Either Grand Rapids mayor George Heartwell thinks the voters are idiots or he somehow time-warped himself back to 1970. Yesterday he resurrected the hippie-dippy youth movement by endorsing Rosalyn Bliss for the open city commission seat in the 2nd Ward. Bliss is all of 29 years old and for that reason, according to Heartwell, won his endorsement over oldsters Shaula Johnston (58) and Art Kroon (64). Earnestly the mayor reminded us: "It's very important for this generation to have a voice on the commission."
Gee, I would've thought it was very important for the residents of the 2nd Ward to have voice on the commission -- especially a voice that will seriously deal with the City's unresolved fiscal crisis, the looming tsunami of pension fund liabilities, out-of-control health benefits for city employees, the exodus of manufacturing from the city, crumbling streets and untended parks, a city manager and staff that don't understand they work for the city commissioners not vice versa, a general contempt throughout the city government for the principle of open government, and, not least of all, the huge liability the city could be saddled with for its role in turning the Monroe Avenue Water Filtration Plant into an unlicensed hazardous waste landfill.
Instead, Heartwell tells us that youth should win the day. Of course, this is disingenuous although he hopes the voters will be stupid enough to not see that. Case in point, Heartwell has not endorsed either of the conspicuous youngsters in the 1st and 3rd Ward races, David Shaffer and Daniel Tietema respectively. Notably, those young men who failed to win the mayor's favor are conservative pro-business candidates, whereas Bliss is the apple of the eye of the Progressive Women's Alliance of West Michigan. So much for youth being the true reason for Heartwell's endorsement of Bliss.
Why Heartwell is publicly supporting Bliss is simple. She is a former schoolmate of his daughter's, a fellow activist with his wife, and now his protege in the loony left politics that have done far more to destroy the vitality of our urban centers than have ever truly helped the needy in our cities out of their plights. One self-righteous scold in the service of the failed prescriptions of the Great Society, people's republic political conformity, and flower power dippiness is enough for most of the taxpayers and residents of Grand Rapids. Apparently Heartwell disagrees. He wants a soulmate to join him in pushing the discredited policies of the past. Ironically, that champion of the old and tired is the youngster in the race.
Why is it hard for you to imagine that Mayor Heartwell is endorsing her because 1. she has similar values/beliefs and because of this will have similar solutions to the problems facing GR and 2. the city needs to be inviting to young professionals who will eventually be running things?
Why does anyone in office endorse anyone? It goes both ways right?
Posted by: a. sterling | Nov 11, 2005 at 02:53 PM
A. Sterling,
I'm sure that Heartwell's endorsement was based upon similar beliefs. That was my point. His claim that he endorsed Bliss because youth was so important rang false, because he didn't endorse young candidates in the 2nd and 3rd Ward whose political philosophies are opposed to Heartwell's liberal agenda.
So I needled Hearwell for not being plainspoken about the reason for his endorsement. Why play games? If he likes Bliss because he personally knows her to be a reliable liberal vote on the City Commission, he should've said that. It has the virtue of being honest.
Regards,
Bill Tingley
Executive Director
Posted by: The Executive Director | Nov 15, 2005 at 02:45 PM