WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Every so often we like to give our readers suggestions as to how they can help us in our mission to keep accountable to us those people and organizations who claim a public trust.

First of all, your feedback is important.  If you know more about a story we have posted or a way we can get the government to work better or need to tell how we got things right or wrong, give us your feedback by clicking on the "comments" button at the end of the relevant article.

Second, let us know about problems you have encountered with the government, schools, media, hospitals, etc.  Make a comment to the appropriate article or e-mail us at info@localareawatch.org.

Third, contact the official responsible for a problem we have written about.  A relatively small number of concerned citizens can make a difference in Grand Rapids, if our elected officials hear from us.  To facilitate this, we periodically post the e-mail addresses of public officials and others, like this.  So keep an eye out for this information.  Otherwise, send us an e-mail about the person you want to contact, and we'll send you the contact info.

Fourth, get the word out about us.  We are unique in the Grand Rapids area.  No one else is casting the critical eye we do and then reporting what we learn to the public.  Tell your family, friends, and co-workers to check out our website.  Also, if you have your own website or blog, we always appreciate a link to us.

Finally, if you can spare the time, let us know if you can volunteer to help out with our projects.

As always, thank you for visiting our website and taking the time to learn about how business really gets done in River City.

Comments

[Jim Rinck]

Well, now that the election is over, you can ignore this email if you wish. However, I must take great exception to Mr. Tingley's pre-election portrait of me. You could have taken the elemental journalistic step of actually talking to me as opposed to make conclusions about a number of things that you wrote in that article. I must also make the point that as a school board member, I have extremely limited powers. I cannot impose taxes, I have very little power over my budget; in short, about all I can do is direct certain policies. I've been quite successful at that; until I was elected, as you may recall, elementary school students did not take art, music or physical education classes, and there were no middle school sports programs. However, that is the main sort of thing that a school board member can accomplish. He or she has no real control over Lansing or the state economy, both of which dictate the budget and thus what can be done. You could always run and give it a try; there should be vacancies in the next election.

There is much more, but I think you should apologize for your inference that I might be too frightened to take on the River City Establishment. I thought that's what I just did, and the financial support was overwhelming. We talked years ago about your lawsuit, and, as I recall, I think I told you that I did not practice in the area of environmental law (and still don't)and that I was not the person to handle such a case. I also don't seem to recall any way to be paid. Since I have been recognized by Legal Aid for my outstanding pro bono work, you can give up on accusing me of being unwilling to sacrifice for my community.

I will say that you have tried to cover the Mayoral race, which few did. I simply resent being catagorized based on assumptions.

[The Executive Director]

Mr. Rinck,

Two things ...

First, I wrote this about your public service:

"Although Rinck’s liberalism has prevented him from embracing the fundamental reforms needed to rescue the system, he has been his own man, does not hesitate to speak out against nonsense, and from a managerial perspective (if not a reform one) has been a sound member of the school board. He also played a similar role as a member of the Downtown Development Authority until he was recently ousted by the establishment in favor of a more congenial placeholder."

Hardly a condemnation. While I think the crisis in public education has reached the point at which fundamental, maybe even radical, reform is necessary and I am not supportive of those who resist that reform, I still gave you your due as a public servant. Indeed, I praised you for those qualities I think are all too scarce in public officials these days.

Second, as for your lack assistance in the Toxic Towers scandal, I did not ask you for legal representation. (Having won our appeal, we already had attorneys out of Lansing handling the environmental citizen suit for us.) I asked if you could open up for us a line of communication with the City Commission in order to bring about a resolution of the illegal dumping that would be favorable to both the public schools and the city. You told me that it was possible but would have to think it over, and then you later called me back to tell me you couldn't be of assistance. Hence my doubts about your willingness to oppose the establishment (i.e., Fifth Third Bank, Spectrum Health, Warner Norcross, etc.) in a hard fight. So my opinion has been formed from personal experience, and notably that opinion is not that you are "frightened" of the establishment.

So I don't think an apology is in order, and I hope you can see that I reported what I honestly believe about each of the candidates.

Regards, Bill Tingley

[philip miller]

to whom it may concern i was helping someone tear down an old house and i found an old thermostat with mercury in it it was concieled in a little glass tube i know how poison it is and not to just throw it in the dumpster but now i have it and dont know what to do with it and no one seems know what to tell me i have it in a glass case in my room where noone can break it but i dont want it can you please tell me what to do with it seeing how i was responsible with and didnt just throw like an idiot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????

[Machiavelli]

I am a person who has been charged with domestic violence, however I am not a County Commissioner nor do I have any friends who are County Commissioners. But wanting the same equal protections promised under the law and the due process of the Consitution, I would like to know if there are any Judges in Kent County who would like to come out to the jail and post my bail or give an early realese on Personal Recognizance bond (no bail).
Honestly if I were better connected I would be out of here by now. Maybe a visiting Judge could come visit me and set me free?
Thanks so much. and BTW I didn't do it, nobody saw mw do it and you can'r prove a thing! Yours, Bart Simpson

[Machiavelli]

PS: forgive my many typos please, the jail does not have the spelchek service I need so desperately! I am being denied my US civil rights to free speech and internet porn! Help me!
Judge Logan where are you when I need you the most?
Maybe Mr. Rinck will defend me, or amybe Paul Mayhew will help me out of here!

[The Executive Director]

Machiavelli,

We forgive your typos, but if you want forgiveness of your troubles with pornography, I suggest you look elsewhere -- i.e., on high.

Regards,
Bill Tingley
Executive Director, L.A.W.