Kent County Primaries information

[francishsu]

A couple of Internet resources providing some information on the candidates and proposals in tomorrow's primary:

Quick link to the Kent County web page for the primary election tomorrow:

http://www.accesskent.com/YourGovernment/E.../candidates.htm

GR Press Voters Guide

[mgreven]

Question... what does a drain commisioner do?

Does his political party affliliation have anything to do with it?

I've never known...I even looked on some of the candidates websites but they didn't say what a drain commissioner does. They all said they would provide us clean water, but I figured there wasn't a candidate committed to dirty water.

Any insight?

[Kayak1]

Question... what does a drain commisioner do?

Does his political party affliliation have anything to do with it?

I've never known...I even looked on some of the candidates websites but they didn't say what a drain commissioner does. They all said they would provide us clean water, but I figured there wasn't a candidate committed to dirty water.

Any insight?

This is from the county website. It really is an engineering position that is why many times the candidates are civil engineers.

Drain Commiss

[numstead]

"Proposed Amendment to Section 5 (Meetings) of Title V of the Charter of the City of Grand Rapids

The purpose of this amendment is to change the requirement that the City Commission meet in regular session at least once each week, with one evening meeting each month, and require, instead, that it meet in regular session twice a month, with at least one evening meeting each month. The amendment also permits the use of modern technology to notify Commissioners of special meetings of the Commission called by any two Commissioners, and adds a reference to the Open Meetings Act.

Shall this amendment be adopted?"

So what does that mean? Do the commissioners just get to e-mail addresses from the city? Or do they each get tax-payer funded Blackberrys and IPODs?

[francishsu]

"Proposed Amendment to Section 5 (Meetings) of Title V of the Charter of the City of Grand Rapids

[...]

So what does that mean? Do the commissioners just get to e-mail addresses from the city? Or do they each get tax-payer funded Blackberrys and IPODs?

Ref URL: http://www.mlive.com/elections/grpress/ind....xml&coll=6

The charter amendment also allows commissioners to call special meetings over e-mail or voicemail.

The charter currently requires special meeting notices be delivered to commissioners' homes.

[Rizzo]

Question... what does a drain commisioner do?

Does his political party affliliation have anything to do with it?

I've never known...I even looked on some of the candidates websites but they didn't say what a drain commissioner does. They all said they would provide us clean water, but I figured there wasn't a candidate committed to dirty water.

Any insight?

My understanding is that this position could be the most powerful elected position. The drain commissioner oversees the ?development, funding, and placement of drain utilities?, effectively determining commercial, residential, and industrial development outside of the core.

I think they're all Republicans, so it doesn't really matter anyway.

my 2 cents

[GRCentro]

Are there any rules against campaigning in front of a voting station? If not, there should be. I find it obnoxious and a little bit insulting to be handed a "voter's guide" as I enter the building.

The drain commissioner oversees the ?development, funding, and placement of drain utilities?, effectively determining commercial, residential, and industrial development outside of the core.

I think they're all Republicans, so it doesn't really matter anyway.

There's one Democrat as well (though I also don't understand why party affiliation should matter). Did anyone else find it funny that one of the drain commissioner candidates has been promoting himself as pro-life?

Noone will flush fetuses down the sewer drain!!! Not in my city!

[Rizzo]

It shouldn't matter, but that is what gets votes. They do that to get noticed. "I'm a pro-life republican (which goes without saying these days) and I know all of you are too, but my opponents on the other hand are libertarians. Remeber folks, look at the first three letters of that word, L-i-b. Need I say more? BTW that is eventually where a lot of fetuses go, down the drain. Where's the humility in that. Flushing your own child down the toilet?"

[francishsu]

I'm really disappointed that the Drain Commisioner position is only two parties. There's virtually no difference between the Republican and Democrat policies when it comes to our drainage system. You really need to add Libertarians and Green parties.

Libertarians - what you do with your drains is your business alone. Individuals can build and maintain the drainage system on their own property, if they wish. Government should stay out of drain management.

Greens - our current drain system is destroying the environment, and encouraging development which also threatens our natural surroundings. Expansion of the current drain system should be forbidden, and more regulation/stricter standards need to be imposed on existing systems.

[Rizzo]

I'm really disappointed that the Drain Commisioner position is only two parties. There's virtually no difference between the Republican and Democrat policies when it comes to our drainage system. You really need to add Libertarians and Green parties.

Libertarians - what you do with your drains is your business alone. Individuals can build and maintain the drainage system on their own property, if they wish. Government should stay out of drain management.

Greens - our current drain system is destroying the environment, and encouraging development which also threatens our natural surroundings. Expansion of the current drain system should be forbidden, and more regulation/stricter standards need to be imposed on existing systems.

People don't understand the position enough to vote the proper candidate. Yet, it is the easiest race to spot. Look at their advertisements. I'm betting you that they are mostly the high visible road signs (ie. the huge sign on 54th st near the rail traxs.)

Instead of thinking about the issue and knowing who not to vote for thoes that don't understand the position go immediately to the golden words. The candidates know this word highlighting and they insert their favorite social cause or party affiliation to garner more votes. Instead voters think because runners are against abortion and republican, that this somehow makes them even more qualified to make decisions based on other "qualified" peoples research and testimony. The only suspect poster I've seen was Byl (sp? Don't remember the cand. name) and "Republican" shown below. I don't know if this is how the other players are running their campaign.

I'm wondering what the position could do for sprawl where no existing drainage exhists.

My 2 cents

[civitas]

The only suspect poster I've seen was Byl (sp? Don't remember the cand. name) and "Republican" shown below. I don't know if this is how the other players are running their campaign.

I'm wondering what the position could do for sprawl where no existing drainage exhists.

My 2 cents

I voted for Bill Byl because he was clearly the most qualified for the position. He is an engineer, has served as a state legislator and is head of a political department at GVSU. The engineering skill has obvious benefit. The political skills are critical because county drains cross city and township borders and concensus building is a very important part of the job.

[Rizzo]

Mind you I don't find Byl suspect. I mentioned Byl because that is what stuck in my mind the most, but he is clearly qualified. But in this town, it goes without saying who is affiliated with what party. You are an informed voter, its the 90% of the people who vote that I would be concerned.

Am I wrong when I say this, but couldn't a drain commisioner have a huge impact on sprawl?

[civitas]

Am I wrong when I say this, but couldn't a drain commisioner have a huge impact on sprawl?

I don't think so. The drain commissioner mostly reacts to what local government approves. As areas develop, hard surfaced materials replace fields and the quantity of runoff increases (less water soaks into the ground). The drain commissioner has the big picture on the drains and works with developers and local governments to maintain, improve and build the county drains. The work is mostly necessitated by development, it does not encourage development.

[civitas]

I don't think so. The drain commissioner mostly reacts to what local government approves. As areas develop, hard surfaced materials replace fields and the quantity of runoff increases (less water soaks into the ground). The drain commissioner has the big picture on the drains and works with developers and local governments to maintain, improve and build the county drains. The work is mostly necessitated by development, it does not encourage development.

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/link.asp?L=136449

With 29% of the precincts reported, Byl has 44% of the votes in a 6 man race. I guess he was the obvious guy for the job.

[Veloise]

Are there any rules against campaigning in front of a voting station? If not, there should be. I find it obnoxious and a little bit insulting to be handed a "voter's guide" as I enter the building....

Um, yeah. I believe it's a state law, which is why you'll see a solid wall of campaign signs stuck in the ground 100' away from the polling place.

No one should be at the building entrance handing out voter's guides. I think that the League of Women Voters materials is allowed to be available because it is comepletely non-partisan, but any campaigning should be offset the required distance.

[just got back from a 15 hour day of being an election official]

[GRCentro]

Um, yeah. I believe it's a state law, which is why you'll see a solid wall of campaign signs stuck in the ground 100' away from the polling place.

No one should be at the building entrance handing out voter's guides. I think that the League of Women Voters materials is allowed to be available because it is comepletely non-partisan, but any campaigning should be offset the required distance.

[just got back from a 15 hour day of being an election official]

To be fair to the persons campaigning, they were probably at least that far away from the building. Still, I found it obnoxious to be immediately handed a "voter's guide" as I stepped out of my car in the parking lot of the voting station. (Yes, sometimes GRCentro drives a car )

Eitherway, your type of election service is much more appreciated, Veloise.

[snoogit]

People don't understand the position enough to vote the proper candidate. Yet, it is the easiest race to spot. Look at their advertisements. I'm betting you that they are mostly the high visible road signs (ie. the huge sign on 54th st near the rail traxs.)

Instead of thinking about the issue and knowing who not to vote for thoes that don't understand the position go immediately to the golden words. The candidates know this word highlighting and they insert their favorite social cause or party affiliation to garner more votes. Instead voters think because runners are against abortion and republican, that this somehow makes them even more qualified to make decisions based on other "qualified" peoples research and testimony. The only suspect poster I've seen was Byl (sp? Don't remember the cand. name) and "Republican" shown below. I don't know if this is how the other players are running their campaign.

I'm wondering what the position could do for sprawl where no existing drainage exhists.

My 2 cents

You should have seen the big sign for Postmus on Walker @ Leonard...

[GRCentro]

I'm no poll official, but I know election fraud when I see it!

[Rizzo]

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/link.asp?L=136449

With 29% of the precincts reported, Byl has 44% of the votes in a 6 man race. I guess he was the obvious guy for the job.

I guess I was the unedumacated one!

[Veloise]

I'm no poll official, but I know election fraud when I see it!

Dang, that's hilarious.

Yesterday's ballot was so freakin' confusing, probably 20% of the 141 voters did the re-do thing. Some made three attempts. We had 500 ballots available, so no problem there. The tabulator machine would show an error message when the inevitable occurred.

Humor abounded. (Maybe ya had to get up at 5:30 and return home twice to bring back music, then more fans and extension cords, for this to be funny.)

[grrwymg]

Dang, that's hilarious.

Yesterday's ballot was so freakin' confusing, probably 20% of the 141 voters did the re-do thing. Some made three attempts. We had 500 ballots available, so no problem there. The tabulator machine would show an error message when the inevitable occurred.

Humor abounded. (Maybe ya had to get up at 5:30 and return home twice to bring back music, then more fans and extension cords, for this to be funny.)

I'll admit it, I fubar'd my ballot once. I didn't realize that the partisan section continued on the back - until it was too late. :?

Oh well - as of 4:45PM - I was only the 180th voter - granted, the little district isn't overly large. Maybe that's a good turnout. Who knows...