Shared personal grievance fuels Ottawa Impact slate of candidates

There is a group called Ottawa Impact that has “vetted” a slate of candidates who are running to be on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners. Each member of that slate is purported to have signed a pledge adhering to a standard of conduct.

The founder of the Ottawa Impact group had the following in his own campaign biography. “He became involved in local politics after Ottawa County threatened him and the parents at his child’s Christian School with fines and imprisonment for exercising their rights to determine the care and education of their children, and for not complying with certain COVID-19 mandates.”

So, his advocacy is founded in a dispute with the Ottawa County Health Department, on behalf of a school that lost its case over its defiance of legal health department orders during a major health emergency, the pandemic. In my judgment, his personal principles won out over his loyalties to the common good, an outcome that should be considered when assessing his fitness to serve the public.

I have been told, and Ottawa Impact’s postings seem to suggest as well, that a primary goal of this leader’s involvement has been the ending of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office of county government, an office highly regarded by local business groups who recruit new businesses to the area.

There have been multiple presentations to the board praising the commissioners for the creation of that office and Ottawa County is frequently praised as being exceptionally well run over all with the leadership it has, most of whom are running for re-election.

Those presentations to the board are often followed in the public comment period by ignorant and hateful denunciations of the DEI Office’s very existence. I often wonder if those people are members of Ottawa Impact, but I just don’t know.

To my mind, that office is the embodiment in county government of the concept “Freedom and Justice for all,” which is something I think we should all support. I find that people who exclude others from their perception of the common good can eventually find reasons to exclude me and others I care about.

I wrote about (as published in the Holland Sentinel) the dismissal of a lawsuit inspired by this group that looked to my eyes to be nothing short of a temper tantrum dressed up into legal jargon. They sought the overturning of a health mandate for masks and had no legal foundation to support their position. I have been following the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners for over a year, and I frequently attend their meetings. Over the last year, I have almost certainly attended more of the commission’s meetings than any one of the Ottawa Impact candidates and possibly even more than all of them combined.

I have concluded it is likely the candidacies of the Ottawa Impact slate are motivated by the shared personal grievance of their founder with the Ottawa County government or with a general anti-mask defiance that I believe made this pandemic worse. I also believe personal grievance is not a principle that is likely to lead to a reasonable, rational administration of good government.

Therefore, I support every incumbent of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners over every Ottawa Impact candidate, without exception. I also support Gregory Steigenga over his Ottawa Impact challenger, who is running to replace James Holtvluwer, who is not seeking re-election. I hope every reader will consider my position and comments before casting their vote.

The Ottawa Impact pledge ends with the phrase, “Soli Deo gloria,” which means “Glory to God Alone.” In the United States, there is no religious test for those seeking office. Any candidate can be motivated by any reason to seek office, but once in office they must swear an oath to protect and defend the Constitution under which that office is established. However, if a pledge has already been made, it seems fair to question, which oath will be considered to be primary over the other?

Why we support Nancy DeBoer for state representative

We strongly support Nancy DeBoer for state representative for the 86th District. In today’s polarized political climate, she is truly a breath of fresh air. Nancy is a proven and effective leader in large part because she works well with others and is skilled at finding creative solutions to difficult problems. Not only will these traits help her represent us well in Lansing, they are the traits that Lansing desperately needs.

Nancy DeBoer has served Holland as a member of the city council and as mayor. Under her leadership major renovations were made to the Civic Center, the western end of Holland’s downtown was redeveloped, and a new natural gas power plant was built. These are major accomplishments that took vision, hard work, listening to others and the ability to develop creative solutions.

A key to Nancy’s success as a leader in Holland is the fact that she is excellent at working with and listening to others. She humbly reaches out and listens to others. She does her homework. When she sees an important issue that needs to be addressed, she studies it, talks to people of varying views and then puts a plan together that will benefit the greater good. Not everyone has these skills, but Nancy does.

Her ability to identify important issues and develop creative solutions, coupled with her ability to work well with others, is just the type of person Lansing needs. In the Legislative process, legislators need to work together in order to pass meaningful legislation. It is therefore important to have a representative that is skilled at working with others, not fighting with others, so they will be in a position to help craft legislation that is good for the people of the 86th district and for all of Michigan. Nancy Deboer is that person!

And the rich get richer

Wealthy investors, backed by Wall Street, have focused on another way to transfer money from the pockets of average family wage earners into theirs.

It is well known that economic policy favors the wealthy. They have the money and buy influence with elected officials. Most Republicans, who push for less regulation (labeled as socialism), and some Democrats assist the wealthy in collecting a higher percentage of the wealth your labor produces. Tax policy is obvious. Some billionaires (like Trump) and profitable corporations pay zero federal tax.

Now, single-family homes around the nation are being purchased by investment companies. In some markets 33 percent of homes being sold are being turned into rentals. Wealthy corporations are outbidding families, driving up the price for homes, and then renting them out. Some being rented out by the week. Many investors are charging rent much more than a mortgage would ordinarily be for that property. As a result, families are forced to pay more to purchase a home. And, if they rent, the monthly rent is often more than the cost home ownership. Those being forced to rent are not able to build up equity (savings), which is the biggest asset that many families have.

Investors are typically buy new homes. Also expected is that they will, as absentee landowners often do, sell the property after 20 years when a lot of big-ticket items have worn out needing replacement, passing these costs unto the new owner.

In Michigan, property tax increases faster on a non-homestead property than on an owner-occupied property. This increase will be passed on to the renter.

Along with the loss of equity and an increasing value as home prices rise, renters are additionally hurt during inflation. Home ownership with a traditional mortgage is also a way to benefit during inflation. Wages also rise during inflation. But, once you have a mortgage, your monthly payment stays the same making it easier to pay off the mortgage. Lenders hate inflation because it favors debtors with fixed payments. You are essentially paying the mortgage back with money that has less value. Renters lose this advantage during inflation. 

Once again, legal economic policies are being used by the wealthy to hoard the nation's wealth at the expense of the average Joe.

Broadband investment necessary for a vibrant future

We live in a time when business competition is fierce. Communities across our nation are doing all they can to become the most attractive for growing businesses to establish themselves and attract emerging workers. While we have proven ourselves successful at attracting and retaining companies and talent, access to broadband will be a barrier to sustained economic strength. Increasing access to broadband positive impacts our local economy in three key ways:

Investment in broadband is about retaining and growing our primary employers. Today’s smart manufacturing from robotics to big data collection requires lightning-speed connectivity. Smart manufacturing technology is the future, and the quicker we can create access to it, the more resilient our thriving manufacturing center becomes.

To keep up with industry changes many in our community are pursuing degrees and becoming workforce ready. According to the Ottawa County Broadband Study, over half of the college learners surveyed do not have access to a high-speed connection. These individuals need access to what equips them with the skill sets our businesses need.

The reality is that talented people can now work anywhere. Investment in broadband increases our ability to compete for and retain top talent. These are highly skilled, educated residents who will likely contribute significantly to our schools and community efforts.

The City of Holland, Ottawa County and Allegan County have all been hard at work formulating plans to optimize broadband infrastructure investment. These critical investments will improve our region’s ability to compete for business and talent continuing to ensure current and future generations want to live and work in our vibrant economy.

Think twice before voting for Bill Huizenga

Bill Huizenga may be running unopposed for the 4th Congressional District, or he may face a write-in Democrat in November. Rep. Huizenga has won election handily each time he has run for Congress, but before you give him your vote in 2022, be aware of his positions on these new, critical and hot-button issues:

If denying reproductive rights for women in America is your thing, Bill is your man. If trying to deny a young rape victim’s attempt to travel to get an abortion is something you’re proud to stand for, Bill is your man. If you want to deny legal marriages to a lot of folks who are happily married now, just stand with Bill. And, if you think mass killers should have the freedom to unload 80-plus bullets per minute into other people’s — or children’s — bodies, then by all means, keep Bill Huizenga in office.

Criticism against Biden meeting bin Salman

Last week, Joe Biden’s fist-bump with Mohammed bin Salman attracted quite a lot of attention, most of it negative. 

It has been pointed out that during the campaign, Biden promised never to talk to bin Salman and now he’s treating him like a friend. I did not like the fist-bump, but I also think the criticism is a bit off point. Biden should never have made those campaign promises and he should not now overdo our traditional friendship with Saudi Arabia. 

Treating other nations as pariahs or using sanctions to punish bad behavior has a poor track record of success. Trump’s attempts to punish Iran and China into compliance are not producing positive results and our sanctions against Afghanistan have contributed to a massive humanitarian crisis there and empowered the most anti-American segment among Taliban leadership.

If we intend to influence others we must talk to them. Biden’s campaign promises about Saudi Arabia were foolish, his attempts to wiggle out of the mess they got him into are embarrassing, and his visit with the prince has damaged him politically. However, it is good for America that we are talking.

Too bad Biden does not just own up to a past mistake, admit he thought it made good campaign rhetoric though it was terrible foreign policy, and that he is now trying to correct it.

Broadband locally grown, locally controlled

When Albertus Van Raalte announced to his followers in 1847 his vision to establish a colony on the west side of Michigan, I’m certain there were a few naysayers. Surely, there was no way the swampy, overgrown region before them could become a thriving community.

I also imagine there were a few eyes rolling when Lida Rogers suggested in 1927 that the community should plant tulips to honor the area’s Dutch heritage. What good could possibly come from that?

And it’s likely there were a few individuals who shook their heads in disbelief in 1988 when the Holland Board of Public Works (BPW) installed a snowmelt system to encourage more foot traffic to shop downtown during the winter months. Would heating the sidewalks really drive sales?

As time has shown, each of these ideas has been proven worthy of support and investment. Which leads to the question: will the broadband fiber system currently being proposed for Holland prove itself just as worthy as the ideas pitched by Van Raalte, Rogers, and the BPW?

Proponents of the broadband fiber proposal offer multiple reasons to support this effort, including:

But for me, the most important reason to support the broadband fiber proposal is simple: this is a locally grown effort, by the people of Holland and for the people of Holland, which will once again put our community on global footing and keep all our businesses competitive.

I encourage you to say “yes” to the proposed broadband fiber initiative.

Will Trump, along with his cultists, be allowed to lead again?

Republican William Cohen appeared on a news program recently and sounded the alarm about what the radical right is doing to the nation. The one word he emphasized was “divide.” Mr. Cohen stated the goal of the radical right is to create a divide in the people of this nation that can be exploited for purely partisan purposes that do not reflect the wants or needs of a majority of the public. A nation divided along social, economic, racial, religious and cultural lines is their goal. Jan. 6 was the singular event that exposed the level to which these divisions now exist.  

Division along these lines is not new to our nation, but it is rare that they are allowed to reach the extremes that now are being exposed. In the early and middle 1800s, this nation was extremely divided. It was divided geographically between north and south, racially between black and white, culturally between slavery and non-slavery and even religiously between those who found biblical support for slavery and those who believed the Bible opposed slavery. And of course we all know that the result of these divisions was the horrible, destructive and deadly Civil War.  

Donald Trump, with the support of far right groups like the Proud Boys, The Oath Keepers, 3 Percenters and white supremacists as well as thousands who believed the lies about the 2020 election, is the source of our present divisions. The Jan. 6 Committee has exposed Trump for who and what he really is. 

Trump is a horribly flawed sociopathic narcissist who values his own life, needs and wants above those of anyone else, including those who worked with and for him as well as members of his own family. The question is will Trump, along with his cultists, be allowed to lead this nation into another civil war or will people of good will, conscience and morality reject Trump’s lies, treasonous acts and self-serving actions and save this democracy.  

Don't vote for the Ottawa Impact radical takeover

In a letter by Ottawa Impact President Joe Moss, Mr. Moss expresses his “shock” to see the “heavy handed” response by our Ottawa County Health Department, which joined with Gov. Whitmer’s COVID-19 enforcement orders.

My reaction would have been shock had she not taken the strongest measures at her disposal to curb a deadly disease. It would have been negligence. Mr. Moss’s love of freedom is not an an absolute. For government in an earlier era to have failed to take action to limit the spread of smallpox, our country would have been even further decimated. But surely there were resistors then as now. Many lives could have been spared had more of our citizens rallied behind our governor, heeding the guidance of our most qualified pandemic experts rather than espousing defiance in the name of personal freedom.

The influence of Donald Trump is felt in this organization. At least one member proudly proclaims Trump’s endorsement openly on his yard sign. Again I am shocked. In looking for a role model, a model of genuine leadership, this man, Trump, was chosen. A man who betrays his sacred constitutional oath is chosen. One who could never restrain himself from spreading lies, encouraging violence, praising white supremacists and inciting insurrectionists is chosen. Ottawa Impact vows to repeal the county’s hard won commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Mr. Trump would be proud.

There are commissioners currently serving on the board who have proven themselves to be steady, reliable and often selfless public servants. They are Matt Fenske, Roger Bergman, Al Dannenberg, Greg DeJong, Randy Meppelink and Phil Kuyers. Voters who do not want to see a radical right takeover of the county commission would do well to vote for these candidates in the primary election on Aug. 2.

Climate change continues to be our No. 1 threat

Being surrounded by the largest freshwater system on the planet that contains 6 quadrillion gallons of water — the Great Lakes — I think Michigan is a special place. I’ve spent a large chunk of my life splashing in the waves, rock hunting on the sandy beaches, and learning about these grand landscapes in ecology classes at Northern Michigan University. As a young Christian and biologist, I believe the gift of Michigan’s natural beauty has been given as a gift from God not only to enjoy, but also to steward and protect.

Climate change continues to be a growing threat to our beautiful state we call Pure Michigan. The lakes are experiencing more dramatic swings in water level, damaging houses and the beaches we all enjoy. From my experiences working at a blueberry farm and greenhouse, I’ve personally seen businesses and people suffer from changing weather patterns with increased severity of precipitation events. The algal blooms in Lake Erie are becoming more toxic, choking out the organisms living in the lake and impacting the health of locals.

While these facts about climate change seem daunting, I’ve drawn hope for the future through the strong communities of Michigan. Together, we can be impactful by raising our voices to protect the state that we love in the Michigan primary on Aug. 2. When you vote, I urge you to remember the pure beauty we have in our hand here in the Mitten State and the power you have to protect it for now and generations to come.

Support incumbents running for Ottawa County Board of Commissioners

Thanks to freedom of the press and to the investigative journalism of Holland Sentinel editor Sarah Leach for reporting the undemocratic tactics of Ottawa Impact, a far-right extremist group seeking to displace currently serving, moderate Republicans on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners (Sentinel July 24).

Former Ottawa County GOP chair Rett DeBoer has already stepped aside, likely pressured by the ongoing attempts by Ottawa Impact members who have since taken steps to displace the current moderate Republicans serving on the county commission. Ottawa Impact members have infiltrated the Ottawa County Republican Party’s executive committee to the extent that they censured six Republican incumbent commissioners for being insufficiently loyal to the goals of Ottawa Impact. They have tried to limit the freedom of speech of those with whom they disagree.

Ottawa Impact candidates typically do not respond to media inquiries. They do not appear at public forums and debates among candidates such as those held by the League of Women Voters. They do not meet state deadlines to disclose the sources and amounts of their campaign finances.

These attempts by a far-right, Trump-inspired faction of the GOP to impose their views on the current GOP county commissioners and to radically change the character of the Republican Party in Ottawa County can be best stopped by your votes at the August 2 primary election. If you are pleased with what our current County Commissioners have done and want to maintain the county’s health budget, keep the county’s public health officer, and support the county’s efforts toward diversity, equity, and inclusion, vote for incumbent moderate Republicans on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners. They are Roger Bergman, Al Dannenberg, Matt Fenske, Greg DeJong, Phil Kuyers and

High-speed fiber a luxury we can't afford

As I sit at my dining room table drafting this letter, my summer property tax bill is within reach.

Looking over my tax bill, I cant help but notice some of the things the city of Holland is already asking of me. I'm paying $4.68 a year for an airport that I don't use. Then there's the $19.81 I pay every year for a bus I never ride. I don't swim, but I'm paying $100.79 for an indoor pool. Meanwhile, it's costing me more to put gas in my vehicle, and my budget for groceries is completely shot. I have nothing more to give!

Oh, and let's not forget the extra $24 a year I'm paying for the "privilege" of a gigantic recycling container that I didn't ask for, and about which I was afforded no say. (On that note, if the city wanted to keep the bagged recyclables from mixing with the regular trash, all they had to do was to use separate trucks to pick up the bags.)

This fiber tax will cost me an additional $75.20 every year (which increases incrementally every year) for the next 25 years!

I, for one, have had enough. If the Holland BPW wants a new toy to play with, then they can find a way to fund it without adding yet another cost burden onto the taxpayers. Join me in voting "no" on this proposal.

Speed, accessibility, cost, reliability would improve with broadband millage

Coming into the mid-year elections in August a leading question is: Will the proposed broadband fiber infrastructure for City of Holland prove itself just as worthy as innovations in the past?

Having lived and worked in different states and countries, I lend my voice in supporting expansion of broadband access across this state, and especially right here at home in Holland. Expansion will not come as affordable or easily executed if left to the various providers of today to install the infrastructure — infrastructure that will be for their own use, and not on a shared basis, not to provide appropriate access and speeds to homes, businesses, schools, etc. (wired or wirelessly) at affordable rates.

This broadband expansion is like the national or state highway system. There is only one national freeway system, open to all vehicles. The consumption of gas, with its associated gas tax, helps pay for the maintenance, etc. to this highway.

The City of Holland broadband expansion plan “lays” fiber in the ground in an open use mode. Internet service providers can connect to it and extend the last few feet to your house; or provide wireless access points that will provide competitive wireless rates to households. We are so used to being controlled by when the Internet Service Providers can reach our individual home. We can only use vendor A and the speed is often restricted. What limits the speed? The Vendor “highway,” with all kinds of their equipment limitations. To extend its reach or raise the speed, they will need to raise rates, and execute a phased plan. Imagine that scenery with 5-10 ISP providers across Holland? All those fiber optic highways crisscrossing, etc. Roads being dug up for one ISP, only to be dug up a few months later to accommodate another vendor. This is unnecessary cost, inconvenience to citizens, and inefficiency. In the end, we the citizens pay for this – most likely through increased rates for internet with minimal improvement or availability of the service.

But for me, the most important reason to support the broadband fiber proposal is simple: this is a locally grown effort, by the people of Holland and for the people of Holland, which will once again put our community on a connected mode for others to emulate. The ISP’s that provide a valuable service to us with our connected devices, can offer greater, and more stable speeds than what can or do today. Let competition among the ISP’s be focused on services and security, not amortizing their costs for their “infrastructure” when there is a Holland Fiber Optic Infrastructure available for their use. Speed, accessibility, cost and reliability of our internet access will be improved — no matter the carrier.

I encourage all to vote “yes” to the proposed broadband fiber initiative on Aug. 2.

Former State of Michigan DTMB Director and CIO