Always Follow the Money: Campaign Finances for Grand Rapids Mayoral Candidate David LaGrand
In late May, for State Legislator David LaGrand had announced that he was running for Mayor of Grand Rapids. LaGrand is the only candidate to announce for the Mayoral seat in Grand Rapids, since Mayor Bliss is term limited and will serve as Mayor until the end of 2024.
The first batch of campaign finance data are now available through Access Kent at this link. Just type in the name of the candidate and you will see that David LaGrand already has 29 pages of campaign finance information for this quarter, which you can see here.
With less than two months of fundraising, LaGrand already has raised $16,329.37. LaGrand had 81 different people contribute to his campaign so far, ranging from $25 to several thousand. Here is a list of people who made contributions of $250 or more:
- Sam Cummings (President of Second Story Properties) – $2,450
- Scott Bowen (Lawyer) – $2,250
- Christopher LaFleur (Executive at LaFleur Marketing) – $1000
- Steven Pestka (President H & H Management & Development Co.) – $1000
- Jeff Shutz (Retired) – $1000
- Anita Eerdmans ( Owner Eerdmans Publishing Company) – $500
- Clay West (17th Circuit Court Judge) – $500
- Aaron Jonker (Consultant) – $500
- Donald Bartel (Retired) – $500
- Gary De Kock (Retired) – $353.45
- Michelle Bartel (Pastor at First Presbyterian Church) – $258.32
- Hal Ostrow (Lawyer with Rhoades McKee) – $258.32
- Richard Stevens (Retired) – $258.32
- Chris Nienhuis (Sales Manager Alta Equipment Company) – $258.32
- Cary Fleischer (Retired) – $250
- Larry Willey (Lawyer with Willey & Chamberlain) – $250
- Kirk Dornbush (Consultant with Elevator Resources) – $250
- Judy Freeman (Consultant with Education Consulting Practice) – $250
- Richa – $250
Now, on LaGrand’s campaign website, he states, “I do not and will not accept money from corporations.” However, it is clear that from his first reporting of campaign finances as a candidate for Mayor of Grand Rapids, that LaGrand will take money from people who own corporations.
Maybe the most egregious example of someone who owns a corporation and has contributed to LaGrand’s campaign is Sam Cummings. The Campaign Finance report says that Cummings is President of Second Story Properties, but Second Story Properties is nothing more than a subsidiary of CWD Real Estate Investment. CWD stands for Cummings, Wierda and DeVos.
GRIID has written about Sam Cummings and CWD in past postings, such as:
CWD and the West MI Power Structure: Part II
One of the biggest looters in Grand Rapids has a problem with the recent protests
In addition, Cummings was a signatory to the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce ordinance proposal that would criminalize the unhoused and just during the July 11th Public Hearing at City Hall, Cummings endorsed the City’s version of 2 separate ordinances that would also criminalize the unhoused. At that Public Hearing Cummings said, “up until recently he was referred to as one of this city’s greatest champions. Now I’m greedy, cruel, mean spirited, I’m a looter.” Sam went out of his way to say hi to me during the Public Hearing, no doubt because I am the person who named him as a looter, especially after he made some ridiculous claims after the 2020 uprising in downtown Grand Rapids.
Now, we don’t know where LaGrand stood on the most recent vote by City Commissioners to adopt the ordinances that will punish and criminalize the unhoused, but it is clear that he has taken money from a member of the Capitalist Class that fully endorsed it.
The short list of campaign contributors above is also reflective of a more privileged class of people, such as business owners, lawyers and consultants. The short list above consists of 19 people, who combined contributed just over $12,000 of the $16,329.37 that the Mayoral candidate has raised.
Now, campaign finances aren’t the only thing we should be looking at, but those with deep pockets don’t contribute without expecting something in return. As a State Representative, LaGrand was the recipient of Chamber of Commerce money, so it will be interesting to see of the Chamber backs him for Mayor. GRIID will continue to report on campaign financing for City, County and State races, since following the money can tell us an awful lot about politicians.
Last night I sat through another Grand Rapids City Commission meeting, specifically because they would be voting on two proposed ordinances that would further criminalize the unhoused. You can relive the drama by watching the meeting at this link.
I don’t have much more to say on all of this, as I am tired, angry and completely disillusioned with the so-called democratic process. What follows will not be the usual analysis we try to provide here at GRIID, rather just a few observations on last nights Grand Rapids City Commission spectacle.
- There were four white dudes who spoke in favor of the ordinances, 2 were people who did not live in Grand Rapids, who were likely Chamber of Commerce members. One of the two non-GR residents said that his female co-workers are constantly receiving cat calls from men who are on the street. I wonder if he was referring to all of the businessmen who frequent plethora of bars in downtown GR, those who objectify women and engage in various forms of assault on those with less privilege?
- Josh Lunger, the chamber’s vice president of government affairs, who presented the initial proposal last December to punish the unhoused, also spoke. Lunger praised City Commissioners and gave them a patronizing pat on the head, especially since the Commissioners had to endure people “yelling at them.”
- And lastly, Chase Bolger, a former GOP State Legislator, who started his own consulting firm, Tusker Strategies LLC. Bolger rambled on about the “workshop” that was held during the 10am Committee of the Whole meeting. I can just see it now, where Chase Bolger was palm pressing with GR City officials and making sure they were committed to adopting these ordinances at the meeting where all the decision are made, before participating in the public commission meeting in the evening, which is increasingly just a formality in the pseudo-democratic process.
- There was a 7 – 1 ratio of people who opposed the ordinances that spoke last night, but since they were all people who didn’t make substantial contributions to elected officials and weren’t members of the Chamber of Commerce, their voices just don’t fucking matter.
- Black women were constantly being chastised, threatened and silenced throughout last night’s meeting.
- The only 2 Commissioners that voted against adopting the ordinances, were both Black women.
- 4 of the 5 commissioners that did vote to adopt the two ordinances that will punish and criminalize the unhoused, have all receive campaign contributions from the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce. Commissioner O’Connor $750, Commissioner Ysasi $1250, Mayor Bliss $1350, and Commissioner Robbins $10,500.
- Right after the vote to adopt the criminalizing ordinances, I got up to leave. Sitting two rows behind me was Rockford Construction’s CEO Mike VanGessel. VanGessel was sitting with another white guy and I just simply said, “well boys, you got what you wanted and what you paid for.” VanGessel is part of the Chamber of Commerce and is the chair of the municipal council, which represents 130 businesses downtown. VanGessel didn’t bother to speak during public comment, as he would prefer to let his money speak for him.
Commissioner Moody, who voted to adopt the ordinances that will punish the unhoused, said that he expects there to be some backlash over this vote. In fact, there will be consequences. If you are interested in applying some pressure against the 5 commissioners that voted to adopt these ordinances, contact the Grand Rapids Area Tenant Union, either on their Facebook page or via their Email. gratunion@gmail.com.
Last week, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution stating:
(1) the State of Israel is not a racist or apartheid state;
(2) Congress rejects all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia; and
(3) the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel.
The vote was 412 for, 9 against and 1 present, demonstrating once again that if you are a member of Congress, one cardinal sin is to speak ill of the State of Israel. Just ask Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who, on July 16th, had called Israel a racist state. The backlash against the US Representative from Washington was swift and harsh.
The national media watchdog group, Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) looked at the news coverage after Rep. Pramila Jayapa made her comment and it is pretty astounding how the mainstream commercial news media is essentially an echo chamber for the decades long US support for Israel. What is equally astounding is the fact that none of the national news coverage ever bothered to verify if the State of Israel is racist. The FAIR article provides ample evidence that the claim that Israel is a racist or an Apartheid State is well founded, citing several human rights reports, such as:
In 2021, Human Rights Watch (4/27/21) published a lengthy report spelling out its determination that Israel had committed crimes of apartheid against Palestinians, which is defined under international law as an intent to maintain a system of domination by one racial group over another; systematic oppression by one racial group over another; and one or more inhumane acts, as defined, carried out on a widespread or systematic basis pursuant to those policies.
HRW explained, for those inclined to split hairs, that this applies to Palestinians because under international law, “race and racial discrimination have been broadly interpreted to include distinctions based on descent, and national or ethnic origin, among other categories.”
Earlier the same year, Israeli human rights group B’Tselem (1/12/21) released a report declaring Israel an “apartheid regime.”
Amnesty International (2/1/22) followed the next year, publishing a 280-page report titled “Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians” that declared that
Amnesty International concludes that the State of Israel considers and treats Palestinians as an inferior non-Jewish racial group.
These reports came about after Israel in 2018 passed a law with constitutional status that declares Israel is the “nation-state of the Jewish people,” and that “the right of national self-determination in the state of Israel is unique to the Jewish people”—in other words, that Israel is not a nation-state for its Palestinian residents, whether accorded citizenship or not, and that Palestinians subject to Israel’s control have no right to self-determination.
As B’Tselem explained in its report:
It is true that the Israeli regime largely followed these principles before. Yet Jewish supremacy has now been enshrined in basic law, making it a binding constitutional principle—unlike ordinary law or practices by authorities, which can be challenged. This signals to all state institutions that they not only can, but must, promote Jewish supremacy in the entire area under Israeli control.
Despite these reports by reputable human rights organizations, the US media didn’t bother to question the “special relationship” that the US has had with Israel for more than 50 years. In fact, this “special relationship” means that the US has made Israel the number one recipient of military aid for decades, with the current annual amount at $3.8 Billion.
In addition to the near unanimous US House resolution in support of Israel, the US Congress hosted Israeli President Herzog, with only a few Democrats chasing to boycott the Israeli leader’s address last week. The 3rd Congressional District Representative, Hillary Scholten, got in line to support the Bi-partisan support for Israel.
In her weekly newsletter, Rep. Scholten wrote:
We also had the honor of hosting Israeli President Herzog to address the House for a joint session of Congress this week. In a time of rising anti-Semitism at home, and increasing instability in the Middle East, it was so important to stand together as a Congress and listen to President Herzog’s words, and discuss how we can work for more peace and justice in the region. I’m looking forward to being able to visit Israel twice in the next year to learn and also serve as an ambassador for West Michigan.
Ok, so it was an honor to host the President of a country that practices apartheid? For those who are unfamiliar with the claim that Israel practices apartheid, I would suggest they read the educational material on the site of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, which is a global campaign. Israel does not provide stability in the Middle East, rather they act more as a cop to prevent popular revolt, plus they are the only nuclear weapons power in the region. For background on Israel’s role in the area, read Phyllis Bennis’s Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer, Jonathan Cook’s Disappearing Palestine: Israel’s Experiments in Human Despair, or Apartheid Israel: The Politics of an Analogy, by Jon Soske and Josh Jacobs. Another excellent resource on the US relationship with Israel, is documentary film Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land.
Also, if Rep. Scholten is planning on visiting Israel, they should meet with the Israeli Human Rights group, B’Tselem, along with spending time at Israeli check points, Israeli prisons and the Israeli Settlements, which the United Nations have deemed as illegal. In fact, the only two countries that consistently vote against claiming that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, are the US and Israel. The rest of the world supports the claims of the Palestinians.
Lastly, it is worth noting that Rep. Scholten, like most members of Congress, has received campaign contributions from Pro-Israeli groups, as is documented by Open Secrets, show here below. While Rep. Scholten is not one of the top recipients of Pro-Israel money, like Michigan Senator Gary Peters, she has only been in the House of Representatives since the beginning of this year.
On the front page of the July 24th print edition of Crain’s Grand Rapids Business, one headline reads, Tighter public nuisance rules create tension, with a subheading that said, Business, civic leaders torn on latest proposals to curb downtown panhandling.
The article, written by Kate Carlson, was in response to the July 11th Public Hearing on the two proposed ordinances from the City of Grand Rapids, ordinances that target the unhoused. The Crain’s article states early on, “Public hearings on the proposals drew a mix of opinions from residents, business owners and local advocates on how the city should proceed in addressing a rise in claims about aggressive panhandling and public clutter caused by the unhoused population.”
The Carin’s article is framed in such a ay as to suggest that there were equal amounts of people in favor of the ordinance proposals and those against. However, the fact was that there were at least a 5 to 1 ratio against the two proposals. Unfortunately, the business press didn’t communicate that reality. Instead, the Crain’s writer interviewed several business owners to get their take on the ordinance proposals, beginning with Rockford Construction CEO Mike VanGessel, who said, “Our city is at a critical point. As chair of the municipal council, which represents 130 businesses downtown, I’m concerned about our future. Businesses and residents are now considering the value of our city as a proposition where they relocate. This is not a simple issue with the unhoused. … The challenges are complex so the solutions are not simple.”
The article does cite one business owner who opposes the ordinance proposals, but it was the owner of Lantern Coffee Bar and Lounge, which doesn’t have anywhere near the leverage that people like VanGessel or CWD Real Estate Investment LLC partner, Sam Cummings. “This isn’t about where people live,” Cummings said in an interview. “It’s about how people behave. We have a group of folks that are making it difficult for everybody to use public infrastructure because they’re making people feel unsafe, they are threatening and overtaking public infrastructure by camping on it.”
While highly privileged people like Cummings complain about a group of people they can’t even name, the unhoused, the poor, they not only don’t offer any real solution to dealing with the root causes of the issues that the unhoused face, they fail to see that their lust for wealth and their financial backing of local and state policies have actually contributed to the current housing crisis.
Of course, none of these systemic issues are explored in the Crain’s article, because the journalist does not and will not question the interests and the actions of the business class in Grand Rapids, nor will they try to make sense of why Grand Rapids has the largest wealth gap in the state. What the debate around the ordinances has exposed is the fact that there is a class war going on in Grand Rapids and the Capitalist Class is winning.
In May, GRIID posted an article about the Billionaire class, their use of private jets and the impact it is having on Climate Change. The article included information about the DeVos/Amway private jets, which are numerous.
The Institute for Policy Studies had released a new study entitled, High Flyers 2023: How the Ultra-Rich Private Jet travel costs the rest of us and burns up the planet. Here are some of the major findings in that report:
- Private jets emit at least 10 times more pollutants than commercial planes per passenger.
- Thousands of municipal airports in the U.S. are funded by the public, but many primarily serve private and corporate jets.
- Since the start of the pandemic, private jet use has increased by about a fifth and private jet emissions have increased more than 23 percent, according to a recent study.
Last week, the Institute for Policy Studies were inviting people to send an Action Alert to members of Congress, specifically to the people who represent Michigan. The Action Alert stated:
This month, Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts introduced legislation that would raise the tax on private jet fuel, generating $1.3 billion a year to fund sustainable transit for the rest of us. Ask your representatives to sign on to sponsor this legislation. Click ‘START WRITING’ to send a direct message to your representatives now. We provide a message you can customize, and we’ll deliver it once you’re done! You can also read more about the bill here.
I signed the Action Alert on July 20th, and then received a response from Senator Stabenow on July 21st. Here is Senator Stabenow’s response:
Thank you for contacting me to express your support for policies that advance clean energy, promote conservation, and address the climate crisis. I share your commitment to protecting our environment, and I am grateful for your strong advocacy.
The science is clear: Global climate change poses a real threat to Michigan and our world. That’s why I proudly supported the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169), the strongest federal climate legislation in U.S. history. This historic legislation puts the country on track to reduce emissions by about 40% over the next 8 years. Paired with funding from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58), this legislation will lower energy costs, create good-paying jobs, and invest in our nation’s most vulnerable communities.
As a member of the Senate Finance and Environment and Public Works Committees, I have authored legislation to bring clean-energy vehicles to market, spur investments in renewable energy sources, and ensure our nation leads in clean energy technology manufacturing. I remain laser-focused on advancing these policies, and will continue to lead efforts to eliminate taxpayer subsidies for the oil and gas industry.
You can count on me to keep fighting for climate policies that combat harmful emissions, create good-paying American jobs, and ensure an equitable transition to a clean economy.
While the response from Senator Stabenow affirms my stance and has all the right rhetoric, she never acknowledges, nor commits to supporting the “FATCAT Act” (standing for Fueling Alternative Transportation with a Carbon Aviation Tax), which would hike fuel taxes on private jets from the current 22 cents a gallon to $1.95 per gallon. This would effectively increase the cost to $200 per metric ton of private jet CO2 emissions.
Senator Stabenow is term limited, so she has nothing to lose by supporting legislation that would tax the Billionaire Class that has their own private jets. Instead she spends most of her Email response by telling me what she has done, which has nothing to do with the Action Alert I sent her. I shouldn’t be surprised, since the response I received was probably a pre-written response to people writing about Climate Change issues. Reason number 57 for why I don’t put my faith in electoral politics.
This Tuesday makes it two weeks after the Public Hearing the Grand Rapids City Commission held on July 11th regarding the proposed ordinances that many people, community-based groups and the ACLU believe would further criminalize the unhoused.
At the upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, Grand Rapids City officials will be discussing some slight revisions to the language of the proposed ordinances. According to the Committee of the Whole Agenda Packet – page 7 – the language now reads:
Note that the wording changes are both the result of push back from the community, but these ordinances will still negatively impact the unhoused who are not welcome in downtown Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids Capitalist Class endorses the proposed ordinances – Profits over People
Included in the Agenda Packet for the July 25th Grand Rapids City Commission meeting, are numerous communications both for and against the proposed ordinances in question. As we reported during the July 11th Public Hearing, the overwhelming majority of those who spoke were opposed to the two ordinances.
In the July 25th Agenda Packet (beginning on page 59) there are several letters from those who support the two proposed ordinances. Not surprising, those who endorse the ordinances are either members of the Grand Rapids Power Structure or representatives of this elitist group. Here is a list of those elitists:
- Nick Wasmiller – RDV Corp, which is a DeVos-owned company.
- Michael Nelson – Chief Operating Officer for the Amway Corporation
- Robb Mungerm – CEO of the Exodus Place, which we wrote about last week.
- Michael Ellis – President of Ellis Parking, which has made millions from the public and has significantly benefitted from the ongoing transformation of the Grand Rapids downtown to a tourist destination.
- Thomas Tooley – Ghafari Associates is a global architecture, engineering, and consulting firm that only moved into Grand Rapids in 2018, when they acquired Concept Design Group.
- Paul W. Boehms – Executive Director for Warner Norcross + Judd LLP, which is the preferred law firm for the rich and powerful in Grand Rapids.
- Paulus C. Heule – CEO Eenhoorn, LLC, which is a Property Management Company that owns Real Estate in 6 states, including Michigan.
- Greg Schierbeek – President/CEO of Eikenhout Inc., a building materials supplier with 10 locations in Michigan, including Grand Rapids.
- Jerry Kooiman – who works for Michigan State University’s Grand Rapids location, also a former GOP State Legislator, GOP Kent County Commissioner and former staff worker for Rep. Pete Hoekstra and Rep. Paul Henry.
It should also be noted that most of the people on the list above or the organization(s) they represent, also signed onto the letter in support of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce cruel and criminalizing ordinance proposal presented last December.
There were also several letters opposing the two proposed ordinances, along with a list of names (118) that sent digital letters to Grand Rapids City Officials on pages 98 – 101 of the July 25th City Commission Meeting Agenda Packet.
Grand Rapids City Commissioners WILL Vote on the two proposed ordinances endorsed by local elites and opposed by working class people
In looking through the Grand Rapids City Commission Meeting Agenda Packet for July 25, it seems pretty clear that there will be a vote on the two proposed ordinances. 0n page 4 of the Agenda Packet it states clearly – Ordinances to be Adopted, which include the two that were part of the July 11 Public Hearing, identified here with Red Stars.
What seems pretty damn clear from the information that the City has sent out before the Tuesday, July 25th Grand Rapids Commission Meeting, is that not only are they going to adopt these ordinances that will further criminalize the unhoused, they are doing so at the behest of the members of the Grand Rapids Power Structure and members of the Capitalist Class, who in no uncertain terms do not want their ability to make money threatened by people who are unhoused and those who are the victims of Capitalism.
In Howard Zinn’s monumental book, A People’s History of the United States, he constantly juxtaposes the amazing things that people did to fight for liberation and the people behind the systems of oppression that social movements were fighting against.
This is exactly why I have spent years monitoring, investigating and critiquing the DeVos Family. They are the most recognizable and powerful manifestation of the systems of power and oppression in West Michigan. Now, I know there are plenty of people who share the belief that without the DeVos Family, Grand Rapids wouldn’t be where it is today. I fully agree with that belief, but for reasons that are the exact opposite of those who hold the most powerful family in West Michigan in high regard.
Three times a year we try to update our DeVos Family Reader, a collection of articles that looks at the family’s history, the influence on election & public policy, their foundations, how they are reported on in the news media, ArtPrize and the section entitled Betsy DeVos Watch.
This updated version of the DeVos Family Reader includes information and analysis on a variety of topics, since our last update, which was 5 months ago. There have been a total of 11 new articles included in the DeVos Family Reader, including pieces on the outdoor amphitheater, DeVos foundations, their wealth expansion, and an article on what Presidential candidate that the DeVos family might be endorsing.
The DeVos Family Reader is now up to 725 pages of history, analysis and information about the most powerful family in West Michigan.
The 1967 riots in Grand Rapids were a response to police violence, poverty, poor housing and other systems of oppression
July 25th – 27th will mark the 56 anniversary of the riots in Grand Rapids. I know that GRIID has posted about the 67 riots on previous occasions, but it vitally important that we never forget what happened, nor the larger socio-economic context in which the riots took place in this city.
Last year GRIID posted a 5 part series on the 1967 riots, which is covered in my book, A People’s History of Grand Rapids. In today’s post we provide a summary of the 5 part series, with links to the entire article.
Remembering the 1967 Riot in Grand Rapids: What is past is present – Part I. In the first part in the series we discuss what sparked the riot, along with how the Grand Rapids Press reported on it.
Remembering the 1967 Riot in Grand Rapids: What is past is present – Part II. In Part II, we look at how the local TV news reported on the riots and how Mayor and the Grand Rapids Police Chief framed the riots.
Remembering the 1967 Riot in Grand Rapids: What is past is present – Part III. In Part III, we showed several 
photos that were taken during the riots, photos that some media scholars would refer to as the “white gaze,” since the images were all taken by white people and were primarily consumed by white people.
Remembering the 1967 Riot in Grand Rapids: What is past is present – Part IV. In Part IV, we look at the arrest data during those three days of rioting in Grand Rapids (see map on right), along with a report that was produced months later by a City appointed committee. The report was called Anatomy of a Riot.
Remembering the 1967 Riot in Grand Rapids: What is past is present – Part V. In the last part in the series, we look at a series of articles posted on MLive for the 50th anniversary of the riot in Grand Rapids, plus we challenge the claims about how Grand Rapids is doing so much better now to address racial inequities.
Lastly, we provide some comparisons to the 2020 riot/uprising and how the same dynamics exit now that existed in 1967 – police abuse, poor housing, low paying jobs, a lack of investment in Black neighborhoods and the structural racism that exists in this city.
The Political function of Philanthropy: DeVos Family Foundations – The Jerry & Marcia Tubergen Foundation
“In any case, the hidden hand of of foundations can control the course of social change and deflect anger to targets other than elite power.”
– Joan Roelofs, Foundations and Public Policy
For the past 10 years, GRIID has been monitoring foundations in West Michigan, particularly the large family foundations that those who are part of the Grand Rapids Power Structure have created. Our monitoring of local foundations has been part of our larger critique of the Non-Profit Industrial complex in Grand Rapids.
GRIID has been providing information and analysis on the various DeVos Family Foundations, using the most recent 990 documents that foundations are legally required to submit. These 990 documents must be submitted within a three-year period, which is why the 990s that we will be examining are from 2020, since most foundations prefer to submit their 990 documents at the last minute, thus minimizing public scrutiny. So far we have posted articles about the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation, the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation, the Doug and Maria DeVos Foundation, the Dan and Pamela DeVos Foundation and the Cheri DeVos Foundation.
The Jerry & Marcia Tubergen Foundation
GRIID has always begun our Foundation Watch work by looking at the foundations associated with the most powerful family in West Michigan, the DeVos family. Now, Jerry and Marcia Tubergen are not directly DeVos Family members, but they have a long and deep connection to the most powerful family in. West Michigan. The Jerry and Marcia Tubergen was founded in 1998. According to GuideStar, in 2020, the Jerry and Marcia Tubergen Foundation contributed $3,418,635, leaving them with $14,695,875 of funds left in their foundation. To see the 990 document for 2020 from the Jerry and Marcia Tubergen Foundation, go here.
The long standing connection that Jerry and Marica Tubergen have with the DeVos family are as follows. Jerry Tubergen is the CEO of one of the largest components of the DeVos empire, the RDV Corporation. Jerry is also runs the DeVos investment firm, called Ottawa Private Capital LLC. It is also important to point out that Jerry Tubergen is listed as a trustee for every DeVos family foundation, according to the 990 reports.
The Jerry and Marcia Tubergen Foundation made contributions to dozens of entities in 2020, but there are some clear categories of groups they contributed to, such as the Religious Right, Education-centered groups and DeVos created/connected entities. The Jerry and Marcia Tubergen Foundation has a smaller foundation compared to the DeVos family members, but there is some similarities in the groups they fund. Below is a listing of each from these categories, with a dollar amount and a brief analysis.
We also include groups that are DeVos owned or created, along with liberal non-profits. With the liberal non-profits, we believe that funding from foundations like the DeVos family foundations is a form of hush money. When we say hush money, we mean that these entities will not publicly challenge the system of Capitalism, the wealth gap, structural racism and other systems of oppression, which the DeVos family benefits from and perpetuates through their own political funding.
Religious Right
- Center for Faith Sexuality and Gender – $50,000
- Cure International – $1,250,000
- Mel Trotter Ministries – $525,000
- Museum of the Bible – $100,000
- The Colson Center for Christian Worldview. – $25,000
- Young Life – $20,000
Jerry Tubergen sits on the board of Cure International, which is a christian ministry that provides health services for people living in countries in the Global South. Cure International does not challenge or question the political or economic conditions in the Global South and should be viewed a an organization that engages in a form of Saviorism. Mel Trotter Ministries also practices a brand of Saviorism, plus are not interested in solving the root causes of homelessness.
Education-centered groups
- Cornerstone University $205,000
- NorthPointe Christian Schools – $30,000
- Potters House – $30,000
DeVos-owned, created or connected groups
- ArtPrize – $5000
- West Michigan Aviation Academy – $5,000
Groups receiving Hush $
- Heart of West MI United Way – $30,000
- Kids Food Basket – $27,500
- Wedgewood Christian Services – $150,000
Exodus Place ad is not only ignorant of Constitutional Rights, it demonstrates their ideological commitment to Capitalism
Over the past several days, the Grand Rapids-based Christian group known as Exodus Place, has been running an ad on social media (seen here on the right), with a cruel and reactionary message. The text for the ad reads:
The ACLU’s opposition to proposed amendments targeting Panhandling and Loitering in the Grand Rapids City Code is misguided.
“…..allowing people to panhandle & loiter removed the motivation to find a lasting solution.” Exodus Place President and CEO Robb Munger
Ironically, the Exodus Place ad has a Donate Now button at the bottom, which means they are hypocrites, since they too are asking for money for their programing, which is charity based.
The President and CEO of Exodus Place, Rob Munger, founded the organization in 2009. Prior to founding the Exodus Place, Munger was the interim Executive Director at Guiding Light Mission, but before that he was a broker for 20 years.
Like many people who work with programs that try to deal with those who are unhoused, Munger has no lived experience of what it means to not have a place to live and he believes that jog training and entrepreneurism are the path to fighting homelessness. This makes the Exodus Place part of what GRIID has identified as the Homelessness Industrial Complex, which consists of primarily faith-based non-profits that rarely address the root causes of people ending up on the street, plus they tend to practice a form of saviorism. Saviorism consists of people with privilege thinking they know what those most affected need. On top of that, Saviorism avoids addressing systemic or structural injustices, like poverty and racism.
Deconstructing the Ad
As I stated earlier, the ad run by the Exodus Place is cruel and reactionary. I believe it is cruel because it fails to acknowledge and empathize with people who are asking for money.
The ad is reactionary, because it attempts to call out the ACLU. However, if the Exodus Place people bothered to read the 9 page letter from the ACLU, they would know that the ACLU is not encouraging panhandling and loitering, they are merely pointing out the unconstitutional nature of passing laws or ordinances that prevent people from asking for money or from being in public spaces.
In addition, the comment in the ad that says, “allowing people to panhandle & loiter removed the motivation to find a lasting solution.” First, apparently the CEO of Exodus Place doesn’t understand that if people are hurting, there is nothing wrong with providing some immediate relief, like food, water, shelter, and health care. Second, what Exodus Place does is not a lasting solution. Sure, there might be some people who go through their program, are able to find work that pays enough to support themselves and their families, but such notions of “pulling oneself up by their bootstraps” is part of the mythology of American rugged individualism. (See the book, Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream, by Alissa Quart) Most people are poor because so few are so damn wealthy. Those who are wealthy became rich because they exploited workers and communities, often demanding subsidies and tax breaks.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning that in 2011, when the Occupy Wall Street movement was in full swing across the US and in Grand Rapids, there was a pro-Capitalism rally held in December of 2011, a rally that was a direct response to the Occupy Wall Street Movement in Grand Rapids. The call was designed to promote free market capitalism and that is where I met several men who were staying at Exodus Place, because the CEO brought them there to indoctrinate them to lie of Capitalism.
The Exodus Place ad makes complete since, especially since the CEO is a firm ideological believe in Capitalism, and anything that challenges or threats this ideology is seen as an evil that must be squashed.
Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy 