May 7th 2009
The Kent County Families for Fiscal Responsibility (KCFFR), opponents of the proposed Silver Line, celebrated its defeat Tuesday night. The defeat is the second straight tax increase that the group claims credit in helping defeat. Their most recent campaign was the second GRCC millage request in August of 2007. The organization’s self-described mission is to promote good government and a rational tax policy.
Throughout the campaign, KCFFR volunteers passed out literature to thousands of households over the metro Grand Rapids area, wrote letters to the editor, and organized on the internet. Targeted precincts in many of the cities voting helped turn out more voters than in May of 2007 (the last Rapid vote) with a significantly higher ‘no’ vote percentage. Despite spending a mere fraction of the Friends of Transit, who received a gift from one donor of $50-80,000, they managed to create a palpable impact expressed best on the Facebook online message board of the Friends of Transit where they described KCFFR’s “prescence (being) felt electronically and we’re getting pummeled.”
Said KCFFR spokesman Eric Larson, “Tuesday was a great night for property owners across Kent County. For the first time, the Rapid lost a millage request. The Silver Line was rightly seen by taxpayers as a redundant service that traveled no faster than their current buses but carried a steep price tag in a bad economy. Clearly, this plan was rejected in very high numbers by the cities of Wyoming, Walker, Grandville, and Kentwood to a lesser degree. Fundamentally, we think it is incumbent upon those city governments to reconsider their role in this ITP taxing authority. Despite their overwhelming opposition, the city of Grand Rapids still almost forced them to pay a tax that Grandville and Walker would get absolutely no benefit from. This is a dangerous path that the ITP board is traveling where these suburban cities are getting taxed without representation.
“KCFFR is pleased with the results but wants to emphasize that our work has only begun. We are not solely an anti-millage group. We will work in the near future on improving governmental accountability and transparency at the Rapid and through the local school districts as well. It is the taxpayers’ right to know where and how the government spends its money and we intend to make that easier over the coming year.”
Posted by admin under Rapid Silver Line & The Rapid (ITP)
April 30th 2009
Opponents of the proposed $70 million tax increase for the ITP (or Rapid) will be working this weekend and up to May 5th in nearly all of the cities voting on the ITP.
The organization’s mission is to promote good governance with a rational tax policy and has fought other millages in the past. Its most recent battle was to stop the second failed GRCC millage request in August 2007. KCFFR credited itself partially in the defeat by turning out double the no votes in certain key precincts which helped defeat the millage by a razor thin margin. It also was the only organized opposition in May 2007 to the Rapid’s last millage request in which they advertised against the millage request on the side of one of the ITP’s buses with a “This Pig Stinks” campaign.
“One of the main arguments for this new rapid transit system is that it will move commuters quickly from the suburbs to downtown Grand Rapids but that just is not true,” says KCFFR spokesman, Eric Larson. “According to the ITP’s statistics the new Silver Line will only average less than 22 mph up Division (or 9.8 miles in 27 minutes). The idea that you can put a rapid transit bus on surface streets and save time along a street with so many intersections suggests some poo planning. Usually these transit lines run along freeways or limited access roads so they can move commuters quickly. Worse yet, the current bus line that serves Division Ave. travels 12 miles in 33 minutes (or 21.8 mph) according to the Rapid’s own website meaning it travels as fast as the proposed rapid line. To call this project a $70 million dollar boondoggle is an understatement.”
The group expects to continue its neighborhood campaigning up until next Tuesday’s election and feels optimistic about its chances in defeating the millage.
Posted by admin under Uncategorized
April 26th 2009
Opponents of the proposed $70 million tax increase for the ITP (or Rapid) began actively campaigning door-to-door today. Volunteers of the Kent County Families for Fiscal Responsibility began the grassroots work today with literature drops across the metropolitan area.
The organization’s mission is to promote good governance with a rational tax policy and has fought other millages in the past. Its most recent battle was to stop the second failed GRCC millage request in August 2007. KCFFR credited itself partially in the defeat by turning out double the no votes in certain key precincts which helped defeat the millage by a razor thin margin. It also was the only organized opposition in May 2007 to the Rapid’s last millage request in which they advertised against the millage request on the side of one of the ITP’s buses with a “This Pig Stinks” campaign.
“There are many reasons why the millage request is being opposed so strongly this time,” says Eric Larson, spokesman for the group. “Aside from asking for a lot of money during hard economic times, they are presenting a poorly hatched plan that would be a detriment to Division Ave. The plan calls for eliminating half the lanes of traffic during peak commute times which would not only add to congestion but would eliminate parking for some small businesses along the route. Also, it is a route which already has a bus and would travel, according to their numbers, even slower than the current route. Finally, this particular unfair project provides no benefit to three of the cities taxed (Grandville, East Grand Rapids, and Walker) since the line is nowhere near their city borders.”
The group expects to continue its neighborhood campaigning up until next Tuesday’s election and feels optimistic about its chances in defeating the millage.
Posted by admin under Rapid Silver Line & Tax Increase Alerts & The Rapid (ITP)
April 21st 2009
Once again, the Kent County Families for Fiscal Responsibility (KCFFR) has risen in opposition to another ITP millage request. KCFFR most recently opposed and was instrumental in the defeat of the second GRCC millage request in 2007. KCFFR also opposed the previous ITP millage request in 2007 and ran a “This Pig Stinks” ad on the side of a Rapid bus.
The organization is the local taxpayers’ rights group that professes to fight for good governance and low taxes. They believe that private enterprise have better and more efficient solutions to solving local problems than using the public purse.
Spokesman Dr. Eric Larson stated a number of reasons for KCFFR’s opposition to the new $70 million tax request from the ITP. “It is very hard to imagine that this tax hike is a serious request from the Rapid. It calls for $70 million over 5 years to build a bus line on Division that is already being serviced by their buses. It will close down half the road during peak traffic hours which will cause widespread congestion and affect parking for a lot of the businesses along the route. Worse yet, this rapid service will average only 16 mph!
“Not only is this a poorly hatched plan for what it sets out to do but it extracts tax money from the cities of East Grand Rapids, Walker, and Grandville that will not receive any of the benefits. It is simply inconceivable that during a large economic downturn the ITP would consider taking $70 million out of the pockets of taxpayers instead of allowing those citizens to use the money to care for their families and support local businesses.”
The KCFFR has already begun an active campaign by handing out flyers pointing out the wastefulness and unfairness of the millage request. It expects to accomplish most of its goals through word of mouth, grassroots networking, and door to door campaigning. Since the group does not have the deep pockets of the businesses along the proposed route or the ability to freely advertise its position on a publicly owned website (such as the Rapid) it will continue to utilize those other techniques which were effective in its campaign against GRCC in May, 2007.
If you would like to schedule an interview with KCFFR spokesman Eric Larson, please contact him by email (ellarson0@gmail.com) or phone (616-648-3384). Please visit our website at www.itpwatch.org for more information.
Posted by admin under Rapid Silver Line & Tax Increase Alerts & The Rapid (ITP)
April 14th 2009
Today Kent County Families for Fiscal Responsibility is launching a new project called ITP Watch. We aim to shine the light on the finances and operations of the ITP/Rapid bus transit system. The ITP continues to lack transparency. ITP Watch will make available the information that ITP doesn’t want taxpayers to have access to: budgets, operational reports, and other data showing the lack of efficiency of the Rapid system.
ITP Watch is also part of our effort to urge voters to say NO to the tax increase on the ballot Tuesday, May 5th, 2009. This tax increase is proposed to pay for a new “Silver Line” bus system. This Silver Line will choke up traffic on Division from downtown Grand Rapids to 60th street by cutting off two of the four lanes on Division during peak traffic hours. In addition, this tax increase will cost the taxpayers of Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Walker, Wyoming, and Grandville a whopping $70 million. Read more at the ITP Watch web site.
Posted by admin under Rapid Silver Line & Tax Increase Alerts & The Rapid (ITP)
October 1st 2007
DATE: October 1, 2007
Kent County Families for Fiscal Responsibility Launches Recall Campaign Against Representative Robert Dean of Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids – Following on the heels of a sales tax and income tax increase approved by the Michigan state legislature early Monday morning, a local taxpayers’ rights group has launched a recall effort against local state representative Robert Dean. The Kent County Families for Fiscal Responsibility, which helped defeat the GRCC millage in August, filed the preliminary paperwork for a recall committee against Dean in September in the event that he voted to raise taxes. Now that same group has begun to organize volunteers to begin the difficult recall process.
Early this morning, Representative Dean voted to raise the personal income 18% and levy the 6% sales tax on a variety of previously exempt services like athletic tickets, janitorial services, landscaping, travel agents, and carpet cleaning to name a few. The local group had sent a warning to Dean and a number of Republican legislators in Kent County that they would initiate a recall campaign if the legislators voted for taxes without any significant cuts in spending.
Said District 75 recall spokesman Jeff Steinport, “Representative Dean and the state legislature failed the state of Michigan today by voting to raise taxes without any serious spending reforms. He failed to make the hard decisions to balance the budget with structural changes and instead took the easy route and raised the taxes on our already ailing Michigan economy. We simply cannot continue to spend money that we do not have. It is because of this reckless action that we feel the need to remove him from office before he does more damage to our families and businesses.”
The recall committee will begin working to formulate a strategy for attaining the necessary signatures and funding for its endeavor over the next few weeks. The last time Michigan legislators faced recall elections occurred in 1983 after a similar income tax increase was passed. Both legislators who faced the recall election were recalled and replaced.
If you would like to schedule an interview with Jeff Steinport please contact him by phone at (616) 293-5056 or email him at info@kcffr.org
Posted by admin under Recall Campaign
September 6th 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: September 6, 2007
Grand Rapids - Kent County Families for Fiscal Responsibility (KCFFR), which worked to defeat the second request by GRCC for a millage increase, filed the preliminary paperwork this afternoon to recall four Kent County state legislators who have declined to sign either the American’s for Tax Reform Pledge or Michigan Taxpayers Alliance Promise to not raise taxes.
The four affected legislators are senators Bill Hardiman and Mark Jansen and representatives Robert Dean and Kevin Green. The group expects to file paperwork to form a recall committee for Dave Hildenbrand tomorrow in Lansing which would bring the number of Kent County officials to five. Currently, two Kent County legislators have pledged to not raise taxes by signing the Americans for Tax Reform pledge - Representatives Glenn Steil, Jr. and David Agema.
The formation of these committees comes on the eve of a potential vote in the state capitol to raise income and sales taxes. KCFFR is a self-described taxpayers’ rights group formed to protect the citizens of Kent County from inefficient bureacracy and unfair government practices. The move today is done in conjunction with the efforts of the Michigan Taxpayers’ Alliance (MTA) which has pledged to recall state senators and representatives who vote to increase taxes.
The formation of the committees to recall the legislators is only the first step in a recall effort. Said KCFFR spokesman Eric Larson, “Our action today to form the committees is really just a warning shot across the bow to these legislators. We want to make sure they know we are watching them closely and hope they make the right choice in protecting the beleaguered taxpayer. Michigan’s economy and citizens are hurting and this is the worst possible time to raise taxes. All we ask is that the five legislators pledge to not vote in favor of raising taxes. If they sign the pledge, we will dissolve the recall organizations.”
Recalling legislators is a difficult task set forth in the state consitution. The required number of signatures is hard to attain which is why it is rarely ever attempted. No state legislator has been recalled in Michigan since 1983 when two state senators were recalled after voting in favor of an income tax hike. After their recall, the state legislature quickly overturned the income tax increase.
If you would like to schedule an interview with Eric Larson please contact him by email at lpmlarson@comcast.net.
Posted by admin under Recall Campaign
August 8th 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: August 7, 2007
The Kent County Families for Fiscal Responsibility (KCFFR) helped to successfully defeat the second request by GRCC for a millage increase. The final margin of victory was 361 votes for those opposing the tax hike.
Despite August traditionally having low voter turnout in outlying Kent County areas, voters came to the polls to reject GRCC’s second request. Although the city of Grand Rapids had much higher voter turn out than in May due to their mayoral race, their yes votes were overwhelmed by a larger opposition to the millage request in Wyoming, Walker, and the outlying townships.
Said KCFFR spokesman, Dr. Eric Larson, “We were a small band of volunteers with a very limited budget but we persevered. Despite being outspent by over $100,000 we focused on the smaller townships and prevailed because of their boosted voter turnout. This is a great day for taxpayers in Kent County as they will now have $9.8 million more to feed into the local economy.”
If you would like to schedule an interview with Eric Larson please contact him by email at lpmlarson@comcast.net.
Posted by admin under GRCC
July 9th 2007
After Kent County voters rejected the Grand Rapids Community College millage tax hike in May, the bureaucrats are asking for nearly the same tax hike again only three months later!
Because the tax hike request was close, officials assume voters just made a mistake and really wanted to pay more in taxes. That’s why they are coming right back with a $150,000+ campaign to convince you of your mistake.
Do you think they would hold another election if it had only passed by one vote? You know the answer to that question.
In fact, officials admitted that the reason they are holding the millage request again so soon is that there is traditionally low voter turnout in the summer in rural communities making the request more likely to pass.
They admit to not valuing your voice – only your wallet!
Be sure to vote again this August 7th. Tell your neighbors and make sure this tax increase doesn’t sneak through.
Posted by admin under GRCC
