Five races for the Barry County Board of Commissioners in the Aug. 8 Republican primary. This calls for a brief analysis of each one, district by district:
• Districts #1, 2 and 4, nothin’ happenin’ here in August. Don Nevins in #1 and Jim French in #2 are home free with a bye all the way through. Hoot Gibson in #4 is unopposed in the primary and will get token resistance in November from Democrat John Loftus, the Harold Stassen of Barry County politics. I can almost see old John with his name on the ballot even after he’s dead.
• District #3 — A pretty good one here, with Republicans Keith Ferris and Ken DeMott vying in the primary and the winner to meet Democrat Mike Lewis in the general. Beware of Ferris, my sources tell me he is good buddies with Sandy James and decided to run at her urging. If Ferris wins the seat, will it be back to more of the same old game of Clare and Sandy’s protégé running the show? It’s too bad Lewis is a Democrat. Judging by his commentary at the Unicameral forum and by a letter he wrote to the Banner, he shows a rarity in local politics these days — the ability to think for himself and the promise of intelligence.
• District #5 — The capable and engaging Mike Callton will get another challenge from Mark Noteboom, the Third Man in the famous race two years ago that brought down former Chairman Jeff MacKenzie. Callton won handily in 2004 in a three-way race and he shouldn’t have much trouble here again. Noteboom didn’t even bother to show for the First Friday forum in July 2004.
• District #6 — The most interesting race of the bunch. Board Chairwoman Clare Tripp will get a primary challenge from street fightin’ Mark Englerth, the former chairman of the Barry County GOP, before it got taken over by the incompetent absentee Orvin Moore. If she survives what promises to be a real battle in August, she’ll have to do it all over again in November against Democrat David Brinkert. Word on the street is that Clare has managed to piss off a lot of people and her private and personal conduct has been the subject of much rumor and scuttlebutt. This one will be fun.
• District #7 — A rematch between Republicans Tom Wing, the reigning incumbent, and challenger Jeff VanNortwick. The latter, according to my sources, plans to hammer Wing’s simply awful attendance record and habit of being tardy. Why, he was even late for that infamous secret meeting of five commissioners in April 2004 in Baltimore Township. For those who haven’t paid attention, Wing had egg on his face on the front page of the Banner last October for missing or being late for 32 percent of County Board meetings, a fact brought up again by Farm Bureau member George Hubka is a nasty letter to the editor this week in the Banner.
• District #8 — Incumbent Wayne Adams will meet Serafin “Chuck” Nieves in a battle that just might be the latter’s attempt to settle a score in which he was removed from the Planning and Zoning Commission without adequate public explanation. Nieves got a raw deal with laughable excuses from the County Board on his non-reappointment. Adams was in on it, and he just might pay for it.
With the 87th District state rep race, the prosecutor’s race and the parks and rec millage, this promises to be a wild ride between now and Aug. 8.
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19 comments:
Bah bye Tripp! Bah bye Adams/Wing. Let's clear the decks guys/gals. Get a new deck of cards out, this is gonna be an all nighter. I wanna see Tripp debate Englerth?? Whoops, gotta git them thar dusty ole lirnin books out Clarie! Probably a "No Show Jones Trip(p)." At least he can sign! SO EXCITING to see those knuckleheads fall one by one. THE PUBLIC REIGNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Knuckleheads, don't you wish you would have "listened" to the little people?????????
SING
Any posts coming on the prosecutor race?
The Prosecutor's race seems to be a shoo-in for Pratt. The annointment gives us only a short period to evaluate her, but does give her incumbent status! Have heard alot of good things about her, but are we seeing a top-notch Prosecutor or the Person running for re-election every day! Is the real Julie Pratt the one we are seeing? Will another Julie Pratt come out after a possible win? Who knows??
The annointment process sickens me. Judge Fisher should have listened to both political parties and appointed a caretaker for the position and let everyone else run on their own merits.
I am undecided??????????????
Check agitater3 blog comment on "James out, Carr needs to go, vote for Ken Demott." Anonymous supplies some interesting, but apparent first hand, info on Pratt!
Julie is what she is. I have "known" her for 16 years (been in social situations, etc) and with Julie there are no false pretenses. She is a lovely, down to earth lady. I really do wish everyone would give her a chance. I know that it is all fun and games to have a new political figure to poke fun at and speculate over but Julie really isn't political....she is Just Julie.
If you go back and read the Banner article about the appointment Judge Fisher makes it sound like he asked other attorney's and judge's for their opinions. Mr.Evans also applied for this position...maybe no one wanted to work with him again.
Judge Fisher HAD to appoint someone...they couldn't leave the position unfilled.
Julie has given me the creepy crawlies.
She was a mediocre attorney at best in Allegan from what I have heard.
Looking at her stats this first quarter from the Supreme Court's office--she can do better.
Barry County can do better.
That's odd....if you read her list of endorsers it lists a lot of coworkers from Allegan County and her former boss, Fred Anderson, adored her and said so to the GR Press.
She has only been in office for 6 months. It takes time to implement changes. I am sure it takes time to was the old administration "out of your hair"
And WHY would she give you the creepy crawlies? Whatever did you do to deserve that?
They said all those glowing things because they were happy to see her go.
She's let dope dealers go free, she had to be "instructed" in the courtroom on a simple procedural matter, and has not been as tough on crime as her past two predecesors at this point in their careers.
Not to mention her lips seem to be firmly implanted on the judges kiesters. I am wary of any cozy relationship such as that.
Barry County can do better.
Another reason for less chambers of government, less number of laws. An employer can't say anything really bad or concerning about an employee or they will find themselves charged in Court themselves. And, they may need that person to say something good about them someday!!
Judge Fisher did have an alternative, I heard anyway? I heard a former well-respected judge, prosecutor, or lawyer (can't recall name) was willing to hold the Fort down til the next election and agree not to run, just to help out! To keep the next race on an even keel from the get go.
Everything is plea bargained in Barry County. We charge a person with ten different charges and they inevitably plea to one or two lesser charges. Hardly anything goes to trial.
Why can't the legal profession act like professionals! Charge reasonably and Defense Attorneys quit turning everything into a Circus, just to make a client think they did something for them, when it would have went that way even without an attorney. Well, maybe it wouldn't have gone that way? If one of our citizens is stupid enough not to hire an ambulance chaser our prosecutors would probably let them rot in prison, while the real criminals just walk!
Vote Mark Englerth! Voting for Tripp is wasting gas to the polls.
Englerth vs Tripp? Goodbye Clare!
Englerth vs Brinkert? I believe its too close to call. Brinkert has matured both personally and politically since his non-shot at the 87th district house seat. He has the sympathetic ear of the locals by virtue of owning an enduring bastion of conversation, a coffee house. He interacts with his constituents including local merchants on a daily and very personal basis. While still politically green, Dave is an extraordinarily likable guy no matter what your political affiliation.
Englerth, also a local businessman can be brusk and contrary. To be sure, features I would admire in any politician. But, either you like him or you hate him. I'm not so sure he has the majority of support within that district now, and certainly, if the Tripp race takes the nasty tack I suspect it will, he will lose some of the R support in the district. Its a battle that must be fought none-the-less in order for him to win the primary. Nice guys finish last! Mark is no nice guy.
This is one of several local races I really look forward to. If nothing else, this is what democracy is supposed to be like. Choices!
What has Julie done for Barry County before her appointment? She was "part-time" in Allegan and all the organizations she is a part of now are post appointment. I don't feel that she has a strong community track record seeing that she has lived in Barry County all these years.
I took your comment and did some research: Julie has always been active within the school system. She is also active now and if you ask around (as I did) she has told groups she will continue to be active after the election. It is hard to work in one county and live in another, that being said, she was active in Allegan. Many organizations you belong to go hand in hand with your job.
I want a prosecutor who is focused on the task at hand and not which luncheon they are running to next.
So far The Almighty Pol hasn't brought up the race so why are y'all bringing it up during other subjects? Tryin to muddy the waters?
See agitator's blog for the stuff on Julie.
As for the school stuff, that hasn't come out from her campaign. They are only listing recent activities. A prosecutor should be focused on the task at hand, but a well-rounded prosecutor who isn't just focused in the law-enforcement realm, that is engaged un the community is even better. So far Julie hasn't demonstrated any independence from the courthouse clique.
Her plea ratio is really going to hurt her in the long run.
Julie Pratt is an excellent attorney who, somehow, has managed to balance that with being an equally dedicated wife and mother. That gratuitous comment about her being "part time" in Allegan County is simply ignorant. Finally, Barry County has an opportunity to elect an intelligent, ethical, hard-working, "real" human being who will get the job done. Let's do it.
"Get the Plea Bargains Done??????????????" Can you further describe what you believe "get the job done" means to you?????????????
Julie was part-time in Allegan. I don't see how a factual comment can be gratuitous.
Julie has so far plea bargained three repeat drug dealers giving them slaps on the wrist. Doesn't sound like a hard working prosecutor to me.
Finally, Barry County has an opportunity to elect an intelligent, ethical, hard-working, "real" human being who will get the job done. Let's do it.
I agree. And that human being's name is Tom Evans.
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