributors
- Michigan Laborers Political League – $5,000
- Joe Tate Leadership PAC – $4,725
- AFSCME Non-Federal PAC – $2,500
- Michigan LCV PAC – $2,000
- Ruth Fitzgerald, Clergy – $1,225
- Meijer PAC – $1,000
- United Health Group Incorporated PAC – $1,000
- COMCAST Corp and NBC Universal PAC – $1,000
- DOW Inc PAC – $1,000
- DTE Energy PAC – $1,000
84th District – Carol Glanville
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $98,982.04
Top contributors
- Joe Tate Leadership PAC – $9,725
- Michigan Laborers Political League – $2,500
- AFSCME People PAC – $1,000
- Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters – $1,000
- Michigan Health & Hospital Association – $1,000
- Michigan Association of Health Plans – $1,000
- Michigan League of Conservation Vote – $1,000
- Michigan Education Partners – $1,000
- Realtors PAC of Michigan – $550
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $33,835.00
Top contributors
- Jordan Dendulk, Dendulk Dairy Farm – $1,225
- Gina DeJong – $1,225
- Marieta Dendulk, Dendulk Dairy Farm – $1,025
- Daniel Barcheski, Grand Ventures – $1,000
- Realtors PAC of Michigan – $1,000
90th District – Bryan Posthumus
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $114,801.00
Top contributors
- CMS Energy PAC – $1,200
- UPS PAC – $1,000
- Molina Health Care PAC – $1,000
- United HealthGroup PAC – $1,000
- Auto Dealers of Michigan – $500
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $14,725.00
Top contributors
- Michigan Action Committee for Rural Electric – $2,000
- Auto Dealers of MI PAC – $500
- ACEC Michigan PAC – $500
State Senators
18th District – Thomas A. Albert
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $17,000.00
Top Contributors
Albert has no contributors for the most recent campaign finance period.
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $20,749.10
Top Contributors
- ACEC Michigan PAC – $1,000
- UPS PAC – $1,000
- Jeff Kirkpatrick, Universal Fire & Casualty Insurance – $1,000
- NFIB MI PAC – $500
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $76,525.01
Top Contributors
- Mcalvey Merchant PAC – $5,000
- United Health Group PAC – $4,000
- UPS PAC – $3,500
- Dykema Gossett State PAC – $2,500
- Consulting Engineers Council – $2,500
- Ford Motor Company Civic Action Fund – $2,000
- Altria Group Inc PAC – $2,000
- NRG Energy Inc PAC – $2,000
- Constellation Energy Corporation – $1,000
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $42,211.21
Top Contributors
- Gerald Abraham – $2,186.13
- Julie Ann Abraham – $1,561.52
- Jim Williams, Williams Distributing – $1,450
- Amanda Williams, Williams Distributing – $1,000
- Comcast and NBC Universal PAC – $1,000
- CMS Energy Employees PAC – $1,000
- Molina Health Care PAC – $1,000
- Associated Builders and Contractors – $1,000
- MI Beer and Wine Wholesalers PAC – $1,000
Total raised so far for this election cycle – $31,753.81
Top Contributors
- Blue Cross Blue Shield – $1,000
- DTE Energy PAC – $1,000
- Comcast Corporation/NBC Universal PAC – $1,000
- Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association PAC – $750
- Delta PAC – $750
There has been an increase in FOIA requests, primarily because of the increased repression by the GRPD against dissident groups in Grand Rapids
On Tuesday, the Grand Rapids City Commission approved an additional $194,942 for the GRPD, in order to hire two more people for their Police Records Unit.
According to the Agenda Packet (page 209) for Tuesday’s City Commission meeting, the GRPD provides the following reason(s) for the increased staff:
Since 2018, the Police Records Unit experienced a 100 percent increase in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. This number continues to rise in connection to GRPD’s use of new technology, such as body cameras and small unmanned aerial systems. Without appropriate staffing adjustments, new gun reform laws taking effect early in 2024—including establishing universal background checks for gun purchases and the extreme risk protection orders package (or “red flag laws”)—will further strain response times and operations of the Records Unit. The Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) Records Unit (Records Unit) requests the addition of two (2) Police Records Specialist (civilian) positions to its permanent personnel roster. The annual estimated cost for these two positions using FY2024 rates at the C-Step is $194,942. These additional staff resources to better manage the workload, combined with process improvements and efficiencies, will improve the responsiveness, transparency, and accountability of GRPD. Failure to adequately staff the Records Unit in response to the current FOIA and records request backlog and in preparation for the additional workload demands anticipated under the new firearms law will result in additional—and avoidable—delays to the detriment of both efficient service to the public and other entities and to the responsiveness, transparency, and accountability of the department. This budget amendment request would appropriate sufficient funding for these positions over the remainder of FY2024. These positions will be projected for the full year in FY2025 and beyond as part of the annual budget development process.
One important question we should all ask ourselves about this nearly $200,000 request from the GRPD to add two additional staff is, why has there been a 100% increase in FOIA requests since 2018?
The GRPD request doesn’t provide an answer, and the City Commissioners didn’t raise the question before approving the extra $200,000. As someone who has requested FOIA documents from the GRPD and some who has been the target of GRPD surveillance, harassment and arrest, thus the subject within FOIA documents, I would like to offer up some observations about why FOIA requests to the GRPD have increased since 2018.
After the election of Donald Trump in 2016, the increased repression of the Trump Administration and how white supremacists and white nationalist had become more emboldened, there was a growing desire on the part of activists and organizers to escalate tactics within social movements to both expose the repression of the state and because of the urgency to resist what was happening throughout the country and in Grand Rapids. In 2017, groups like Movimiento Cosecha and GR Rapid Response to ICE were formed in response to the increased activity of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with the anti-immigrant rhetoric coming from the White House. Both of these groups and the larger Immigrant Justice Movement were using more Direct Action to challenge state repression.
In May of 2020, after the more high profile cases of police murdering Black people, plus the George Floyd protest, people began to question and critique the very existence of the GRPD and policing in general. Groups like Justice for Black Lives and Defund the GRPD began organizing and using Direct Action to address the urgent issues around state repression.
Since then there have been other groups that have formed and morphed, especially after the GRPD murdered Patrick Lyoya in April of 2022. Therefore, the increase in FOIA requests is a direct response to the increase in police surveillance, harassment and repression against movement groups that have been using Direct Action as a primary tactic to demand justice.
For example, in 2019, GR Rapid Response to ICE submitted a FOIA request surrounding the GRPD’s role in monitoring and attempted repression of the immigrant justice movement, particularly around the time of the annual May Day march that Movimiento Cosecha had been organizing. A FOIA request was submitted in September of 2019, but documents were not released until January of 2020. However, the majority of the 271 pages received were redacted (linked here), leaving out vital information on what the GRPD knew, who they were targeting and what their plans were to suppress dissent. What follows is a brief analysis of what the 271 FOIA documents revealed.
It is the City’s position that the public interest in the disclosure of this information is outweighed by the public interest in keeping this information private. The core purpose of the FOIA is to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government. Requests for information that involve private citizens in government files that reveal little to nothing about the inner working of government do not serve the core purpose of the FOIA.
Apparently, the GRPD does not want the public to know what they did, and more importantly, how they operate. So much for transparency.
On page 255, the FOIA document states this:
One could certainly make the point that the work of Movimiento Cosecha GR is anti-fascist, but the idea that there are “professional protesters” is just plain ridiculous.
Even more disturbing in the document on page 238, which shows what the GRPD was threatening to do if people marched in the street:
In late May of 2023, GRIID and the Comrade Collective submitted a FOIA request for GRPD surveillance, harassment and arrests of activists and organizing that had begun after Patrick Lyoya was murdered by the GRPD. We requested documentation that covered from the first protest after Lyoya’s murdered in April of 2022, through the first anniversary of his death on April 4, 2023.
The GRPD responded by saying:
A preliminary search resulted in thirteen (13) incident reports and five (5) SRT operation plans. One (1) incident report has been previously released under FOIA. This one (1) incident report is included in this response and produced free of charge.
In addition, they wrote:
Please be advised that due to the amount of FOIA requests we’re currently processing, it is estimated that once deposit payment is received, it will take eight to ten (8-10) months until you receive the final invoice and/or records.
Therefore, it is likely that we will not received the FOIA-requested documentation until January of 2024 at the earliest or no later than March of 2024. Once we have those documents in hand and have had a chance to assess their meaning, we will likely hold a press conference to reveal what the documents tell us about how the GRPD was responding to the movement to demand justice for Patrick Lyoya.
It seems clear to this writer that the only real reason that the GRPD wants to add two more staff people to deal with the increased requests for FOIA documents, is specifically because there is not only greater scrutiny of the Grand Rapids Police Department, but a greater awareness of the ways that the GRPD suppresses dissent in this community.
Grand Rapids residents demanding a cease fire in Gaza are ignored by City officials
Last night more than 100 people attended a vigil in support of the Palestinian people, to mourn those who have been killed during the Israeli assault on Gaza and to demand an immediate ceasefire.
There were a few speakers, some of whom were Palestinians. At one point I noticed that the Grand Rapids officer manager for Representative Hillary Scholten was there with her husband. When three of us were arrested last week for a sit-in at Rep. Scholten’s office we spoke directly with the Congresswoman’s staffer. I would like to think that the conversation we had with her last Tuesday had an impact.
Many people who attended held candles and many more places flowers at the makeshift alter, which had a list of some of the now 11,000-plus Palestinians who have been killed since the Israeli army’s retaliation after the October 7 Hamas attacks. Some people shared stories from the news about the attacks that have targeted hospitals, which have been devastated by the weeks long shelling, while others talked about how people were being displaced, stating that this looked similar to the 1948 Nakba, where 750,000 Palestinians were forced to flee their homes and their land.
As 7pm drew closer, many people began to head into City Hall to speak during the Public Comment period, to express their anger and to share the demands are included in an action alert that have been send to City Commissioners prior to last night’s meeting. Indeed, near the beginning of the meeting, the City Clerk acknowledged that there had been numerous messages they had received from the community, when in fact some 4,400 had already been sent by the time the commission meeting had begun.
A couple of comments stood out to me, while sitting through the nearly 60 people who addressed the issue of what the Israeli army was doing to people in Gaza and the West Bank. There was emphasis on how the $2,815,720.00 in federal tax dollars that in part of the $3.8 Billion would particularly benefit BIPOC communities if it were to stay in this community. Maybe the most heart wrenching comment, came from a young Palestinian, who said, “I am unwittingly supporting the use of my tax dollars to murder my own people.”
The Action Alert, which people can still sign here, said the following:
Nearly a month has passed since Israel began its most recent assault on Gaza in response to legally justified resistance against occupation. As of this writing, this has resulted in over 10,000 Palestinian civilians being killed. 4,000 of them are children.
The international community is calling for an immediate ceasefire, but the Biden Administration has said no. Instead, the US government has signed a resolution in full support of Israel and is proposing to send $14 billion in military aid on top of $3.8 billion in military aid the US provides to Israel annually.
The bombs that are being dropped on Gaza, along with other military hardware, are provided by the US government using taxpayer dollars. We say, NOT IN OUR NAME.
Of the $3.8 billion of US taxpayer money that goes to Israel for military purposes $2,815,720.00 is from the residents of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Residents of Grand Rapids need that money to stay in our community and fund things like housing, public education, and to support BIPOC families who are struggling to survive. (Source: https://uscpr.org/acti…/us-military-funding-to-israel-map/)
Therefore, we are calling on the Grand Rapids City Officials to fight for our city and do the following:
1. Make a public statement in favor of a ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank as specified by UN General Assembly’s Resolution made on October 27th, 2023.
2. To contact Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, along with Rep. Hillary Scholten, to demand back the tax money that leaves Grand Rapids to fund Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land and the current assault on Gaza. That money should stay in Grand Rapids so we can fund critically urgent community needs.
3. To communicate with the public what kind of a response you received from Peters, Stabenow and Scholten.
Unfortunately, several people misunderstood the demands created in the Action Alert, thinking that the City of Grand Rapids had budgeted $2.8 million to be sent to the Israeli government. Several Commissioners themselves had pointed out that this was false information, which it was. However, equally culpable were the commissioners, since it was clear that they had NOT read any of the 4,400 letters that had been sent to them, which clearly stated that the $2.8 million was the amount of federal tax dollars from Grand Rapidians that was part of the annual $3.8 billion the US government sends to Israel to perpetrate the kind of cruelty we are currently seeing in Gaza and the West Bank.
After about 2 and a half hours of public comment, the City Commissioners themselves responded, at least those that had bothered to attend. OF the seven member body, only 4 showed up. Commissioner’s O’Connor, Knight and Perdue were not even present during last nights meeting.
The commissioners who were in attendance, while expressing some sympathy for what was happening to civilians in Gaza, danced around the issue and stated that such matter were out of their hands and that their role was to only deal with what happens in Grand Rapids. Not only was this a bogus response, it once again demonstrated that City Officials ignored very clear demands that they could make happen. After September 11, 2001, City officials did make statements regarding what had happened, even though it was not specific to Grand Rapids. I made the point that the City of Grand Rapids divested their funds from a bank that was profiting off of the oppression in South Africa in the early 1980s because of the Apartheid regime in that country.
City commissioners could have made a public declaration in support of a ceasefire, they could have contacted Scholten, Peters and Stabenow to demand that the $2,815,720.00 in federal tax dollars that leaves Grand Rapids on an annual basis to fund the Israeli government be kept in this community, since as so many people had stated, that there are critically urgent needs right here in Grand Rapids. And, City Officials could make public whatever communication they had with members of Congress as a matter of transparency.
As always, if you want to watch/listen to the public comments from last night’s commission meeting, go to this link. At the 35:30 point in the video is where the public comments about Palestine began. At 3 hours and 18 minutes into the video is when City Officials made their comments.
Always Follow the Money: PHILPAC?
Quite often elected officials start up their own PACs, with the intent of re-directing money to other candidates or the political party that they are connected to. One new Political Action Committee is PHILPAC, which is a PAC created by State Rep. Phil Skaggs. Skaggs is a former Kent County Commissioner and former staffer for David LaGrand, when LaGrand held a state seat. While he was Kent County Commissioner, Skaggs referred to the immigrant led group Movimiento Cosecha’s protests demanding Kent County to end their contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as Bolshevik cos-play.
According the most recent state campaign finance records, PHILPAC had raised $23,550.00. As far as contributions to PHILPAC, there were 15 separate contributions in this quarter of campaign finances. Here is a list of those 15 contributors from the largest to the smallest:
- Realtors PAC 1 $1,450
- Delta Dental PAC $1,250
- Health PAC $1,250
- Blue Cross Blue Shield PAC $1,000
- DTE PAC $1,000
- Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles & Campgrounds PAC $1,000
- Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters PAC $1,000
- Muchmore Harrington Smalley & Associates $750
- Michigan State TROOPERS PAC $500
- Henry Ford Health PAC $500
- Auto Dealers of Michigan PAC $450
- Michigan Association of Counties PAC $300
- Centene Corporation PAC $250
- American Federation of Teachers PAC $200
- Justice PAC $200
As you can see, of the 15 different contributions, 12 of them came from Business/Corporate PACs, two from organized labor (carpenters and teachers) and one from a government PAC. I don’t include the Troopers PAC as labor, since cops are a whole other kind of political animal. Thus, it would seem that the newly formed PHILPAC, by State Representative Phil Skaggs, relies heavily on corporate money, Realtors, the for profit health industry and lawyers. Politicians and candidates who will be taking this money, will no doubt be beholden to the interests of their paymasters.
Always Follow the Money: Grand Rapids Mayoral Candidate David LaGrand
In July, after the campaign finance deadline, GRIID posted a piece on the campaign finances of Grand Rapids Mayoral candidate David LaGrand, pointing out some of the larger campaign contributors, which included folks who are part of the Grand Rapids Power Structure and other influencers. Today, I want to look at the campaign data from the most recent campaign finance documentation for LaGrand, which you can read here.
- Grand Rapids Fire Fighters Union PAC $2,500
- Steve Pestka – H & H Manegement & Development $1,500
- Thomas Schultz $1,000
- Andrew DeBoer $1,000
- Jon Bylsma – Attorney/Varnum $1,000
- Stephen Rechner $1,000
- Marlin Feyen – Feyen Zylstra $750
- Clay West – 17th Circuit Court Judge $600
- Peter Albertini – Realtor $500
- Fred Clowney – Intermet Systems $500
- Jack Hoffman – attorney with Kuiper Oilebeke $500
- Judy Freeman – Consultant $500
- Robert VanStright $500
- Brandon Dillon – Lobbyist with Winmatt Group $250
- Andy Bos – Eastown Financial Services $250
So far, David LaGrand has raised $31,823.65 for his Grand Rapids Mayoral campaign and has spent $8,708.11 to date. It should also be noted that his campaign manager is Richard Williamson, who has run numerous Democratic Party candidate campaigns in pervious election cycles, which is just another indication that local elections are partisan elections.
Lastly, LaGrand’s campaign website does have a section on priorities, but like most candidate platforms, it is brief and rather vague when it comes to where he stands on critical issues. In addition, it is worth noting that on his campaign Facebook page, there have been several inquiries on his stance about critical issues, which have not received responses.
Sixteen essential books that provide historical context on the US, Israel and Palestine
We are all inundated with information, especially about what is happening right now. It is often difficult to keep up with current events, especially since living in a Capitalist system almost demands that we not be informed, that we just consume.
Since October 7, when Hamas engaged in an assault on Israel, the US news media has acted like the assault merely demonstrated that Hamas is nothing more than a terrorist organization and that Israel has a right to defend itself. There has been very limited historical context provided in the news coverage or with the talking heads in media.
While it is urgent that we continue to get current news, information and analysis, especially from independent sources, we need to do the necessary work of trying to understand the historical context of what is happening, both the history of the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians, and the US relationship to Israel. Here are sixteen books that I have benefited from in terms of my own understanding of Israel, Palestine and the US role, especially since 1948. Of course, one can go back further than 1948, but I would argue that if we begin with the Nakba in 1948, all of this history will help us have a better understanding of what is happening now.
- The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, by Ilan Pappe
- Disappearing Palestine: Israel’s Experiments in Human Despair, by Jonathan Cook
- Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917 – 2017
- Decolonizing Israel, Liberating Palestine: Zionism, Settler Colonialism, and the Case for One Democratic State, by Jeff Halper
- Israel/Palestine: How to End the War of 1948, by Tanya Reinhart
- Palestinian Refugees: The Right of Return, edited by Naseer Aruri
- The Fateful Triangle: The United States, Israel & The Palestinians, by Noam Chomsky
- Palestine, Palestinians and International Law, by Francis A Boyle
- Architects of Repression: How Israel and its Lobby put Racism, Violence and Injustice at the center of US Middle East Policy, by Walter L. Hixson
- Ten Myths About Israel, by Ilan Pappe
- The Obstruction of Peace: The US, Israel and the Palestinians, by Naseer Aruri
- Popular Resistance: A History of Hope and Empowerment, by Mazin B. Qumsiyeh
- The Road Map to Nowhere: Israel/Palestine since 2003, by Tanya Reinhart
- Dishonest Broker: The US Role in Israel and Palestine, by Naseer Aruri
- The Punishment of Gaza, by Gideon Levy
- Gaza in Crisis: Reflections on Israel’s War Against the Palestinians, by Noam Chomsky & Ilan Pappe
The problem of conflating criticism of Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza with antisemitism in Grand Rapids
“Definitions of antisemitism that treat criticism of Israel or of Zionism as inherently antisemitic are inaccurate and harmful. The majority of Jews are not Israeli, and not all citizens of Israel are Jewish. Israel is a state; Zionism is a political ideology; Judaism and Jewish identity encompass a diversity of religious and secular expressions and a robust, varied set of traditions, cultures, and lived experiences. The misplaced focus of those who demonize Palestinian rights advocacy while ignoring or defending the antisemitism of white supremacists dilutes the understanding of antisemitism and makes it ever more difficult to fight.” From the book, On Antisemitism: Solidarity and the Struggle for Justice.
There are numerous prominent Jewish groups in the US that conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism. Some of the most prominent groups that conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism are the Anti-Defamation League, Stand With Us, the Jewish Federation and the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
In the most recently monthly newsletter published by the Grand Rapids Chapter of the Jewish Federation, there is an article on page 15, with the headline, Do Not Forget! Anti-Zionism is Antisemitism!
The group Stand With Us, which works primarily on US college campuses, provides students who are pro-Israel with a handbook entitled, The Hasbara Handbook: Promoting Israel on Campus. The word Hasbara is a Hebrew word that essentially means propaganda. In this handbook it states that “it is often better to score points than to engage in actual arguments, and offers an explanation for how, in its own words, “to score points whilst avoiding debate.” One example the handbook provides is to conflate anti-Zionism or criticism of Israel with antisemitism, because this tactic will often silence those who are critics of Israel.
Think about it, over the past month as Israel has retaliated against the Hamas attack on October 7, the most common response lobbed against those who have taken to the streets to criticize Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza, has been that their protests against Israel are antisemitic. In fact, even the protests that are led by groups like Jewish Voices for Peace or If Not Now (Jewish movement critical of Israel) are often labeled as antisemitic or, at times, they are referred to as “self-hating Jews.”
Being called an antisemitic can be a chilling experience and it often results in self-censorship. It is an understandable reaction, because for people who genuinely want to stand against oppression, we can never tolerate antisemitism in our lives nor in the movements we are apart of. We all have to do the hard work of denouncing antisemitism and holding each other accountable when it surfaces. Having said that, we also must pay close attention to the conflation of criticism of Israel to antisemitism, particularly now.
Here are some useful resources that are worth looking at, which will challenge the notion that criticism of Israel is the same as antisemitism.
“Distorted Definition: Redefining anti-Semitism to silence advocacy for Palestinian rights” – Palestine Legal’s extensive resource on the Israel lobby’s attempts to redefine anti-Jewish bigotry
The Israel Lobby: USA – Watch the film the Israel lobby didn’t want you to see, a four-part undercover investigation by Al Jazeera into Israel’s covert influence campaign in the United States
“Palestine and the anxiety of existence” – Steven Salaita on confronting and dismantling the myths of Zionism
“IHRA definition of anti-Semitism silences solidarity” – Rowan Gaudet’s sharp analysis on the weaponization of anti-Semitism to silence Israel’s critics
Lastly, here is recently created short documentary by the group Electronic Intifada, which deconstructs the notion that anti-Zionism is the same as antisemitism.
Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy 