A VIEW FROM THE RIGHT: PUPPIES ARE GREAT, THE CALDER ISN'T

By Nick De Leeuw, RightMichigan.com

So this is what it’s like to write for Local Area Watch, huh?  Not bad.  Not bad at all. 

The Tingleys were kind enough to offer the opportunity to submit an article every now and again and I’m thrilled to be here… you know, watching the local area.  Most of my days are spent watching a slightly larger area, the state of Michigan.  Over at RightMichigan.com we like to say we bring you the latest Michigan political news and commentary from the right perspective (get it?) every morning.  This is citizen journalism at its finest. We’re watch-dogging Lansing every day and I promise you we won’t be as forgiving as the mainstream press.

But the site’s also about the online community. Conservative thinkers in Michigan have never really had a home on the web. We’ve been wandering the wilderness, cold and alone. Right Michigan might not be the Promised Land (I couldn’t find any milk or honey), but at the very least it’s a really groovy camp-site with a fire-pit and lots of sticks for making smores.

So once you’re done here at LAW, grab a beach chair and some marshmallows, start your own Diary at RM and make camp!

Introducing the site reminds me, I suppose I should introduce myself.  Hi everyone.  My name’s Nick (now you say “Hi Nick”) and I’m a newsaholic.  I’m also a conservative, which makes it frustrating to watch the mainstream media and the nightly news, but that’s neither here nor there.   I’m six feet tall, have blonde hair and blue eyes, love the Denver Broncos, long walks on the beach and puppies.  What’s that?  Oh, right.  Sorry.  You don’t care. 

I promise, over on RightMichigan.com we all do our best to talk about the actual issues of the day… things that matter.  Not that puppies aren’t great.  But when Governor Granholm and 2010 gubernatorial candidate and House Speaker Andy Dillon think it’s a good idea to raise taxes by $3 Billion (yeah, with a B) despite the fact Michigan continues to hemorrhage jobs, is the only state in the nation that’s lost jobs over the last few years (one every ten minutes) while the rest of the country has created millions (plural) of them, exports our families and our college graduates to other states where they can find a paycheck, has a business sector expecting to hire 43% fewer college grads this year than last, leaves 250+ million tax dollars on the table and has the second or third highest unemployment rate in the United States depending on the month, well, we’re too busy for puppies.

If you couldn’t tell, I’m not really all that happy about the way things are going here in Michigan these days.  And I’m not a subscriber to the theory that we can tax our way to prosperity.  I’m a pretty traditional conservative.  If there’s something folks can do for themselves, well, they should.  Less government is often more.  Not that there isn’t a place for government.  It should protect her people from threats foreign and domestic, whether they’re inside a womb or out, it should provide an infrastructure… things like that.  There’s this great document some old guys wrote a few hundred years ago.  It’s called the Constitution.  I’m a fan. 

And a lot of who I am comes from my time (27+ years now) in Grand Rapids.  Grand Rapids is a positive place.  It’s a place where folks would rather discuss issues than trade soundbytes.  And that’s a uniquely conservative trait, these days.  Conservatism is about ideas.  Sure, personalities help, but it’s the ideas that drive us.

If you’ve read many blogs you’ve probably noticed a tone.  People just tend to be nasty.  There’s a race to the bottom.  Going to that lowest common denominator is easy.  Why have an honest debate on an issue when you can come up with a clever nickname for someone and insult them instead? 

I’ve been blessed to work with some amazing people during my time in and around Lansing.  I spent most of 2005 and 2006 traveling with Dick DeVos as the Director of Advance for team D4G.  If you’ve ever had the chance to meet Dick you know he’s a nice guy.  If you live in Grand Rapids you know he’s a generous guy.  And if you’ve ever worked for or alongside Dick you know there’s a lot he can teach you. 

Last year’s election was the nastiest I ever remember.  I know, folks say that every election cycle… things just seem to get worse.  But I couldn’t have been prouder of the way Dick handled himself.  While the governor and her friends were out calling him names and telling people he wanted to eat their babies he was always respectful.  Jennifer Granholm was always “The Governor.”  Never Jennifer.  Never “Granholm.”  Nothing but respect. 

And while that’s a trait that was exceedingly unique in Michigan politics, it’s not a trait that’s unique in Grand Rapids.  It’s the way we operate.  So when Mayor Heartwell asks the City to buy him a new car despite declining funds from the state via revenue sharing and a general understanding throughout the city that this is a time to cut and reform government at all levels, not purchase luxury items, we can simply point out that we fervently disagree with him.  We needn’t call him names, question his intellect or his understanding of the situation the city finds itself in during a chronic budget crisis. 

We simply smile and say “no” and maybe if we want to push the envelope we’ll point out that the idea itself is one of the dumbest we’ve heard in years. 

There’s a lot that the rest of the state could learn from the way we do things in Grand Rapids.  We’re incredibly generous, consistently among the top cities in America when it comes to giving.  Folks like the DeVos and Van Andel families certainly help that bottom line, but as much as they’ve rubbed off on the city, they’ll be the first to tell you, Grand Rapids has rubbed off on them.

The city has a long tradition of fostering the entrepreneurial spirit.  And couldn’t we use a lot more of that in Michigan these days.  We have great neighborhoods and a lot of people who care.  You can’t beat it.

But that’s not to say I love everything about the city.  I’m far from a homer.  For instance, I think the Calder is hideous … I just don’t get it.  Sacrilege, I know.  But I don’t hold it against Grand Rapids and I hope you won’t hold it against me.  And I have a problem with the way a lot of our electeds look more for ways to get their names in the news than for ways to actually help the city (anyone remember the Mayor, his giant “I know something you don’t know” smile and his billion dollar riverfront development?).  If the city’s success has a public downside it’s a sort of reactionary pomp born of sycophantic insecurity.  And what’s more frustrating than that?

Thanks, all, for reading.  Bridget’s standing off to the side holding a really big hook right now so I’m going to take that as a sign it’s time to beat feet.  And that look in her eye … guess she likes the Calder.

Comments

[Anna Lee]

A View From The Right,

Even though our state is in the tank economically and people are in the dumps, people still stay here as we have hope.

You managed to find a way to be positive and admit there are problems, but there are also solutions. You show the signs of a true conservative, acknowledging the darkness, but still hoping for the light.

I agree with you on the budget issues, lack of Granholm vision and directive and the abundant liberal/social policies and ideas that are crippling a once great state.

Looking forward to more articles by you with hard hitting facts. I checked out your website and saw them for myself.

Keep up the good work.

[The Editor - Bridget]

Hello Anna,

Glad you enjoyed Nick's first article for L.A.W.

We certainly enjoyed his initial entry as it gave a nice snap shot of how he writes, his sense of humor, his perspective and his take on G.R. and Michigan. We are glad he gave the readers a chance to understand his style and view point before he jumped into hot button issues.

But, be forewarned, hot button issues are in the pipeline so stay tuned! We are looking forward to further ideas from him in the coming months. I'm sure you and other readers are as well.

As you know from reading his web site, he is definately staying abreast of daily events in our capital in Lansing and posting the most current feedback to readers possible. He has his finger on the pulse of ongoing budget activity, cutbacks, tax proposals and the like.

Enjoy future articles as they come in and continue to give us your thoughts and feedback, they are always welcome.

Regards,

[Nick]

Thanks, Anna and Bridget! I appreciate the kind words.

I think that's what real conservatism is all about. It's about finding solutions that empowering the individual. Afterall, isn't that what the US is supposed to be all about?

Thanks again for the chance to hang a shingle here at LAW!

--Nick

[Olivia T.]

Nick

You nailed it on this one!

Especially how nasty some of the liberal blogs have become (Daily Kos, Huffington Post, etc.) name calling, profanities galore, thoughts of rage, murder and more. Just look at the two internet gals Edwards hired and fired, their venom was toxic even from a distance. What in the world are people thinking? This is the Bush Derangement Syndrome x 10.

It's shocking where our people have gone on political, religious and life style issues. You can no longer agree to disagree on anything. It's simply, 'agree with us or you are E-V-I-L and we'll do everything we can to make sure the world see you that way'.

I used to be a 60's Democrat. No more. The party I once knew is long gone. I think I have become what they call a Regean Democrat. Or a moderate Republican. Over-all, I think I'm just conservative really. Do titles even matter? Either way, the old Dems have been hijacked by the liberal jihadists of the late 90's and there is no going back.

Both Democrats and Republicans have work to do. We can only hope that the moderates of each party are strong enough to elbow out the crazy ones to the far left and far right. Only then will we take back our city, our state and our country.

I hope.

By the way, haven't checked out your site but, will. This site has a link so, I'll tie it into my web favorites.

[The Executive Director]

Hi, Nick (and all his fans).

As the Executive Director, I wanted to pop in to thank you for a pleasant introduction to your point of view regarding state and local current affairs. We look forward to more contributions from you.

Regards, Bill

[Nick]

Thanks, Olivia.

What passes for "discourse" these days is often very unsettling. Glad I'm not alone in wishing for a higher level of conversation.

And thanks for checking out RightMichigan! Hope you like what you see.

--Nick

[The Executive Director]

Nick,

I want to switch hats now and respond to you as a businessman and a conservative. The only thing I can quibble with you about is Dick DeVos. I know you supported DeVos in last fall's race for governor. I didn't vote for him (or Granholm for that matter). My reasons were two-fold.

First, as a businessman I find nothing admirable about Amway. It's an exploitive enterprise that turns a buck more from rent-seeking than value-adding. For that reason I was not impressed by DeVos's tenure at Amway as proof of his business success. In a fundamental way, Amway operates more like government than private enterprise. So I didn't think he really had the business credentials to understand what is necessary to revive the Michigan economy.

Second, as a conservative I expect a politician running as a conservative to be able to articulate to the public the principles of limited self-government and then to explain how those principles justify particular policies. For example, DeVos ran away from school vouchers as fast as he could. Indeed, he didn't just abandon a key conservative reform of education, he embraced the liberal position of needing to spend even more on public schools. He did the same thing on Proposal 2.

Yet I find it hard to believe that if DeVos had stuck to conservative principles and explained to voters why these policies are good things that make for a better society, he wouldn't have had Granholm on the defensive on issues of primary importance to Michiganders. So even without my distaste for the Amway crowd, I still found DeVos a great disappoint as a candidate.

Mind you, Nick, I'm not a purist when it comes to politics. But I do think that DeVos is indicative of a trend in which too many Republican politicians pull conservative punches for reasons that strike me as venal rather than principled. Let me know what you think.

Regards, Bill

[Nick]

Bill,

Sorry about the delay... it's been one crazy week and somehow I'd overlooked your message. But now that I've seen it...

I didn't just support Dick during the last campaign, I worked for him. I served as the Director of Advance for the campaign and had the opportunity to travel with Dick for sixteen months. I was there every step of the way and consider the time some of the best spent in my life.

Frankly, on a variety of points I couldn't disagree with you more, not just as a matter of opinion but as a matter of absolute fact. That said, we can't re-run the election, and for some of the areas where you and I disagree I take some measure of responsibility. There aren't many better men in the state and I'm sorry Michigan didn't see that as plainly as everyone who had a chance to get to know him did.

Understanding that, I'll do my best to address your concerns not in any effort to "bring you to the cause" (though there's lots of room here and we accept late joiners) but rather to show you the Dick DeVos I grew to know over the course of the campaign. And I should also state, right up front, what follows are my personal views and should in no way be read or interpreted as a campaign or professional position. I ended my time with the DeVos for Governor campaign on November 7, 2006 and even during that time I was never a spokesman. Still, I'm plenty opinionated. :)

First, your concern over the Amway history is something that I realize you and I will likely never agree on and I won't try to convert you. I'm not a part of the organization, have never purchased their products and have told friends who've approached me about the opportunity "no thanks" so I'm not exactly a homer on that one.

But I would point out that Dick's time heading the company was one of unprecedented growth at a time when Michigan's economy was faltering. Alticor restructured, altered it's focus and began exporting Michigan made products to nearly 100 countries around the world. It remains a manufacturing powerhouse and is firmly rooted in the Grand Rapids community. Beyond that, Dick's started a variety of small(er) businesses and continues to be a remarkably successful businessman. His was a perspective that I believe could have benefited Michigan in these difficult economic times. He is a jobs maker. It's what he's done. And that's what we need more of.

It's your second point that I disagree with most fervently. Claiming that Dick ran away from vouchers is... well... short sighted. You'll remember that Dick and Betsy were behind the ballot initiative to bring vouchers to Michigan only a few years ago. They were the face of the proposal, the bankrollers, the boosters... the whole kit and kaboodle, as our friends in the MEA and at MDP told voters at every opportunity.

But the voters spoke. They said "no," and they said it quite resoundingly. Dick heard what they said and promised not to pursue the idea again as governor. Doing otherwise, I believe, would have represented almost a flaunting of the clearly spoken will of the people. Not only would it have been bad politics, it would have been bad governing. I'm not arguing that "the majority" is always right, but the way this state and this nation works, there are times when indeed, majority rules. Coming along only a couple years later and flipping voters the bird isn't the right approach.

Now as far as the claim that Dick wanted to just throw more money at a broken public education system, that's just not true. Period. Never did it, never said it, it was never written of him, attributed to him, rumored of him. Nothing. Not true.

In fact, he lead the charge for reforming public education. You may remember it was Dick DeVos on the campaign trail bringing up the third rail of education politics... merit pay. I can't tell you how many times he said in public speeches that 'while we can never pay our good teachers enough, there are many who we should encourage to find a job more in line with their talents and passions.'

He railed, again and again, against the wasted money in the education bureaucracy. Michigan is in the top quarter of states as far as education spending but ranks 49th, he'd remind people, in terms of the number of dollars spent on PE that actually make it to the classroom. 57 cents on the dollar are consumed by the bureaucracy. He actively campaigned for the elimination of MESSA's stranglehold on benefits for educators, a move that could save as much as $200 million a year that could be redirected into in-classroom spending.

These are conservative principles that even now haven't been pursued by a Republican majority in the state Senate while facing a budget crisis (though rumor has it they may be finding their voice soon)!

He never advocated throwing money at a problem. He openly and actively campaigned, every single day, on making education about our kids and better using what we spend.

Prop 2 he opposed. But your insinuation that this was not a principled position is just plain wrong. Think about it, Bill. Polling consistently showed, the entire time, that Prop 2 was headed for a giant victory. The only place folks opposed it was in the cities. Detroit. Muskegon Heights. Flint. Not exactly Republican metropoli. Only a man of principle running as a conservative Republican would stand in opposition to Proposal 2. There was nothing to gain by opposing it and everything to lose.

And I can tell you, knowing him personally, he is nothing if not a principled man. You can disagree with him on the issue (most in the state did) but one can never accuse him of playing politics on this one.

I'm sorry you didn't see what you needed from the campaign. I'm sorry a lot of folks didn't. Had they, I'm convinced we'd be making progress in this state already. There certainly wasn't a silver bullet to fire, but leadership and a lifetime's worth of economic expertise are sorely needed in Lansing these days.

Thanks for the opportunity to respond a bit. Hopefully I’ve helped clear a few things up.

--Nick

[The Executive Director]

Hi, Nick.

You don't have to tell me about being busy. ;)

As I said in my original comment, I agree with most of what you had to say in your article. The quality of DeVos as a conservative politician is where any disagreement lies. I do like the fact that you put your money where your mouth is and got into the fray to try to get your man elected. Futhermore, I don't know the man personally and it is not my intention to disabuse you of your admiration for him.

So when I speak of my disappointment in DeVos as the conservative candidate for governor, I am saying what I observed as an ordinary citizen with no special access to the man or his campaign. Because it is folks like me that must pull the lever for the man to get him into office, it might be of interest why his message failed.

Personally I don't need red meat. What I want to hear from a conservative candidate is the case for conservative policies that matter in state government, such as education and racial preferences. (For that matter, I want the same from liberal candidates. I want to hear their case made instead of the usual sentimental appeals and faux outrage.) Unfortunately, to take one example, what I heard from DeVos on education was that vouchers were a mistake and that he wanted to spend even more money on public education.

Not music to my ears, Nick! ;)

Of course, the mistakes DeVos made aren't unique to him. It's a general trend among Republican candidates these days to put distance between themselves and some of the more controversial conservative policy positions. The reason I said DeVos was venal in following this trend is because I take him at his word that he is a conservative, so I surmised that for political reasons he had walked away from positions he believed in. But I trust you when you say that his positions were grounded upon what he believes. Fair enough, but then a number of those positions aren't conservative.

But now I have a great idea. We conservatives don't need to bicker among ourselves when there are some pretty big dragons to slay like ethically-challenged pols, the tax-and-spend crowd, the culture of death, and general vulgarization of society. You are fighting the good fight on RightMichigan.com and we're glad to have your point of view here.

Regards, Bill

[Nick]

Thanks, Bill.