MAYOR HEARTWELL: THE BEST INVESTMENT IN TOWN

Last week I told you this about Mayor Heartwell's campaign to pass the 2007 operating budget for the City of Grand Rapids: "Tormala tormented the General on all the crap still larded in the budget, especially the $150,000 in tax dollars going to Lansing and D.C. lobbying firms. ... The General stood firm in paying lobbyists to continue doing us no good and steamrolled Tormala and Jendrasiak to table a vote on the entire budget."  At the end of the day, Heartwell got his budget passed over the opposition of Commissioners Tormala and Jendrasiak, with $70,000 of that $150,000 set aside for a Lansing lobbying firm called Governmental Consulting Services Inc.

The interesting thing about GCS Inc. is that they gave Heartwell a campaign contribution earlier this year when the City staff and the City Commission were hashing out the details of the budget.  A big issue was whether the City would keep its in-house lobbyist or hire an outside firm like GCS Inc. or get rid of lobbyists altogether.  Ultimately, Tormala and Jendrasiak plunked down for no lobbying expense, while Heartwell was firm on hiring GCS Inc.  Indeed, the mayor got obnoxious on the issue during last week's budget showdown.

What is even more interesting is how little money it takes to buy Heartwell's affection.  On February 9, 2006, GCS Inc. contributed $200 to the mayor's campaign fund.  (See the images below of the official Secretary of State record of this contribution.  The details specific to Heartwell are listed under "Expenditure #11" on the second image.)  So, for an investment of two hundred bucks into Heartwell, GCS Inc. got from him a $70,000 contract.  That's a 35,000% return on investment!  Not too shabby for GCS Inc.  Even if the mayor had enough political sense to tear up their check, plainly he still chose to do their bidding and that would make their return astronomical.  I'm writing my check to Heartwell today!

Comments

[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