I've been putting this off mostly because there's so much to say about the past couple of days. So, this is mostly random thoughts as I try to hit as many observations as possible of what has taken place and not delay this any further. I will also be breaking this up into sections since I rambled on a bit and felt it was too long for one post (I'll post my comments on the statewide contests and the local Congressional races in a little while).
Charlton Park millage defeat– It was fairly obvious this one was going down again. The "Friends" of the park didn't mount much of a campaign other than fear tactics about shutting the park and telling voters how stupid we are for not "getting it." To anyone paying attention, it seems pretty obvious that the old gang reaped what they sewed when they ousted the park director and anyone else that wasn't a team player. They drove out several large events that gave the public a reason to use and visit the park and be reminded of its charm — something which might have prompted a few more "yes" votes.
What is needed now is input from the "no" crowd, some sensible reforms, new faces & ideas and a charm offensive that reminds voters of why it's important to Barry County to maintain this great educational tool, link to our past and potentially valuable part of a tourist economy. The new board must enact reforms, reinstill confidence among the voters and put on a charm offensive that restores the understanding among voters about why they chose to help support this resource in the past.
County Board of Commissioners– It's pretty amazing to see the change that has taken over the board over the past two years and I'm pretty confident that we've got a better group of commissioners than we've had for a while. I hope they ask questions, seek input and restore confidence that government can work for its citizens.
I had hoped we could have ended up with at least one Democrat on the board just for the simple fact that having a more relevant Democratic Party in Barry County politics can only help the people achieve better results from their government. Results were encouraging for local Democrats, yet there were only three candidates, none of which were able to crack the 40% threshold due to various dynamics in each of those races. This was an opportunity that somehow slipped away. The Dems must make a commitment to contest every single race and even have a minimum of one contested primary. If they can offer quality candidates at the county level they might even leverage those results in building a party that challenges at higher levels. Otherwise, the Barry County Democratic Party teeters on the brink of continued irrelevancy, a pattern for almost 25 years. This party needs new, more energetic and younger faces.
One of the important things to watch in the county board to be sworn in in January is whether this group can work together effectively. Mike Callton, or whoever ends up as chairman (and how sad this is the first time in over a decade there has not been one woman on the county board), is bound to have their hands full herding the feral cats who may resent Callton's perceived aspirations for higher office. We have a few board members willing to follow but we also have a few that might wander off the reservation and make life rough for the person who needs to show some leadership and a track record when future elections come ‘round. We also have the threat that the “good ole boys” will surely have some new and maybe even some old faces run in two years and try to claw their way back into power. If this board fails to meet its responsibilities to the people who voted for change they may not occupy their chairs for long.
State Rep. & Senate– Suzzette Royston's campaign was able to throw a scare into Pincushion Patty in Eaton County, but it was the same old story in Barry and Allegan. Why didn't she hit Birkholz hard on the casino in Allegan County? One problem is that in a one- party region it's hard to find qualified people from the opposition party willing to take on a quixotic campaign and as long as the long shot odds of winning deter qualified candidates, we will continue to see failure to get positive results, which only creates a perpetual cycle of more defeats.
Doug Kalnbach eclipsed 40 percent in Barry County, which perhaps shows the way for local Democrats — by offering voters a blue collar working class candidate with appeal to constituencies that are typically Republican or don't vote in large numbers (hunters and bikers) while offering enough red meat on economic issues to maintain Democratic support, Democrats could continue to make gains and in another cycle or two compete at the state rep level. Calley performed below the "baseline" number of Republican voters, which showed that some people wished to have a better alternative.
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The Allegan Co dems are even more dysfunctional than Barry. I can't speak to the Eaton county group, which means they are probably pretty weak too. I would like to see a post here from a progressive dem with a summary of what they did in this election cycle. I've not seen nor heard any evidence of effort by the progressives. Imagine, if they had put all that mental energy behind one selected dem candidate, maybe they could have broken through that ceiling. Change is slow. The dems should be happy with the numbers.
Guess I was wrong on Eaton Dems, they set records..
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061112/CHAR01/611120331/1161
More on Eaton Dems taking county control. Exit poll results.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061111/OPINION01/611110313/1086/opinion
You paying attention Barry and Allegan????
No, Really!
The Charlton Park millage suffered its second defeat because the people of Barry county have decided it is time to cut loose a white elephant that promises to nickle and dime taxpayers into eternity.
Truely if there is a want to keep, and make Charlton Park viable, it must be done in a way that would keep the taxpayers from having to turn down, or approve the funds it needs.
It should either be turned to a private not for profit entity, or be given a permanent increase in funding from taxes already payed from the people in Bary county.
To repeat "special, one time increases" only makes a mockery of the millage system, and only breeds contempt among voters with their own "special, one time" needs. You may argue that the park is necessary in order to fulfill the need to protect our heritage. This may be true. So instead of teating it like a needy child, give it the respect it deserves and make a place for it from the funds that already exist. If there is no room in that funding for such a neccessity, then one has to question the priorities of our government.
Sentinel:
You obviously didn't see the election results from Allegan County. They do provide a glimmer (though fleeting) of hope for Democrats.
Allegan Dems are celebrating the fact they got their first county commissioner elected in over 30 years. That district does not have strong Democrat pockets, nor has a history of a Democrat coming from that area. This Democrat was elected by convincing dye-in-wool Republicans to split their ticket. This Dem was elected by doing something basic--an ol' shoe leather, meet the voters, door-to-door campaign.
Patty does seem to have purple teflon in her veins. While Sheen was getting beat up in the southern Allegan County over his anti-casino stance, Patty seemed immune, even in the Democratic pockets.
With the minor gains by the Democrats, Allegan County GOP chair Gerry Hildenbrands claimed to exceed previous midterm totals for Governor. Allegan was one of the few areas where DeVos beat Postumous' totals. But that is a bit deceptive. Until Holland came in, DeVos only had a 2,500 vote lead. In the end, he lead by 5,000 votes.
Are the Allegan Dems still dysfunctional despite these gains? I would have to agree. They seem to change party chairs more often than the Barry County GOP. They had a transsexual (one of two on the ballot in the county) county commisssioner candidate. He tried to remove Democratic township office holders in one of the few areas Allegan Dems have serving Democrats. Due to his actions, the tranny has been disavowed for by the Democratic Party.
It will be interesting to see if area Democrats build on the gains they did have in this area, or if it's just a flash in the pan.
Democrats will have to fight to maintain the State House seats they gained in Grand Rapids and Muskegon in two years. 2008 looks more treacherous than 2006.
------------------------------------
Charlton Park failed for a number of reasons, not least of which was there was no one really campaigning for it. I am sorry--if you are a commissioner and you voted to put this turd on the ballot, why didn't you go out in your districts, go door to door and sell it?
If Charleton was in the dire straits it claims to be, you'd have an army of campagn workers out there trying to sell it. Even the supporters knew this pig wouldn't fly. They couldn't answer the doubts and concerns agnosti and others had about the long-term viability of this venture. R.I.P.--C.P.
Charlton Park needed a pledge from the incomming County Commissioners that serious change would take place at the Parks nand Recrfeation Commission. Few of us feel that the park is the enemy. Part of the turmoil was brought about by personal flaws in the action of the past director, but, the ineptitude of the County Board of Commissioners in defining the mission of the park and the exclusionary attitude of the entire collection of paid county officials who make up the majority of the Parks and Recreation Board has brought the Park into disfavor.
I truly believe that had the newly nominated County Commissioners pledged a serious shake up of the governing of the park would have, and mayhap should have produced a different result.
As for the County Board, the real change began two years ago with the defeat of two regressive County Commissioners and that was in part due to the Bi-Partisan 12 Points for Recoverery widely discussed. As a matter of fact it was vigorous campaigns several years ago by Democrats that brought about a sea change in the County Board two years later.
While the Governor did very well here by carrying Hastings City and comming very close in the county, I would recall that Jim Blanchard carried Barry County against Bill Lucas, Republican.
The small difference in the vote for Democrat county commission candidates and Doug Kalnbach was probably due to left over animosity from the GOP Primary. All ran withing a small percentage of the straight Democratic Ballots cast.
Bary County Democrats had very little to do with the outcome of the election, and for that matter it is doubtful that local Republican activity had much to do with their outcome either.
Barry Democrats have to do two very different things. First they have to make all Democrats feel welcome in the Party. Chasing enthusiastic new people away from the Party following the Presidential Election of 2004 in order to 'control' whatever power they have led themselves to believe accrues to being The County Committee is not what anyone dedicated to building can ever do.
As far as the County Democrats in most counties in Michigan, the State Party Organization is of little use and often a stumbling block. The Michigan Democratic Party is an entity to raise and distribute money to candidates. The idea of an eightythree county strategy is as foreign to them as Howard Dean's determination to develop a 50 State strategy for National Democrats.
Locally Democrats have to understand a two pronged attitude. First is to field quality candidates everywhere in the county. Townships and County ofices should always offer alternative selections, BUT, candidate must be recruited who also can understand that their likely electoral victory is of secondary importance. There can be no debate without at least two at the table. Every contested race will, if nothing else, add to races on up the ballot. Statewide elections in Michigan have been won by as few as a single vote per precinct.
Lastly there were 10 steps to recovery left on the table from 2004. Thes should have been exploited to the fullest. There are real and winning issues that were ignored totally this year.
Until inclusion and program become parimount there will be no change from the 39.88% of straight Democratic votes.
Jay, all it took was one Allegan dem meeting for me to see what a bunch of dysfunctional nuts they are. My attendance happened to coincide with one of their leadership power plays. The winning dem commissioner is to be applauded for his win in spite of his party.
hola,
While it still seems unimportant to most of you, there is a very distinct difference between the statutory Barry County Parks & Recreation Commission and the Charlton Park anything else. In fact there is no such thing as the Charlton Park anything else, and that should become the first task of the BCP&RC!
Why is this so important? Because Charlton Park needs to have strong advocacy by people dedicated to its success. Success, that is, in becoming self-sufficient. The current people who think of themselves as a Charlton Park "Board" are dedicated to the failure of the Park. They insist, falsely, that Irving Charlton had some kind of BS dream. In fact, as stated in the Walton propaganda articles in the Banner, he only wanted his machinery collection repaired and a log building erected if there was enough left over. Those people who continue to drain the energy of the BCP&RC need to be removed surgically just as a good doctor would rid a rotting limb from a gangrenous patient. If this does not illustrate the point sufficiently, I will have to use swear words.
Once the rotting limb has been removed and replaced by a new one, the BCP&RC needs to create and appoint an actual Charlton Park Board of energized entrepreneurs. Many years later, we may be able to afford a resident archeologist, but we need to end the reign of the one we have on the payroll and find a "theme park builder" to get the show on the road.
Carla Burghdorf brought in more dollars to the County Treasury than Charlton Park did last year, just by making copies! If I was the director of the Park I would be too ashamed to admit it.
The second issue is about Democrats being represented on the County Board. Have no fear. There are more Democrats on the Board than there are Republicans. They just ran in Republican business suits in order to get elected. Or was that sheep's clothing? It's hard to say when there is wool over your eyes.
Sib,
That is some of the best Republican propaganda I have read to date for reasoning the loss they have been dealt.
Republicans have not been Republican enough is the bloody shirt that will be waived in the election cycle to come.
What tips the reader off is the marginalization of Hillary Clinton who has one of the most centrist voting records in the senate. Only a listener of Limbaugh, and Fox news, would have a contrary opinion.
Don't take it personal though, I have been hearing this stuff since the election and find it more humorous, than enlightening.
Next week, it will be the Iraq war again.
Click on El Grillo's County Government 101, down near the bottom of the page to see an entire plan laid out back in September. It is in the comment section of County Development near the bottom. I've altered a few opinions since it was written based on new information, but the basic premise is still stated in the Public Acts. You really should read this for yourself. It will give you a superior position at the coffee shop over those that just take the word of the current advocates of the status quo.
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We must be protected!
The word on the street in San Jose is that the Road Commission appointment by the County Board will not be a rubber stamp to perpetuate the status quo of pork rinds to former celebs.
Having Carl Levin moving up to Senate Armed Services Committee chair is a real feather in the Michigan hat.
I hope you have time to remind him to vote against the reannointment of John Bolton as U.S.Ambassador to the United Nations. Just as I voted for the unresponsive in The election, I have also sent a message to Carl for you.
The next issue should be getting a new Ambassador for Nicaragua. The current jerk is an embarrassment.
Q Who believes every piece of crap,chain letter that comes along?
Answer: KXJ
Q Who never researches the crap they post on websites like this.
Answer: KXJ
I would post something to each and every one of the fallacious points that KXJ has put up, but luckily it has already been done.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/sschanges.asp
K, please tell me you knew this was shit before you posted it.
Too bad there isn't a sarcasm feature on here.
K_
Maybe that satire disclaimer would help. Better yet don't post it.
Unfortunately I know people who DO believe this stuff , and it is far too easy to be misunderstood (particularly as sarcasm) on a board like this.
I apologise for going off on you like that,but the shit bugs me.
Posting it here only gives it an air of legitimacy that it does not deserve. All it takes is one person to read it here and pass it on to another.
Back on subject:
Royston could have pushed for a little more feel good nonsensical legislation in the tradition of Birkholtz. This could have taken the voters eyes from, and broken through the seductive juggernaut the Birkholtz camp put up.
I fail to understand how Pol can overlook the effect Pattys sex appeal had on the West Michigan voter.
Patty's sexual prowess leaves West Michigan voters in a trance where they are forced to vote for her??? Hardly. I guess she has some sexual appeal if you are over 50, and if you like blondes in purple.
Patty has always capitalized during advantageous times. Patty has capitalized on her contacts in Holland and Saugatuck to obtain her position first as Allegan County Treasurer, and then State House and Senate. In her first race for State House she only won by 600 votes (in a three-way race). She prevailed in the vote because of a last minute endorsement by the outgoing representative and Speaker of the House, Paul Hillegonds.
When she first ran for State Senate, she was the underdog to the financial juggernaut of Terry Geiger. Then Terry was caught drunk in Eaton Rapids with a woman other than his wife on a Sunday (all bad things viewed by the folks of the conservative Dutch Northwest part of Allegan County). The tide turned as soon as that cop made the traffic stop.
Terry's allies in Allegan (Fulton Sheen among others) backed away from Terry. Some who did not like Patty, but couldn't bring themselves to vote for Terry, voted for the Libertarian-minded Joe Wicks (later a Fulton Sheen staffer, then Tim Walberg's campaign manager). It's funny...the photo of Terry that Patty used in her negative postcard was taken from the website of Fulton Sheen. The event was dry--it was just bad photography. The original photo had Fulton arm and arm with Dale Shughars and Terry.
When Patty ran this year we saw very different trends. Royston seemed to ride the Democratic coat tails of State and National trends in Eaton. In Allegan, folks actually split their ticket and voted for Patty, even in the heavy Democratic areas. This appears to be true in Barry County as well. Patty didn't do that much campaigning except in Eaton. Why??-- because this is a safe Republican district, she didn't need to.
Regardless, Royston was running a shoe-string campaign. I doubt when post-general statements come out that she will break the $10,000 mark. Even if she had a message to get out, she had no way to get it out there (especially in Barry and Eaton) given her limited funds.
In summary, to say that Patty's sex appeal was the factor that pushed her over the top is like saying Bill Clinton's love for McDonalds pushed him over the top in 1996.
Now the elections are over, what will happen to the "wall of blue" and do you see the 911 center being rid of the director ? Seems he has been on his best behavior ...watch your back !
Letter to Carl Levin from C.R.
Please vote against the confirmation of John Bolton as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. He does not support the concept of global peace through negotiation and must be removed.
Also, please do whatever can be done to remove U.S. Ambassador Paul Trivelli from his post in Nicaragua. His inflamatory and disruptive false statements during the recent election do not represent our willingness to cooperate with the new President of Nicaragua.
Remittances from the USA are a vital part of the Nicaraguan economy and must be allowed to continue. They should not be manipulated for political reasons.
Respectfully,
el grillo
Ellie: Did our 911 Director become an Ambassador(s)? Seems like you're not giving direct/specific "credible evidence" of their conduct, like you've accused us of doing. Be more specific and I'll write a letter to Carl Levin. Not enough to just take your word. Why doesn't he support global negotiation? What are the inflamatory and disruptive statements. Where is your proof Ellie?
When did this blog go into Latin American politics?
Come on Jay, get with it.
It's all south of the border now!
Our new secretary of state should feel right at home with Manuel, since he was wrapped up in arms for hostiges in the past. It would really get good if James Baker were to take Condi off her throne.
Just a comment on Terry vs Senator Patty. The telling blow to Terry's campaign was when the Eaton County GOP dumped him saying drunk, once we can get past. A woman once we might get past, but drunk WITH the woman was too much.\
It was ta ta Terry then.
Vice combos are too much to handle. Like Marion Barry with the hooker and the crack. Then again Barry resurrected his career years later. Proving that in DC there's an exception to every rule.
The same goes for Clinton/Barry/Geiger. Even if they do nothing else, They ARE great entertainment!
Also look at it this way, as long as they are destroying themselves, they are't hurting us any - and they might even do something good for us sometime, lol.
Well, Ag3, you sure won´t learn anything about Latin American politics on the front pages of what you are allowed to read. Ex-President Carter has a foundation that oversees elections in the developing world. In the Nico election which was closely watched by Carter´s foundation and others, including a first-hand observer we just met down here, our replacement for Ollie North in our embassy said the election was rigged. Carter immediately replied that the embassy was uninformed and was spewing misinformation (not a great deal different than some others, on a more local level, I might add).
If you don´t find this info back on page 12 of the Banner, you might want to check a more subversive source like the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal, etc. Rash Limberger won´t be mentioning it.
Oh! A remittanceis money that a LEGAL Nicaraguan earns by working in the USA and sends home to his Mom who is confined to a wheelchair. At least that is the picture in the local newspaper.
Did you hear the one about the County Commissioner who voted to buy real estate with potential Charlton Park Operating Funds to avoid getting taxpayers involved, instead of buying Capital Assets with millages which require voter approval?
You didn´t read that in the Banner either!
Ag3,
The article, specifically, was in either the November 2, or November 9, issue of the Nica Times insert to the Tico Times, which is the only English language newspaper in our area.
To broaden your southern horizon go to http://www.nicatimes.net
This might be a good format for the Banner to copy, assuming that the intellectual property rights issue isn't too sensitive.
Ag3:
It isn't my intention to divert attention away from the Michigan heartland, but I rise to the challenge of proving that I have done my homework.
To quote from page 2 of the Nica Times on 10 November 06 (Tim Rogers and Katherine Stanley; Nica Times Staff):
“Like a lone voice in the woods, the United States electoral mission here, headed by embattled Ambassador Paul Trivelli, released a statement Sunday afternoon questioning the transparency and fairness of the elections.
But the United States' concerns found little echo.
“I think the embassy has very few observers,”said former U.S.President Jimmy Carter, who was here to observe his fourth national election in Nicaragua with the Carter Center, an Atlanta-based electoral observation group. “Our assessment was that there was no doubt about the integrity of the election.”
Carter added: “And I would like to point out that I spoke this morning to the (U.S.) Secretary of State (Condoleezza Rice), who is superior to the local officials, and she did not express any concerns to me.”
The “embattled” refers to the immense amount of your tax money contributed by the State Department in an unsuccessful attempt to get Ortega's opponent elected.
In another article by Eric Sabo:
“Several Reagan administration officials who were involved in the Contra effort now work for the Bush administration.
Ortega's surprisingly large margin of victory in this years race is being called a setback for Bush, whose father helped to successfully unite 18 separate Nicaraguan political parties to form the UNO coalition that defeated Ortega at the ballot box in 1990.”
My preference would be that the obvious Banner orientation of this blog would shine a light on Barry County's hidden agendas, but if we must dribble over into the hinterlands it is probably fair to stretch our minds beyond the confines of our myopic Hobbit and Muggle environments. Today Eaton County, tomorrow the World!
Scrotum,
You almost got it right, but in my opinion the Banner doesn´t pay enough attention to Barry County events, either. Otherwise, you would know what the County Board is doing with its operating funds. Way down here beyond your field of limited vision I have learned that the Board intends to spend over $300,000 of General Fund operating money to buy some real estate without informing the taxpaying public. Meanwhile, as stated clearly in the above blog post, they continue to try to fund general expense budgets from dedicated millages. Millages are like mortgages. They are for capital assets, not operating expenses. That is why Ag3 has his tail in a knot over the abuses of 911 Central Dispatch. They are swimming in excess cash and that inevitably leads to waste.
The real action, as far as the County Board is concerned, happens at committee meetings, which are only reported on under duress. If somebody´s toes just got stepped on, it was intentional.
You can´t even imagine how little interest I have in Allegan and Eaton Counties.
Of course, failing to inform the Barry County public may not be the fault of the County Board.
In fairness I should add that in the two free ads written by the Waltons to encourage passage of the millage it was mentioned that Irving Charlton did not have this big bogus dream that seems to guide the myopic policies of Charlton Park. The Waltons clearly stated that his "big dream" involved fixing up some of his old farm stuff and maybe building a shack. It was in there , but it required careful reading.
Man, this connection is fast!
"Sorry if the blog doesn't pay enough attention to national and international events. There are plenty of others who are supposed to do that. And they have a lot better resources, including personnel and money."
A bit lame as excuses go. The newspapers of the developing world hardly have the resources of the Hastings Banner, but manages to inform their readers. As I understand it there are even a large variety of news papers in Iraq, and they cover more than tittilation.
Our local press does an excellent job on Obituaries, Public Notices, downtown ribbon cuttings, and Battle Creek circus protestors. Since most people start with "The Court Beat" to see if their name is correctly spelled, most of the news is inserted back to front.
I generaly look at the picture on the front that is in connection with whatever feel good story they want me to know about, and move directly to the Russ Sarver weekly surmon on page four or five, then do the puzzle, and back to the letters section to read Mr. Jacobs opinion.
But here is the problem, I can get hung up on the damned crossword, and never make it to the anti Wal-mart stuff, leaving me only enough time to read man on the street where they ask school children their opinion on the SBT, or 80 year old women about the death penalty for illegal downloading of mp3's.
Did you get the high school graduation picture of David Young? What a hoot! Challenges the GRPress shot of Clare Tripp for Photo of the Year!
I decided when I began this blog that my job would be to uncover what was not being covered that I could see. There's a million blogs out there doing a fine job on state and national politics and I have no delusions that I could do better at that. And if someone else does a better job with Barry County/West Michigan I will gladly retire.
Sorry Pol! You're stuck! This is the only blog I make a special point to check every day!
Including my own, which I find appalling, and offensive!
In your own words, "my job would be to uncover what was not being covered that I could see".
I think that is a worthy goal. Covering a few County Board Committee meetings might lead to finding a source that would leak info on secret meetings. Will we see a copy of the appraisal on the judge´s office. What were the comps? The new bank?
My opinion of this blog is that it is a place to wash the laundry that is too dirty for the Reminder.
On a helpful note, there are few visitors to el-grillo where there is a wealth of boring truths. You are still attracting half a dozen malcontents like myself. It might be helpful to start a sentence and quit. We will be happy to ramble all over the spectrum with unrelated issues.
I should add that my info on the purchase of the Dougherty house did not come from reading the Banner.
It was good to hear that John J. Loftus got 41% of the vote for county commisioner. One of these elections I think he is going to win.
John might win in 2008, when there will be no die hard Republicans still unwilling to express an opinion of their own.
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