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« STILL MILKING IT | Main | CONTEMPT FOR THE VOTERS »

June 19, 2006

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NW Activist

Maybe the Kent County Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Stephen Cohle, gave Mayor George Heartwell a campaign check, too? Or maybe Dr. Cohle and his for-profit company gave campaign contributions to 2nd Ward Commissioner Rick Tormala and all the other city commissioners so they'd maintain their silence about what's really going on at the Kent County Medical Examiner's Office? Now wouldn't that be interesting to find out! The public has a right to know. Every family has a right to the truth and justice.

Steve Smith

That $200 contribution sounds like an amount a lobbyist would spend on the mayor of any mid sized city- a calling card, if you will. These guys like to keep all bases covered. Kind of like how these big shot corporations contribute to both parties in state and national races. I wonder if they also put cash out to the mayors of Kentwood, Wyoming and Grandville.

The Executive Director

Hi, Steve.

I don't have a problem with anyone making a campaign contribution so long as it is publicly disclosed and not in the form of cash. In fact, I would support no limits on the amount that a person or corporation could contribute to a campaign. I would leave it to the voters to decide what they think about particular campaign contributions.

So, what should the voters think about Heartwell taking a couple of C-notes from a lobbyist firm? Not a lot, for the reasons you mention, EXCEPT that this particular firm was looking for a city contract that Heartwell was in the position to significantly help them get. That creates a conflict of interest, which Heartwell didn't disclose. So he has an ethical problem now.

Thanks for the input, Steve.

Regards, Bill

Jeff

It sounds like the city needs someone outside of the city government to come in and clean things up. That job will certainly take courage and the ability to stand up to special interest. Don't you think Jim Rinck is a perfect fit?
He actually cares about the city of Grand Rapids and its citizens. Unlike others, the goal for him is not power. He wants to represent the real people of Grand Rapids.

The Executive Director

Hi, Jeff.

Is Rinck the perfect fit? From personal experience, I'm not sure about that. I gave Rinck an opportunity to help us get the ear of the City Commission to address the massive illegal dumping of hazardous waste at the old Monroe North Filtration Plant. He declined. Apparently the establishment's characterization of us carried more weight than the facts.

Fortunately, the federal government does think the facts are important and doesn't care what the players in town think about us. So, they may be able to fix the problem now. That's good. But if Rinck had stepped in when I asked him to, we may have been able to get a local resolution to this environmental hazard a long time ago.

Regards, Bill

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