Brandon Dillon Wants to Spend Taxpayers Money Wisely

by: philgoblue

Fri Mar 12, 2010 at 08:13:44 AM EST

Kent County Sending $43,000 in Taxpayer Dollars to Wayne County Business
Commissioner Brandon Dillon's Local Vendor Preference Policy would have kept money in Kent County

(Grand Rapids)- At today's Kent County Commission meeting, Commissioner Brandon Dillon (D-Grand Rapids) spoke out against a recent decision by the Kent County Purchasing Department to award 2 contracts for pick up trucks to a Wayne County auto dealership. The two contracts, totaling just under $42,976 were awarded to Red Holman Buick, located in Westland, MI, even though two local dealers (Tony Betten Ford and Fox Ford) submitted bids that came in at a total of $43, 302, a difference of just $226 or less than .005% over the out of county bid.

"This is outrageous ," said Dillon. "What we are doing is using locally generated taxpayer dollars to subsidize economic activity on the other side of the state."

According to information provided last year by the Kent County Purchasing Department, over 60% of county contracts are currently awarded to businesses outside of Kent County . Commissioner Dillon recently introduced a resolution, currently pending before the Finance Committee, to give local vendors a chance to match a low bid when their original bid is withing 5% of that low bid.

"Unfortunately, Kent County businesses and taxpayers are losing out under our current purchasing policy," said Dillon. "The good news is, we have a chance to correct this and keep this money right here at home. Hopefully this recent example will move my proposal along as soon as possible"

Money that stays in our community is re-spent in our community, and so on, and so on. It's basic economic money multiplier. The sales rep at Fox Ford gets a sales commission and buys a bike for his daughter at the new bike store on Division, that business owner takes his family out to dinner at Brann's, the waitress at the resturant pays for cereal for her kids at Meijer (you get the point).  But this won't happen, because of dinosaur-accounting. Instead, that money is over in Detroit.

Brandon's press release for his idea of a Local First Policy in Kent County is on the flip....

Dillon Leads By Example on Pay Cut

by: philgoblue

Sun Jan 03, 2010 at 01:36:42 AM EST

I agree totally that if we are going to ask for wage concessions from our employees we must be willing to make sacrifices ourselves.

The Commission is expected to push a budget that includes $9.7 million in cuts for next year, including the elimination of some 145 positions amounting to 82 full-time jobs.

Tietema Stunt Backfires

by: philgoblue

Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 22:48:01 PM EST

Now, I'm not sure why Tietema only went after Brandon Dillon. Tietema doesn't even live in Dillon's district (he lives in BobSynkland).  Other County Commissioners voted to fund farmland preservation.  And, heck, Dillon isn't even on the Finance Committee that voted today. So, Tietema's move is more than a little ham-handed.

In addition, it was a bipartisan vote in the Commission's Finance Committee: Yes votes came from Grand Rapids Democrats Jim Talen, Carol Hennessy, Dick Bulkowski and Republicans Dean Agee (Grand Rapids Township) and Gary Rolls (Ada).  So, again, Libertarian Dan is on the extreme of even today's Republican party.  Today Tietema has proven again that he's out of touch with mainstream Grand Rapid's voters

Now, it's clear Dan is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He appears to confuse the Grand Rapids City Commission with the Kent County Commission.

He mentions "the 69 Firefighters and Police Officers" that will be laid off under the proposed Grand Rapids budget.  Dan, County Commissioners don't control the City budget. Got it?

Then, Tietema just flat out makes stuff up claiming that the measure will lead to a "tax increase." This is completely false. The County would be spending money already in the treasury and there would be no tax increase to fund the modest $275,000 program.

All this makes it too easy for Commissioner Dillon:

"It's ironic that somebody who advocated a tax structure [the "flat tax" would create a new 30% federal sales tax -- or a new 10% Michigan tax if done only in our state -- on goods and services -- phil] that would dramatically increase taxes on seniors and middle-class families would criticize spending on economic development. We're making an investment in the one industry that's shown growth during the past 10 years in Michigan."

Ouch! That left a mark.

But, wait, that's not all, Tietema isn't even apparently against the PDR (Purchase of Development Rights) program:

"At this point, I don't want to come out for it or against it."

Are you kidding me Dan?  Are you flip-flopping or uninformed ... or confused?

I mean, if Dan really wants to save some money, don't take it away from a bi-partisan program that has a proven track record of success in numerous counties throughout America. Instead, Tietema could take it out of the $1-2 million give-a-way to his buddy Peter Secchia.

So, push back against the old Libertarian-Republicans -- Tietema, Dick Vander Molen, Harold Voorhees, and Art Tanis -- and make sure this stunt continues to backfire.
Sign the petition in support of farmland preservation:

We, the undersigned, encourage the Kent County Board of Commissioners to allocate County funds for the Purchase of Development Rights program.

Analysis of the 75th State House District

by: pbratt

Sun Nov 29, 2009 at 22:30:56 PM EST

http://i303.photobucket.com/al...

75th State House District

The 75th State House District covers the eastern portion half of Grand Rapids. The district has existed in a slightly modified form since 1972, with modifications occurring after each census redistricting. Despite Grand Rapids' image as a conservative bastion, Democrats represented the district until the mid-1980s, with Jelt Sietsma, Steven Monsma, and John Otterbacher serving state house districts that covered eastern Grand Rapids during this period. In the mid-1980s as Grand Rapids became increasingly conservative, Republican Vern Ehlers (1983-1985) and Richard Bandstra (1985-1995) successfully held the eastside Grand Rapids seat, which remained in the GOPs hands during the 1990s and early 2000s under William Byl (1995-2001) and Jerry Kooiman (2001-2007). The republicans who represented the 75th District were a largely different breed than the largely suburban Michigan Republican Party (MRP), claiming moderation in economic issues, promoting urban revitalization, and public education. This tradition ended with the 2006 election, in which the GOP ran social conservative Tim Doyle for the seat. Doyle, who in tandem with the MRP, ran a race-baiting campaign against Democratic candidate Robert Dean, was stunningly upset Doyle by a 51% to 46% margin. Dean handily won reelection in 2008 in a strongly Democratic year (see the 2008 Democratic Baseline in Map 1), besting Republican candidate Dan Tietema with 59% of the vote.  

While the Democratic resurgence in recent years is in large part due to the changing political environment on the state and national level, the demographics of the district have also been changing. The growing Hispanic population on the southwest side of the city, the revitalization of Cherry Hill and Eastown, the slow decline of the 1st ring suburbs on the south side Grand Rapids and Wyoming, and the fading of the CRC political/religious presence in the Third Ward of the city has changed Grand Rapids over the past decade, and the full implications of this transformation will only be visible with the tabulation of the 2010 Census.  

Grand Coalition Formed in Kent County

by: philgoblue

Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 19:03:56 PM EST

This evening, as I write, Republicans and Democrats on the Kent County Commission are holding a press conference to announce a new bi-partisan power-sharing agreement and a new way of doing business on the Commission.

You read that right: The Kent County Commission will be led by an alliance of Pragmatic Republicans and Democrats.  The Old Guard Libertarian-Republicans, aka Morgan and the Peripherals, have been ousted.  A new day has dawned in our beloved county.

Background: Democrats won three seats last Tuesday, giving the board a 11-8 Republican majority.  However, it appears that the 11 Republicans have been unable to come to an agreement on who would be Chair, Vice Chair and Chairs of the leading Commission Committees.

Instead, there will be a bi-partisan structure and this should lead to bipartisan solutions to county problems. It is expected that under the bi-partisan agreement, during the two years, the Commission will be based on the following:
* The Commission Chair will be a Republican.
* For at least one year, a Democrat, maybe someone like Dick Bulkowski, will be Vice Chair of the Commission.
* The two main Committees are Legislative and Finance. Republicans will probably Chair one of those committees with a Democrat probably chairing the other.  The vice chairs of the committees will come from the other party.
* Both Parties will share power on appointments to County boards in proportion to their elective strength.
* Board membership will be distributed amongst the boards in ratios similar to the makeup of the entire Commission.

This'll be the first time in the history of the County that Democrats will be in leadership positions in the Kent County Commission.

As I understand it the leaders of the Pragmatic Republicans are Dean Agee (R-Grand Rapids Township) and Gary Rolls (R-Cannon Township).  They are basically ousting the Old Guard Libertarian-Republicans previously led by Roger Morgan (R-Rockford), though Richard Vander Molen (R-Kentwood, who won by just 250 votes) was expected to take control of the Republican caucus before the election.

The new majority put out the following press release:

Kent County Leaders Respond to Voters

With voters in the last two elections sending a strong message that the politics of the past must be put aside to face the challenges at all levels of government, Kent County leaders are announcing a bold plan to change the way the county does business. County Commissioners Dean Agee (R-Grand Rapids Township), Brandon Dillon (D-Grand Rapids), Gary Rolls (R-Cannon Township), and Dick Bulkowski (D-Grand Rapids) are announcing an agreement to forge a bi-partisan consensus and cooperation on the many challenges that face the 4th largest county in the state.

"It is clear that voters are looking for all of us to put aside our differences and work together to get things done", said Agee.  "This year, one third of the incumbent Board members were defeated in primaries or in the general election.  The public wants change."  

Dillon echoed and applauded Agee's commitment to bi-partisanship. "Kent County is changing and we must not forget that the ultimate responsibility we have as elected officials is to all the voters, not any one political party. By working together, we can start to put the divisions aside and make some positive steps towards a more open and inclusive decision making process."

Decision making, long done in closed "leadership meetings", will be more open with greater participation by all board members.  "The decision process may take a bit longer, but by being done in the open, and with more participation, we expect better results," said Rolls.

Committee assignments will be more equitable along with leadership opportunities for members of both parties.

A majority of the Democratic and the Republican Commissioners have indicated that they support the plan.  "As the majority party, there is a lot of arm twisting going on by some Republican commissioners" stated Agee.  "However, I have spoken to over two dozen Republican leaders over the past week and they agree that this is the right thing to do for the citizens of Kent County."  

The plan will become official based on the Board of Commissioner's vote on leadership at its January 8th meeting.

This new Coalition Government is clearly in the best interests of the citizens of Kent County.  Now, finally, we'll have a Commission that actually governs, one that actually legislates.  That'll mean farmland preservation, smart growth, some movement on public transportation, a compromise on septic system inspections, greater cooperation (rather than outright hostility) between the County and Grand Rapids City (including probably a better compromise on per diem jail fees), even some movement on alternative energy, etc.  This county is going to grow once the recession in America and Michigan is over, and it could very well see incredible growth that keeps and expands our quality of life if we had a Democratic majority on the Commission. But, we'll do far better with a Democratic-Republican Coalition than we would have with a continuation of the Libertarian Township Majority of the past.

I believe those at the press conference will be:
Republicans Dean Agee, Gary Rolls, as well as newcomers Tom Antor and Bill Hirsch. It's still unclear what Republican newcomer Stan Ponstein and incumbent Sandi Frost Parrish will do.
All Democrats are on board, with six scheduled to be at the press conference: Brandon Dillon, Dick Bulkowski, Carol Hennessy, Jim Vaughn, Jim Talen and Keith Courtade.  Thus the new majority has at least 12 votes out of a Commission of 19 members.

Clearly on the outs are former Chair Roger Morgan, would-be chair Richard Vander Molen, Arthur Tanis (R-Walker), Ted Vonk (R-Belmont), and Cabana Boy Voorhees (R-Wyoming).

Clearly this was possible because of the collapse of the Old Guard Libertarian majority in 2008. Six of their 2006 majority are not returning to the 2008 Commission.

* Fritz Wahlfield in District 2 lost in the primary and general election (as a write in) to pragmatist Republican Tom Antor.
* Marvin Hiddema in District 7 retired and was replaced by a pragmatic Republican Stan Ponstein.
* Jack Boelema lost in the general election to Democrat Keith Courtade.
* David Morren, former Chair, in District 10 lost in the Republican primary to farmland preservationist Bill Hirsch.
* Harold Mast in District 12 lost in the general election to Democrat Pete Hickey.
* Grand Rapids enabler Nadine Klein (endorsed by George Heartwell) lost in the general election to Democrat Bob Synk.

Now, the Pragmatic Republicans must be under tremendous pressure from the Old Guard in the Kent County Old Party, especially "Cookie Lady" Vorhees, Dick DeVos, etc.  However, despite their pleas and threats, glasnost has come to Kent County.  This is a brave move on the part of the Pragmatists and could signal a new approach from Kent Republicans -- one that Democrats should be pleased to see.  We finally have a negotiating partner.

I've got to run, y'all can speculate on the motivations for the Republicans and Democrats in forming this Coalition Commission.

Announcing the Rising Dozen and Your Picks Poll

by: philgoblue

Fri Oct 24, 2008 at 12:37:34 PM EDT

We'll we'd meant to get this going back in Labor Day, but stuff always gets in the way at our little all-volunteer group blog.  Still, we wanted to get it out and since TODAY is the final financial filing deadline for Michigan State House races, this seems like a last change opportunity.  

So, we're now announcing nine of our Rising Dozen candidates for 2008.  Each editor has picked three candidates in their coverage area.

But you -- our beloved readers -- also get to pick three candidates in the poll below to get us up to a dozen.

We're always going to write about our candidates as much as possible, but these, for a variety of reasons our the ones we really want to highlight.  The reason? They're in important and tight races -- they are helping West Michigan Democrats Rise.  There are some other great candidates out there who are close friends of WMR -- Roy Schmidt and Robert Dean (though you can vote for the Reverand in the poll since others may see this as a closer race than I do) -- come to mind, but they're in races that they are going to win, and we want to allocate our few resources to where they will have the greatest benefit.

We encourage you to support these Rising Dozen candidates with your volunteer efforts and by throwing them some cash to pay for those final mailers, radio ads, etc that help push close campaigns over to victory. Some of these candidates now have ActBlue pages so you can give to them via our Rising Dozen ActBlue Page.  When you give to via ActBlue, the candidates get to use the money immediately.  So, show these candidates who have worked so hard for so long that the readers of West Michigan Rising support them!

The Rising Dozen ActBlue Page

Our goal is $1000 in one week.  We get about 2,500 readers a week and we have over 240 readers with accounts.  We can do it, but only with your help. Yes We Can!

So, here they are The Rising Dozen for 2008 an order I put them in.

Dan Scripps
Michigan State House District 101: Leelanau, Benzie, Manistee, Mason Counties
WMR State House Ranking: #6
Dan Scripps Website
WMR Stories on Dan Scripps
WMR Stories by Dan Scripps
Donate to Dan via the WMR Rising Dozen ActBlue Page

Bruce Hawley
Michigan State House District 73: northern Kent County
WMR State House Ranking: #10
Bruce Hawley Website
WMR Stories on Bruce Hawley
Donate to Bruce via the WMR Rising Dozen ActBlue Page

Judy Truesdell
Michigan State House District 78: Berrien and Cass Counties
WMR State House Ranking: #8
Judy Truesdell Website
WMR Stories on Judy Truesdell
Donate to Judy via the WMR Rising Dozen ActBlue Page

Brandon Dillon
Kent County Commission District 18
Brandon Dillon Website
WMR Stories on Brandon Dillon
WMR Stories by Brandon Dillon
Candidate Profile on Brandon

Fred Johnson
US Congress District 2: Allegan, Ottawa, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Mason, Benzie, Lake, and Wexford Counties
Fred Johnson Website
WMR Stories on Fred Johnson
Donate to Fred via the WMR Rising Dozen ActBlue Page

Julie Rogers
Michigan State House District 61: Kalamazoo County
WMR State House Ranking: #7
Julie Rogers Website
WMR Stories on Julie Rogers
Donate to Julie viaher website

Mike Huckleberry
Michigan State House District 70: Montcalm and Ionia Counties
WMR State House Ranking: #9
Mike Huckleberry Website
WMR Stories on Mike Huckleberry
Donate to Huck viahis website

Mary Valentine
Michigan State House District 91: Muskegon County
WMR State House Ranking: #5
Mary Valentine Website
WMR Stories on Mary Valentine
Donate to Mary viaher website

Don Cooney
US Congress District 6: Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Cass, Berrien, Van Buren Counties
Don Cooney Website
WMR Stories on Don Cooney
Donate to Don via the WMR Rising Dozen ActBlue Page
MI-6)

The group from which you our readers will pick three to add to the Rising Dozen is in the diary below, but the list is on the flip.

Help Push Brandon Over The Finish Line

by: philgoblue

Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 10:40:39 AM EDT

Brandon really is one of the smartest Democrats in Kent County and with the changes coming to the County Commission it's absolutely vital that we have him in there as a strong voice in our caucus and commission.

So, join me and the heavy hitters on the host list tomorrow at

The Race to the Finish Line Fundraiser

Thursday, 25 September
1424 Edith NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505
5:30-8:00 pm

Palin Impact on Key Races

by: Harris

Thu Sep 11, 2008 at 01:51:14 AM EDT

The rough outlines of her appeal seem to be clear: her faith-tinged populism appeals to and motivates the GOP social conservative base.  Her celebrity dynamism which proves so attractive to young voters, suggests that she may also act as a positive draw for voters with social conservative leanings.  

SH-73, North Kent County
The district has a strong social conservative bent as it is, with Dems as likely to share something of the flavor (e.g. stance on abortion) as their Republican neighbors.   The risk rather comes with increased turnout. Palin's candidacy certainly creates headwind for Bruce Hawley.

Precincts at risk for Dems (Social Conservative -, Dem +, Turnout -):
City of Cedar Springs, Nelson #3, Plainfield Charter #10, Plainfield Charter #11, Plainfield Charter #3, Plainfield Charter #4, Plainfield Charter #5, Plainfield Charter #8, Plainfield Charter #9, Sparta #1, Spencer #2.

Precincts where Palin confirms GOP status (GOP+, Social Conservative +)
Algoma #1, Algoma #2, Algoma #3, Cannon #6, Courtland #2, Courtland #3, Nelson #2, Oakfield #3, Plainfield Charter #2, Plainfield Charter #7, Sparta #2, Sparta #3, Tyrone.

SH-75, east side of Grand Rapids
There is little of direct threat to incumbent Robert Dean within the city.  More troubling for the Democratic incumbent will be the strengthening of the GOP base in a sizeable number of the precincts.  Many of these same precincts in the Third Ward also make up County Commission 19 - this is bad news for Bob Synk who is working hard to unseat incumbent Nadine Klein.  Brandon Dillon, incumbent in CC-17, may also encounter some headwind, though it remains to be seen what kind of pull Palin has with Catholic social conservatives like those in the Second Ward.

Precincts at risk for Dems (Social Conservative -, Dem +, Turnout -):
2-34, 3-45, 3-55

Precincts where Palin confirms GOP status (GOP+, Social Conservative +)
2-37, 2-38, 2-43, 2-44, 2-45, 2-46, 2-47.
3-7, 3-31,3-38,3-39, 3-42, 3-43, 3-53, 3-54, 3-56, 3-57.

Support Your Local County Commission Candidate

by: philgoblue

Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 15:19:12 PM EDT

So, in that vein, here are three upcoming reception/fundraisers where you can meet and support some of our best County Commission candidates in Kent County (please add information on your county commission races in the comments):

Carol Hennessy
Kent County Commissioner, 14th District
11 September, Thursday, 5:00-7:00 pm
Knights of Columbus Hall
1140 Muskegon NW (off Leonard St), Grand Rapids
Suggested Donation: $25
Info: 453-9167

Bob Synk
Kent County Commission Candidate, 19th District
17 September, Wednesday, 5:30-7:30 pm
3446 Devon Dr. NE, Grand Rapids
Information: 942-8067 or website

Brandon Dillon
Kent County Commissioner, 18th District
Race to the Finish Line Fundraiser
25 September, Thursday, 5:30-8:00 pm
Home of Tom and Anne Krenselewski
1424 Edith NE, Grand Rapids
Suggested Donation: $50 (or whatever you can afford, large or small)
Information: website

Walking with Brandon and Roy

by: philgoblue

Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 13:54:42 PM EDT

This past Saturday I did a little door-to-door canvasing with Roy Schmidt, Brandon Dillon, and Brandon's brother Brian.  On a beautiful, sunny day, the four of us walked through a nice neighborhood of well-maintained single family homes near Leonard and Fuller in north Grand Rapids.  Although we were only out for a few hours, we had good success in this mostly Democratic neighboorhood.  Brian
and I mostly did a brief,

"Hi, I'm x and I'm out talking to neighboors on behalf of Brandon Dillon -- your County Commissioner -- and Roy Schmidt, who is runninig for Mike Sak's State House seat since Mike is termlimited. ... They'll be back themselves later in the fall, but they hope you'll have the time to read these introductions [hand the two lit pieces].  Thanks, have a great day."

We also tried to get OKs for yard signs from folks who had done so for Brandon last election or from new folks who seemed enthusiastic.  Of course, the candidates themselves did better at the door and they got a bunch of acceptances for yard signs to go up later in the fall.  Both Brandon and Roy were great at the door and obviously have a comfortable way with people.  It's both nice to see Roy with one of the strongest Democrats in Kent County and to see Brandon with our future State Representative.

Brandon had a nice lit piece with his slogan "Honest Leadership. Better Government" prominent along with the website.  Inside, Brandon extolls his love of family and community and then gets down to stressing his opposition to unfair new fees, supporting greenspace preservation, pushing for "smarter development strategies for Kent County," and making sure the city "gets its fair share of county resources" (a "core cities vs. outlying townships" theme I think all Democratic candidates in GR, Kentwood, Wyoming, etc should be pushing).  He also included a joint quote from Rosalynn Bliss and David LaGrand the two city commissioners from the second ward which heavily overlaps with Brandon's 18th district.  On the back he's got his list of endorsements including state representatives Sak and Dean, four city commissioners, all the Democratic county commissioners (save one, one guess which), the County and City police union, the city firefighters, Scott Bowen, Alicia Pestka (for Steve who is a former State Representative and now a judge), Lupe Ramos-Montigny, Frank Lynn, Roy Schmidt himself, many others, and finally some guy named Phil Skaggs (I'm sure I'll get bumped for more important people later, but for now, it's nice to be included).

Roy's lit piece is extremely fansy and 8 pages!  It's mostly an introductory piece -- the title is "Hi, I'm Roy Schmidt.  It's probably for folks outside GR's Ward 1 where he was a city commissioner for 16 years.  It's not the easiest to find, but it does say "Democrat" on the front page.  The piece has a lot of feel-good photos of Roy listening to constituents.  But, he does talk issues -- solid Democratic issues --, stressing restoring some Revenue Sharing from Lansing to the cities, keeping school funding from Lansing at a level to insure good schools, taking a strong stand to protect Great Lakes water, creating jobs, and making "healthcare affordable and available to every family."  Unlike the webpage, it doesn't stress some level of post-partisanship and thankfully leaves out the "two great parties" part.  Overall, I continue to be impressed with the campaign Roy is running.

Later, the four of us went to a Creston Neighborhood Association cookout for hotdogs, brats, and some handshakes.  The Creston NA is extremely active and a great bunch of folks.  Brandon and Roy headed down to the Water Festival (dang, thtese guys work hard) while I headed off to a brief visit to the Grand Rapids Obama Headquarters which I'll write about later today.

We had a great time and I got to know Roy and Brian better.  I'm convinced Roy is a smart campaigner and elected official and will do Democrats proud in Lansing.  Roy is running hard and that's a good thing.  A blowout election would make this seat safe for us for decades and a big win, with a well-funded campaign that can donate some of that to other (including, hopefully West Michigan) Democratic candidates means that Roy will be in a position to quickly get into and move up the leadership ladder since he's got Mike's big shoes to fill.  Still, don't expect this one to end up too close.  Word is that his Republican "challenger" didn't even bother to show up for the Chamber of Commerce endorsement interview.  So, he can't be running that hard (he also apparently doesn't have a website).

Schmidt, Hennessy, Dillon, Bulkowski and Talen Win GR Chamber of Commerce Endorsements

by: philgoblue

Wed Jun 25, 2008 at 15:14:08 PM EDT

While we wouldn't encourage you to support any of their other endorsees -- uh, don't vote for Jack Hoogendyk -- it is interesting to note that the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce has endorsed five Democrats among their 37 endorsements for US Senate and House, Michigan House, Kent County Commission, and Kent Drain Commission.  Those being:

* Roy Schmidt, State House District 76
* Carol Hennessy, Kent County Commission District 14
* Brandon Dillon, Kent County Commission District 18
* Dick Bulkowski, Kent County Commission District 15, and
* Jim Talen, Kent County Commission District 16, who is running against sitting Commissioner Paul Mayhue in the Democratic primary.

Certainly endorsing Schmidt has no down-side because he's going to win Sak's old seat with about 60% of the vote.  The endorsement will also make the reelection of Brandon Dillon and Dick Bulkowski that much more likely and is a blow to their weak Republican rivals.  Still, the most interesting are the other two.  Hennessy is in a tough race against Republican Tom Postmus and the Chamber endorsement will certainly help her win a much deserved reelection.  And endorsing Jim Talen (a former County Commissioner) over current County Commissioner Paul Mayhue is ... interesting.

In their press release the Chamber says it is endorsing "pro-business" candidates, though it is probably about time they realize that a well-regulated marketplace in which business, non-profits, and government at all levels cooperates to grow and develop an economy is far more "pro-business" than just deregulation, privatization and low taxes (which leads to nothing but a crumbling infrastructure surrounding a work force ill equipped for the jobs of today and tomorrow).

Don't think that these good folks have suddenly become DINOs, Schmidt, Bulkowski, Dillon and Hennessy have also been endorsed by the Kent County Friends of Labor (I'm not sure if or who they have endorsed in the Mayhue-Talen race).

From the Safe Schools GREA Teachers Rally

by: philgoblue

Mon May 05, 2008 at 17:33:36 PM EDT

Paul Helder, president of the GREA started the event, noting that teachers are extremely interested in their own and their students' safety.  He mentioned that at a few GR schools students are afraid to go to the bathroom out of fear of violence.

Donna Lutke, MEA associate executive director, stated the obvious: Students cannot learn and teachers cannot be fully effective in an unsafe environment.  Lutke asserted that the teachers' pleas for increased safety have fallen on deaf ears:

"We reached out time and time again to the district leadership. Unfortunately, the district has not been a willing partner."

She noted that teachers simply want to work in cooperation with parents, students, and the district administration to solve problems.  
She stated that she believes this will be possible after the change that she hopes will come on the school board after this Tuesday's election (that brought the crowd to its feet for the first standing ovation).

Doug Pratt, MEA Communication Director spoke next, concentrating on the dropout crisis.  Pratt noted that some kids who are dropping out do so since due to fears about school safety.  Pratt noted that the MEA wanted to engage the entire community to address the problem of high dropout rates.  He encouraged folks to attend the Dropout Crisis Forum on Thursday, 8 May at the Kent Career Technical Center at 155 East Beltline NE, Grand Rapids from 4-6 pm.

Arne Vroom, a 23-year teaching veteran and currently an elementary school teacher spoke about his work on reading the Incident Reports that the GREA acquired via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.  Vroom related that some of the reports are chilling and that though he is in a safe school, he understands why some teachers feel unsafe and fear for their students.  He mentioned how sad he is that some of his own friends are taking their kids out of GRPS schools due to safety concerns, especially the increase in gang violence in the past few years.  Vroom noted that GRPS test scores are up and new buildings are being constructed, yet enrollment continues to decline.  He suggested that violence and the district administrations attempts to sweep concerns under the rug are part of the reason for those declines.

(more on the flip)

Kent Democrats Support Kids; Kent Republicans Don't -- it's that simple

by: philgoblue

Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 11:00:50 AM EDT

Led by Commissioner Brandon Dillon (D, Grand Rapids, KKCD-18), Democrats proposed waiving the new fees on the cash-starved school districts at least until a bill put forward by State House representative Michael Sak (D, Grand Rapids, SH-076) that reduces the fees to just $20 comes up in Lansing or January 2009, whichever came first. Dillon noted that the new state law allows, but does not mandate, the new fees.

Federal law mandates that school cafeterias are inspected twice a year, with the first inspection always waived.  Traditionally in Michigan, the second inspection was also waived, but in a state law approved last fall, county's can now assess school districts the same kitchen-inspection fees they charge for-profit restaurants.  The new fees on our schools will cost school districts about $427 per kitchen each year.  For large districts such as Grand Rapids Public schools, which has over 60 kitchens, the total new cost is around $25,000.  With the average state grant per child at around $7200, that means that we just lost the equivalent of funding for 3.5 kids in Grand Rapids.  In my own East Grand Rapids school district with at least 6 kitchens -- oops, there goes $3000, or say 3 new computers that could be helping educate our kids.  All total throughout Kent County, the total cost to our schools is about $80,000, or about the cost of educating 11 kids.  Now, both the schools and the health department are public institutions. But, we are taking money away from our own children, lowering our investment in the future, and harming the long-term well-being of the county so that money can be transferred from our school district to Kent County coffers which are bursting with a total surplus of $68 million in the bank.  And, here, the Republican majority on the Commission wants to nickel-and-dime our kids.  Shame!

As Dillon put it in an interview with WMR:

"We should be working to direct as much money as possible into the education of our kids."

Voting for the resolution to temporarily waive the new fees were all five Democrats -- Dillon, Dick Bulkowski, Carol Hennessy, Mayhue and Jim Vaughn -- and one Republican, Nadine Klein (it's actually the first time she's voted against the outlying Republican leadership, but it's too little, too late for her).

Commissioner Paul Mayhue noted on Tuesday in front of the county's Legislative and Human Resources Committee that he found it interesting that Republicans had earlier expressed hatred for the Michigan Business Tax (MBT) during a legislative report:

"They complain passionately about the MBT, but when it comes to schools and children, where's the passion."

Voting against the resolution -- and therefore effectively voting to take money from schools and kids -- were Jack Boelema (Wyoming, KCCD-8), Dean Agee (East GR, GR Township, GR City; KCCD-11), Harold Mast (Kentwood and Wyoming, KCCD-12) and the rest of the dogmatists (except Harold Voorhees who had an excused absense).  Democrats, Independents, heck anyone who is for plain good government, get together and turn these jokers out of office and put someone in -- like Bob Synk, Pete Hickey, or Bret Dorman -- who will put our kids and our future ahead of hoarding piles of money.

The Republicans even put forward the argument this morning that the amount of money being discussed was "peanuts" and so small as not to be worthy of discussing.

OK, Boelema, Mast and Agee, which 11 kids in Kent County aren't worth your time?  Now, you may call that hyperbole, but given that schools will have to pass this on in the form of fewer services, higher prices for food, more fees to play sports or be in the band, what we have here is a Republican tax increase on the families of West Michigan.

Candidate Profile: Brandon Dillon, Kent County Commission District 18

by: philgoblue

Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 15:03:31 PM EDT

Here's the first in our series of Candidate Profiles for the 2008 elections.  This will become a kind of template for future Candidate Profiles.  If you are a candidate (or know of one) and want to be profiled, contact us at West Michigan Rising.  We'll try to get to everyone that we know of but the best way to insure you're profiled, is to contact us.

Brandon will be checking in to this post from time to time over the next few days and is happy to answer your questions.  So, just post them in the comments.

Brandon Dillon -- Kent County Commissioner (District 18 - City of Grand Rapids)

Biography

Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Brandon Dillon is the oldest of 5 children. His father, Brian, is a former teacher and administrator at Catholic Central High School, and his mother, Anne, has taught in private and public schools for over 30 years. Brandon Dillon is a graduate of Catholic Central High School and worked his way through Grand Rapids Community College and Aquinas College. In 2000, he received his Masters Degree in Political Science from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusettes.

Brandon Dillon has wide ranging experience in government and public affairs, starting as an intern for United States Senator Edward M. Kennedy and working as a staff assistant for United States Senator Carl Levin. He has worked on dozens of local, state and federal campaigns and in 2002 directed former State Representative Steve Pestka's (D-Grand Rapids) campaign for State Senate (SD-29). He is active in numerous community organizations and currently serves as Chief of Staff to State Senator Jim Barcia (D-Bay City), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. A parishioner at Saint Thomas the Apostle Church, Brandon Dillon lives on Grand Rapids' Northeast Side with his wife Jodie and three children Sean, Paul and Emma.

District 18 - City of Grand Rapids, North-East Side

Brandon Dillon is currently serving in his first term on the Kent County Commission.  In November 2006, Dillon scored a moderate-upset win in a rematch election against Republican incumbent Dan Koorndyk (in 2004 Brandon lost by just 104 votes and took the momentum on to take the seat for the Democrats two years later winning by over 1100 votes).

This seat has been one that has gone back and forth between the parties over the years, dating back to the 1980s.  Dan Pupel (D) held it for awhile, then George Terhorst (R) beat him. Jim Talen (D) beat Terhorst, etc. In 2002 the district was redrawn by Republicans to favor Koorndyk after he won it when it was open in 2000 on his third try.  It used to include Heritage Hill which is a Democratic stronghold. Still, the 18th has trended Democratic from top to bottom since 2002.

2006

2004

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Dan Koorndyk (R-I)	50.4%	6737
Brandon Dillon (D)	49.6%	6633
Total		13,370

2002

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Dan Koorndyk (R-I)	54.9%	4490
Karen Knapp (D)	45.1%	3690
Total		8,180

2000 (previous borders)

2004 Presidential Election: Kerry around 51%
2000 Presidential Election: Gore and Nader votes were just under 50% (Info from Dillon; I'll confirm this later).

In short, the 18th is trending Democratic, but currently it remains a swing-district with maybe a 1-4 point Democratic advantage.

Map of District (District 18 is in pink, click on the link for a larger map)

2008 Campaign

Website: http://www.brandondillon.com/
Primary Opponent: Currently None; Filing Deadline 13 May 2008
General Election Opponent: Currently None; 13 May 2008
Official campaign finance reports: No links for county races. Dillon raised and spent about $16,000 in 2004 and  $27,000 in 2006. Both times Koorndyk spent about the same (according to Dillon).

West Michigan Rising's Interview with Commissioner Dillon

What issues have you and the Democratic Caucus been working on in your first term. Any Accomplishments?

Being in the minority is always tough. However, the most important thing we have accomplished since picking up two seats in 2006 is having a unified message that offers a clear contrast with Republicans on the important issues the county has considered. We have been consistently opposed to more user fees for public amenities like parks and the Zoo. We have been vocal in our opposition to economic development policies that exclude core urban areas like Grand Rapids and we have stood up for the public's right to know about serious public health matters in Kent County. Additionally, we have been very aggressive in pushing for a new approach to the way the County hand out contracts for public building projects.

What are some of your agenda items for the next two years?

The number one agenda item is picking up more seats, which I believe we can and will do in November. With increased numbers, I believe we can begin to tackle long ignored issues like regulating failing septic systems and putting some funding into efforts to curtailing urban sprawl. I would like to see the county become much more proactive in preserving farmland and promoting a countywide public transit system.

[the rest of the interview with Brandon and info on how you can join his campaign are on the flip]