THE COMPASSION-MONGERS TROUNCE THE PYRAMID-BUILDERS

In yesterday’s Grand Rapids city elections, the candidates backed by the “bleed the taxpayers for the welfare state” leftists beat those backed by the “bleed the taxpayers for our local billionaires” crony-capitalists.  (Click here for a partial list of contributors to each candidate.)  Incumbent James Jendrasiak kept his First Ward seat on the City Commission, defeating political newcomer Dave Shaffer.  Another newcomer, Mayor Heartwell protégé Rosalynn Bliss, took the open Second Ward seat, defeating Judge Johnston’s wife Shaula Johnston in her second try for the City Commission.

The election’s biggest impact on the City Commission will be the departure of Boss Logie acolyte Lynn Rabaut, leaving First Ward commissioner Roy Schmidt as the last hold-out of the old regime.  Otherwise, the City Commission appears to have retained its generally left-of-center soft-headedness that seems incapable of putting River City on the right path.  However, we can hope that the new Second Ward commissioner, Miss Bliss, will be independent of Heartwell and his gooey go-nowhere agenda of environmentalist platitudes, leave-no-bureaucrat-behind budgeting, and Eastern Bloc planning.

Comments

[Uncreative_Class]

Somehow I doubut Bliss will be anything more than your typical GR leftist cliche. I hope the even more left-wing GR government does'nt spend its time passing stupid resolutions condemning Bush, the war, Thomas Jefferson ect. like so many other cities with liberal dominated governments.

[The Executive Director]

Uncreative,

I understand the sentiment. I hope that the Grand Rapids City Commission will not follow the same dreary path that is typical of urban bodies dominated by so-called progressives. After all, just as not every conservative is a knee-jerk advocate of each businessman with his hand out, not every liberal thinks Great Society welfarism is the best foundation for a solid civic culture.

So I'll take a wait and see attitude regarding Bliss.

Regards,
Bill Tingley
Executive Director

[sean murray]

The citizens made the right decision. Bliss is inexperienced and her instincts are certainly liberal. Shaula's track record on the zoning commission shows that she is a mean-spirited obstructionist. That attitude would have gotten us nowhere.