Do you miss George W. Bush?

by: philgoblue

Tue Mar 09, 2010 at 13:41:11 PM EST

The last thing this country needs is more Bushenomics. We're still trying to recover from the Bush Recession. You just don't solve a problem by doing the same thing twice.

Polls Show LaGrand Winning Primary and General Elections

by: philgoblue

Thu Jan 28, 2010 at 11:27:30 AM EST

Polls Show David LaGrand Winning Primary and General Election
LaGrand up 3 to 1 in Possible Democratic Primary Election

Grand Rapids, Mich. January 28, 2010 - Just three weeks after announcing his candidacy for State Senate, two polls released today show former City Commissioner David LaGrand winning a potential August primary and defeating both likely Republican candidates in November. The primary poll sampled 845 likely Democratic voters and places LaGrand 24 points ahead of his potential opponent. The general election poll sampled 1,325 likely voters and shows LaGrand defeating Dave Hildenbrand and Lori Wiersma by an average of 6 points.

Both polls were commissioned by the LaGrand campaign and were conducted by Main Street Strategies, a respected polling and consultant group. The primary poll was conducted on January 20 and the general election poll on January 26.

In the primary poll, of the 845 asked, 37% would vote for LaGrand, 13% would vote for potential opponent State Representative Robert Dean, and 51% were undecided. If the number of undecided voters breaks at a similar ratio, LaGrand would be up 74% to 26% against Dean. The poll has a 4% margin of error.

In the general election poll, LaGrand defeats both Dave Hildenbrand and Lori Wiersma by an average of 45% for LaGrand and 39% for the possible Republican candidates with 16% undecided. Dean, however, loses to both Republican candidates by an average of 38% for Dean and 46% for the Republican candidates, with 16% undecided. The poll has a 3.5% margin of error.

Joe DiSano of Main Street Strategies commented on the polls, "Dean's chances of winning a Senate primary are a very long shot at best. If the Democrats want to win the 29th Senate seat, then the primary voters polled are correct and David LaGrand is the best candidate."

LaGrand, a former City Commissioner, small business owner and father of four is enthusiastic about the results and looks forward to the campaign. LaGrand said, "The polls demonstrate people are responding positively to my message of using West Michigan values, common sense and a strong business background to reform Lansing and create jobs. The campaign is just beginning and there is a lot of work to be done in the future, but I am humbled that so many people in my community trust me to represent them. I will work hard and listen to citizens every day to continue earning the trust and support of the people of the 29th District."

Brandon Dillon Exploring Run for State House

by: philgoblue

Fri Jan 15, 2010 at 07:59:22 AM EST

Brandon Dillon to explore run for state House
2-term Kent County commissioner files paperwork to open exploratory committee

GRAND RAPIDS - Kent County Commissioner Brandon Dillon (D-Grand Rapids) filed paperwork with the secretary of state today to explore a run for the 75th District seat in the Michigan House of Representatives.

Dillon, a two-term Kent County Commissioner, said his proven record of taking on the status quo and reforming government would allow him to have an immediate impact in Lansing if he decides to run for the House.

"We all know times are tough and state government is broken, and it's time we put blind partisanship aside and get Michigan back on track," Dillon said. "As a county commissioner, I have led the charge for critical reforms in the way we do business. People in the Grand Rapids area are demanding bold changes in Lansing , and I will spend the next several weeks listening to their ideas so I can determine if I'm the best candidate to represent our community and help lead Michigan back to prosperity."

Dillon was elected to the Kent County Board of Commissioners in 2006 and re-elected in 2008. During his two terms, Dillon has focused on reforming county government, protecting Grand Rapids  taxpayers and investing in long-term economic development.

During his tenure on the County Commission , Dillon has voted against every tax increase and he has consistently opposed increasing fees for basic county services.

The 75th District seat is held by state Rep. Robert Dean (D-Grand Rapids), who is not running for re-election to the House.

It isn't a huge secret that Brandon's exploring will discover that he will run for the 75th -- unless Robert Dean ends up choosing to run for his third term.
 

Finally, The Press Gets It Right on Farmland Preservation

by: philgoblue

Sun Jan 03, 2010 at 13:38:14 PM EST

Go read the entire thing for yourself, but here are a few highlights:

Kent County commissioners should be congratulated for getting out their binoculars - looking five, 10 and 20 years down the road - and making plans for preserving farmland. Long-term planning and goal-setting can be a difficult thing to do in cruel economies like this one, when programs and people are being cut from county budgets.

But this program is the right thing to do. The preservation effort holds many potential long-term economic benefits for residents: revitalizing cities, preserving farms, fostering the local food and small farm movement, and protecting unique natural landscapes that make Kent County special. It also will prove to be a powerful economic engine, promoting agricultural jobs and helping the region's food processors stay in business and thrive....

The preservation concept has considerable support from both rural areas and cities, and from many Democrats and Republicans. Detractors, notably some real estate agents and home builders, have tried to turn up the heat by suggesting there will be a political cost for those supporting the program....

This isn't just a program for rural Kent County. It also helps Grand Rapids and other cities, which for too long have been hurt by systematic disinvestment. Farmland preservation can help direct smart growth to where expensive infrastructure, including water, sewer, roads and services, already exist.

The only thing I'd have liked to have seen more empahsis on was the real bi-partisan nature of the vote.  This was a historic vote that heralds a new political future in Kent County, and the only thing that made it into the paper until today was Yob's phony poll.  Now, The Press has corrected that unfortunate "reporting."

GR Press: Rick Michigan Party draws west Michigan Faithful

by: pbratt

Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 14:04:53 PM EDT

GRAND RAPIDS - Local Republican leaders are downplaying reports of underage drinking when party leaders gathered last month for their biennial Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island.

The reports, which surfaced on student blogs and online videos, prompted the Michigan Liquor Control Commission to launch an investigation into underage drinking at the urging of state Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer.

Read the full story here:
http://www.mlive.com/news/gran...

Don't forget to read about Calvin College's own Jeff Timmington, who reputed had a frosty beverage while supporting Rick Michigan's campaign on Mackinac Island.  

Kent County Sheriff Stelma Lies To Community

by: KentCounty

Mon Sep 07, 2009 at 00:42:13 AM EDT

Interesting Things Afoot in the Kent County Commission

by: philgoblue

Sun Jan 04, 2009 at 12:25:53 PM EST

Power-sharing deal falls apart as Kent board leadership vote looms by Rick Wilson

and tell you that I'll be at the County Commission meeting on Tuesday morning where the leadership positions will finally be concluded.  I'll have some comments then, but for now, prudence demands tight lips.

Take Action against Israel's War on Gaza

by: brunchandrevolution

Wed Dec 31, 2008 at 13:13:55 PM EST

To date, Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have killed more than 375 Palestinians and injured more than 1,400. Many are civilians, women and children. Many, many more have had their homes and their livelihoods destroyed...yet again.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has vowed "a war to the bitter end." Why? It's an election year. Yousef Munayyer, policy analyst for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, wrote in the Chicago Tribune, "In Israel, it is time to be tough. Not because being tough will stop rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, but because being tough will get you elected. With elections upcoming, the incumbents have a direct advantage over the challengers because they are in the position to create, and act upon, issues of national security to prove their ability to handle these challenges...Israel and Hamas were at their most peaceful state in the history of their coexistence for five months this year. During the Egyptian-brokered truce, aggressive attacks plummeted and for the first time in years, the alarm sirens indicating incoming rocket attacks had largely fallen silent."

Not only is the recent bombing campaign about getting out the vote, US tax dollars are funding it. From 2001-2006, the U.S. transferred to Israel more than $200 million worth of spare parts for its F-16s and more than $100 million worth of Apache helicopter parts. In July 2008, the U.S. gave Israel 186 million gallons of JP-8 aviation jet fuel and signed $1.9 billion worth of combat ships. And, we signed a $1.3 billion contract with Raytheon to transfer thousands of TOW, Hellfire, and "bunker buster" missiles to Israel.

• WE DEMAND AN END TO THE ISRAELI BOMBING OF CIVILIANS!
• WE DEMAND THAT THE US STOPS FUNDING ISRAEL ($3 billion annually) UNTIL REAL NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN AND THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION OF PALESTINIAN LAND ENDS!

Contact the White House, the State Department, your Representative and Senators to protest Israel's war on Gaza. Demand an immediate cease-fire.
• Debbie Stabenow (616) 975-0052, http://stabenow.senate.gov/con...
• Vern Ehlers, Ford Federal Building, 110 Michigan St., Grand Rapids, MI 49503, (616) 451-8383, www.house.gov/ehlers/contact_vern.shtml
• Carl Levin, Ford Federal Building, 110 Michigan St., Grand Rapids, MI 49503, (616) 456-2531, http://levin.senate.gov/contact/
• White House: 202-456-1111 or comments@whitehouse.gov
• State Department: 202-647-6575
• Write a letter to the editor of The Grand Rapids Press, pulse@grpress.com, 150 Michigan NW, Grand Rapids MI 49503.
• Phone into your favorite local talk show.  

The Obama Inauguration Celebration in Grand Rapids -- You're Invited

by: philgoblue

Thu Dec 25, 2008 at 22:46:55 PM EST

Join the Kent County Democrats for an Inaugural Celebration on Saturday, January 17 in downtown Grand Rapids at 7:00 pm at The BOB.  

To buy tickets online through ActBlue or by check, visit our website at kentdems.com.

On November 4 we made history, now it's time to celebrate with a Barack Obama Inaugural Celebration!  

We all know that Barack Obama overwhelmingly won Michigan.  But, did you know that Obama also won Kent County with almost 150,000 votes?   That success was due to the Obama organizers at the Wealthy Street Campaign for Change Headquarters along with the Kent County Democratic Party and all the volunteers and neighborhood leaders.  Thanks to everyone for all their hard work.

However, that wasn't our only success.  Kent County Democrats also:

* overwhelmingly secured the two State House districts with Roy Schmidt's and Robert Dean's victories;
* picked up three more Kent County Commission seats so that we now hold 8 of the 19 districts. Four years ago we had just 3 seats on the Commission.  We've basically kicked the Republicans out of the city with the election of Bob Synk and with the victories of Pete Hickey and Keith Courtade and Bret Dorman's close race, we've clearly moved into positions of strength in Kentwood and Wyoming;    
* helped elect Granholm-appointee Judge Chris Yates to the Circuit Court with a 20 point win county-wide;
* won the county for Senator Carl Levin and kept the race for Supreme Court close so Judge Dianne Hathaway could be put over the top by the east-side of the state.

If you haven't joined us yet, we hope that you will become a member and get active in the local party at this exciting time.  Change is coming to Kent County and West Michigan, so let's celebrate!

It'll be a night to remember.  So, tell -- email, facebook, call, walk over to their office or work -- all  your friends and bring them along too!  We are counting on you to help us spread the word for this festive event.  

If you can find your GR Press in the snowdrift

by: philgoblue

Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 10:29:53 AM EST

Here's the full Polpourri blurb:

Dems feel momentum
Kent County Democrats have a new chairman. Phil Skaggs, a history professor at Aquinas College, succeeds Sue Levy. Skaggs, 40, of East Grand Rapids, says he hopes to build on the party's momentum, including the election of eight Democrats to the 19-member county board. Skaggs is a contributor to the political blog westmichiganrising.com, under the handle "Philgoblue." Also elected were Sandy Smith, first vice chair, a UAW representative with Blue Cross/Blue Shield; small-business owners Sunny Singh, 2nd vice chair, and Fred Clowney, treasurer; and attorney Elizabeth Lykins, recording secretary.

Sure, I would have liked a mention that Barack Obama won Kent County, but I'm glad all the new officers got mentioned.

So, welcome Grand Rapids Press readers! Look around, and maybe consider "feeling the momentum" by going to the KCDP's Obama Inaugural Celebration, 17 Saturday at The BOB (get your tickets at the kentdems.com website -- view the invitation and follow the ActBlue link for online credit card orders or print up the form and send in a check). The full press release that we sent them is on the flip:

Auto Loans from W -- a last minute legacy I'm proud of

by: davidlagrand

Fri Dec 19, 2008 at 13:34:57 PM EST

So here are the stakes: the Center for Automotive Research did a study, and concluded that if one of the Big 3 failed, it would likely drag the others with it, because the failure of one would set off a cascade failure of suppliers, which would feedback and cause other auto makers to fail. Ironicly, the CAR study went so far as to conclude that for about a year no cars would be made in North America by anyone -- including Honda and Toyota. That's because the suppliers are operating on very tight margins, and usually have contracts with several auto makers- so if the company that builds wiper motors for GM loses that contract, it dies, and so does Honda's supply of wiper motors. The effect of this cascade failure would be horrific -- about 3 million jobs lost (about 500,000 in Michigan). Even looking at this simply from the perspective of lost taxes (and that's a really really crude way to look at it of course) the estimate is that govts would lose about 156 billion in taxes just in the first three years from a failure.  The report further notes that it doesn't take into account the additional costs of masses of newly uninsured citizens, which we all pay for one way or another in the end.

There has been a lot of back and forth on this issue, some of it sensible, and some of it not from my perspective.

Update: Now with more on the flip ... and some style edits (phil)

Mr. Schmidt Goes to Lansing

by: philgoblue

Mon Dec 15, 2008 at 23:12:42 PM EST

See you there!

Preparing for the Future of the County

by: philgoblue

Mon Dec 15, 2008 at 18:19:18 PM EST

Last Thursday, George Erickcek, of the Kalamazoo-based W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, gave his annual forecast speech for The Right Place Inc.

Erickcek predicted that the Kent-Ottawa-Muskegon economic area will see a slight decline in growth and jobs in 2009, but slight increases in 2010.  However, he argued that West Michigan is doing significantly better on the economic and jobs front than the rest of the state and is more on par with the rest of the nation. If DC can get their act together, Michigan and America can come out of the recession and West Michigan will lead the way to economic recovery.  Indeed, with the right policies we can still become the model medium-sized city in the entire Midwest.

WMR Gets a Mention in The Press

by: philgoblue

Sun Dec 14, 2008 at 18:12:34 PM EST

The downside, my friend GREA President Paul Helder appears to have been led to refer to us as "the far left" when he ought to know that WMR and the Democrats in Kent County are now very mainstream.

The Press also mentioned the Kent Democrats page on Facebook in the same section -- join now!

yep, it's true

by: philgoblue

Thu Dec 11, 2008 at 06:22:29 AM EST

Chair: Phil Skaggs
1st Vice Chair: Sandy Smith
2nd Vice Chair: Sunny Singh
Treasurer: Fred Clowney
Secretary: Elizabeth Lykins

We also put forward a by-law change to add two at-large officers and I believe that'll be passed in January and we'll add to more members.  It's an impressive group of professionals, business people and workers. It's a great honor to be elected by our Executive Committee, filled with so many bright, hard-working elected officials, candidates, civic leaders, and activists. It's an exciting time to lead our Party after our successes lately. I've got big shoes to fill, but with a lot of good counsel, I'll hope to have my share of victories as we work to make Kent County and Michigan a better place for everyone.

A huge thank you to the outgoing officers (they all received a sustained standing ovation last night for all their hard work and successes):

Chair: Sue Levy
1st Vice Chair: Jim Vaughn
2nd Vice Chair: Lea Tobar
Treasurer: Fred Clowney
Secretary: Sandy Smith

Sue's not leaving though the cause however. I'll be supporting her for Chair of the Third Congressional District Party.

I'll write more this weekend on my journey and the goals of the new officer board.

What We Did….Now What? (A Few Thoughts on Kent County)

by: pbratt

Sun Nov 23, 2008 at 19:46:47 PM EST

The East is Blue ... sorta

by: philgoblue

Sat Nov 22, 2008 at 23:12:07 PM EST

Voter turnout in East was 84.3% with 6,995 voters out of the 8,302 people registered.  That's actually slightly down from the 85.3% of voters that participated in the 2004 election.

Well the big news is that The East Is Blue -- East Grand Rapids went for Barack Obama by 600 votes and a 8.5% margin.

President
Barack Obama: 53.8% with 3,753 votes
John McCain: 45.2% with 3,155 votes
Barr and Baldwin: 35 votes
McKinney and Nader: 32 votes
Total Votes: 6,980

That's quite a turnaround from 2004:

George W. Bush: 54.7% with 3,807 votes
John Kerry: 45.2% with 3,107 votes
Others: 49 votes
Total Votes: 6,963

So, turnout was pretty much the same. Maybe a few more kids voted, but really nothing significant.  What happened in other words is around 600 upper middle-class whites -- about 9% of all voters or 16% of Bush voters in 2004 -- switched their votes from Bush to Obama.

That's actually great news. Although I haven't looked hard into the numbers I'm hearing that turnout in Detroit and turnout in the African-American precincts in Grand Rapids were was up very little.  Meaning that independents who voted for Bush voted for a Democrat at the top of the ticket and can be moved over into the lean Democratic column in future elections. Carl Levin was also a winner in EGR by an even larger margin than Obama. Still, don't get too carried away.  Most of those Republican-leaning Independents in EGR also voted for Congressman Vern Ehlers, State Representative Dave Hildenbrand, and the Republicans for the school and university boards.  So, they've got a long way to go before we can win some of them over to down-ticket Democrats.  But, it's a start.

More analysis on the flip....

The Press Comes Out in Support of the Coalition Government in Kent County

by: philgoblue

Wed Nov 19, 2008 at 15:00:27 PM EST

The Democrats' newly-gained strength should bring more equity and transparency to such decisions. The entire community could benefit from such a change, by seeing how and why its leaders are making certain decisions.

And The Press notes that the era of winner-take-all that was the hallmark of the old Libertarian Majority -- aka Morgan and the Peripherals -- is over.  It'll be replaced by a more proportional system:

Bigger roles for Democratic commissioners on GOP-dominated boards are also likely. That would be a dramatic change in how the board has operated in the past. Democrats are usually bypassed for plumb appointments.

The Press ends with:

The 19 county commissioners each represent approximately 30,000 constituents. The current set-up effectively disenfranchises Democratic commissioners and the residents for whom they were elected to speak. A more inclusive arrangement is more suited to good, effective government for the whole county.

So, credit where credit is due. A pretty darn good editorial. Now, let's hope The Press editors will also have an open mind once the Pragmatic Republican-Democrat majority gets down to work on farmland preservation, smart growth, public transportation, city-county cooperation, etc.

A Thank You Note from Representative Robert Dean

by: philgoblue

Sun Nov 16, 2008 at 22:10:53 PM EST

Dear Friend,

Tuesday, over five million Michiganians turned out for an election we'll never forget. Michigan - and all of America - is better for it, because this year we made history: We elected a president who will finally be the partner in the White House we so drastically need.

But, that's not all.

Since last October, you've been supporting me as I fought off a recall effort to put me out of office because I voted to save Michigan by supporting measures and taxes to balance the budget. My support to save Michigan spared you and other Michigan residents the painful reality of living in a State that was bankrupt; having cities lose hundreds of police and fire personnel; reduced social services for the least who could afforded and having our prisons and jails emptied to save money. All of these problems would have been further damaging given the national economic problems.

Many of you dug deep into your pockets every time I asked, allowing me to finance my campaign over 13 months of constant challenges from the opposition. With your help, we were able to win reelection with 58% of the voters in the District voting to reelect me.

Recount Coming in Kent County Commission District 13 Election

by: philgoblue

Sun Nov 16, 2008 at 17:43:43 PM EST

Democrat Bret Dorman is going to ask for a recount in the 13th District of the Kent County Commission election.  Currently, Dorman is behind incumbent Republican Dick VanderMolen by 78 votes (initial reports on election night had Bret down by 138 votes of 14,332 cast). VanderMolen's initial lead shrunk by 50 votes to 78 after election canvassers tallied provisional ballots and counted previously straight party votes that had ineligible write-in names.

The vote should be certified by the board of canvassers on Monday or Tuesday, and then Dorman has 48 hours to ask for a machine recount (it costs $10 a precinct).  The Kent County Democratic Party will likely make a donation for $120 to cover those expenses for Dorman.

It's a long shot, since these machine recounts rarely change the results.  In a machine recount election canvassers open sealed ballot boxes in Kentwood and Grand Rapids and put each optical scan ballot back through the tally machines.  The machines do have an error rate of about 1/2 to 1% and there can be problems with folded absentee ballots especially. I'm not sure, but if a machine recount gets Dorman closer to a win, there might be a chance to request a hand recount.