THE LEOPARD AND HIS SPOTS, PART TWO

Yesterday on Thanksgiving, the Grand Rapids Press published a letter from Dan Tietema, local businessman, former candidate for the Grand Rapids City Commission, and occasional contributor to L.A.W.  In a few paragraphs Dan did an excellent job of exposing Mayor George Heartwell for the political chameleon he is.  He will tell you whatever you need to hear to get elected, but once in office the leopard doesn't change his spots, however well he covers them during the campaign -- as we noted recently here.

Here is what Dan had to say:

In just a few short weeks after winning re-election, Mayor George Heartwell has strategically shifted his well-publicized, bipartisan, and pro-business approach to local government back to the partisan progressive liberal that he is accustomed to.

Already, he had advised fellow commissioners to draft a resolution to end the war in Iraq, urged state representatives to create new revenues, and called Eric Larson, head of the anti-tax group Kent County Families for Fiscal Responsibility, recall efforts "deplorable" and "self-serving".  The group opposes legislators who supported the newly added taxes placed on small business in a down economy.  Our mayor has also been supporting embryonic stem-cell research in Michigan.

The issues that need attention are plentiful and the mayor should stop wasting city resources promoting his personal agenda and spend more time addressing the areas that can improve the quality of life in our community.  Repairing damaged roads, fixing a broken budget, and restoring the necessary services is what an elected non-partisan mayor should be focused on when representing the fine citizens of Grand Rapids.

We deserve more than just campaign promises.  I urge those who endorsed the mayor's candidacy, including various religious leaders, prominent businessmen and women, and the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, to take a stand now and demand that the mayor redirect his priorities and begin concentrating on the interests that are specific to Grand Rapids.

Dan's got Big Sister's number.  Hizzoner indulges himself by using the mayoral office as a vanity vehicle for leftist posturing on national issues marginal or even irrelevant to the business of keeping River City a decent place to live and work in.  Thumb's up, Dan!

Comments

[Nick]

If more solid, respectable businessmen like Mr. Tietema would speak out on things like this this would be a better world.

--Nick
www.RightMichigan.com

[The Executive Director]

I agree 100%, Nick.

Regards, Bill

[Dan Tietema]

Thank you Bill for posting my letter to the editor, which ran Thanksgiving morning. I believe that it is so important to hold our representatives accountable and stand up against inconsistent ideology and/or behaviors when it is presented to us. It is so easy to campaign and win when the people who vote refuse to say or do anything when their candidate of choice "flip flops" on issues after being elected.

Many of the issues that our mayor has fought for have nothing to do with the positive direction of Grand Rapids and he is wasting too much time and precious resources pursuing a personal agenda on the taxpayer’s dime. However, you can say this about so many other politicians who are representing us- partisan or not. Democrats and Republican alike are making the same bad decisions to overlook their constituencies in an effort to gain power.

I wrote this article to let certain groups and individuals know that the candidate they endorsed is taking great liberty with the position he was elected to and is overlooking their interests for his personal gain.

I also wrote the “letter to the editor” to inform people and let them know what is going on within our city and not to just look at a candidate's list of endorsements or campaign promises' months before an election, but rather, take the time to educate themselves on a candidate's actions and philosophies several years prior to an election. When our representatives begin to feel that they work for us, and not the other way around, then the power will be return back to the people.

Nick, I appreciate the nice comments and what you do at RightMichigan.com. Best of luck to you and hopefully some day our paths will cross and we will get a chance to get talk.

Merry Christmas to all the localareawatch readers!

Dan Tietema

[The Executive Director]

You're welcome, Dan. I always enjoy your writing and was glad for an opportunity to share your words with our readers.

Regards, Bill

[B Post]

Now we have Heartwell buying "green energy". While I'm not opposed to green sources, he did an interesting shell game in selling it. He said that the additional $166,000 needed to buy the energy would be "made up" in conservation measures so that GR residents' bills would not go up to pay for it. Being mathematically inclined, I have to ask the question: if the City is putting into place conservation measures, then why not forgo buying the green energy and instead lower residents' bills? I don't remember Heartwell running on a green platform that he can claim a mandate for this. What I do remember is him complaining that the city budget had a shortfall and that the only way was to cut employee benefits. I'll bet the city union workers would rather have that $166,000 left in the budget.

[J. W. W.]

i heard that the water/sewer board recently told the city commission that costs are going to need to go up soon regarding water and sewer service. Even though the over-all program of recycling and waste was going well, the sewer backup that happened to many city residents resulted in claim payouts that created an over-all shortage.

One tv station recently told viewers that the $166,000 green energy costs was going to come out of the water/sewer fund so, no new costs on taxpayers.

What gives? Are water and sewer costs going up and we're going to pay for this increase? Is the green energy coming out of the water and sewer fund? If so, seems to me one way or another, the taxpayers are going to get the shaft for these services. Be it direct or indirect.

[Joe Citizen]

Question: How many city staffers does it take to get George into a canoe?

[Donna]

The residents who came out and voted for Mr. Heartwell are getting just what they wanted, a political activist who used his power to bring to the table issues like global warming, green energy, secularism, pro-abortion support, special business buddy networks, anti-war statements and more. Areas a Mayor does NOT need to be spending the bulk of his time. The rest of us still want a Mayor who deals with real city issues like rising taxes, poor real estate market, negative business developments in any area but medicine, budget woes, over-staffing, embarrassing school district performance and more. Meaning, a Mayor who looks out for the well being of ALL his citizens not just abuses the bully pulpit for the few.

Bill and Dan are right in calling out Mayor Heartwells spots as they seem to be growing by the day.

I would feel better about this city had Mr. Tormala won the mayoral seat. If he had been voted in along with the two new city commissioners starting in January, a change like that could have made a real difference for the good of this city and the residents. Shame on all those voters who stayed away and forced us to keep the same which is NOT working.