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West Michigan Rising
Rising from the Ashes to Build Our Left Coast in Michigan
Bruce Hawley

One Last Bruce Hawley Mailer

by: philgoblue

Tue Nov 04, 2008 at 05:38:29 AM EST

Bruce has some great TV ads and radio spots out. Sorry, I've got no time to get them to you. I do have the final mailer.

click on the image for a larger picture.

I was out walking for Bruce on Saturday, and we ran into a lot of Republicans interested in Bruce, including one who explicitly said this mailer had won her vote ... and the vote of two others in her household (another said the TV ad had won him over).

There's More... :: (0 Comments, 31 words in story)

Hawley and Huckleberry Go Up on TV Together

by: philgoblue

Wed Oct 29, 2008 at 20:03:29 PM EDT

Bruce and Huck do a joint TV ad now on the air on cable.

Discuss :: (0 Comments)

Announcing the Rising Dozen and Your Picks Poll

by: philgoblue

Fri Oct 24, 2008 at 12:37:34 PM EDT

The Rising Dozen: Our Top Endorsed Candidates for 2008

We'll we'd meant to get this going back in Labor Day, but stuff always gets in the way at our little all-volunteer group blog.  Still, we wanted to get it out and since TODAY is the final financial filing deadline for Michigan State House races, this seems like a last change opportunity.  

So, we're now announcing nine of our Rising Dozen candidates for 2008.  Each editor has picked three candidates in their coverage area.

But you -- our beloved readers -- also get to pick three candidates in the poll below to get us up to a dozen.

We're always going to write about our candidates as much as possible, but these, for a variety of reasons our the ones we really want to highlight.  The reason? They're in important and tight races -- they are helping West Michigan Democrats Rise.  There are some other great candidates out there who are close friends of WMR -- Roy Schmidt and Robert Dean (though you can vote for the Reverand in the poll since others may see this as a closer race than I do) -- come to mind, but they're in races that they are going to win, and we want to allocate our few resources to where they will have the greatest benefit.

We encourage you to support these Rising Dozen candidates with your volunteer efforts and by throwing them some cash to pay for those final mailers, radio ads, etc that help push close campaigns over to victory. Some of these candidates now have ActBlue pages so you can give to them via our Rising Dozen ActBlue Page.  When you give to via ActBlue, the candidates get to use the money immediately.  So, show these candidates who have worked so hard for so long that the readers of West Michigan Rising support them!

The Rising Dozen ActBlue Page

Our goal is $1000 in one week.  We get about 2,500 readers a week and we have over 240 readers with accounts.  We can do it, but only with your help. Yes We Can!

So, here they are The Rising Dozen for 2008 an order I put them in.

Dan Scripps
Michigan State House District 101: Leelanau, Benzie, Manistee, Mason Counties
WMR State House Ranking: #6
Dan Scripps Website
WMR Stories on Dan Scripps
WMR Stories by Dan Scripps
Donate to Dan via the WMR Rising Dozen ActBlue Page

Bruce Hawley
Michigan State House District 73: northern Kent County
WMR State House Ranking: #10
Bruce Hawley Website
WMR Stories on Bruce Hawley
Donate to Bruce via the WMR Rising Dozen ActBlue Page

Judy Truesdell
Michigan State House District 78: Berrien and Cass Counties
WMR State House Ranking: #8
Judy Truesdell Website
WMR Stories on Judy Truesdell
Donate to Judy via the WMR Rising Dozen ActBlue Page

Brandon Dillon
Kent County Commission District 18
Brandon Dillon Website
WMR Stories on Brandon Dillon
WMR Stories by Brandon Dillon
Candidate Profile on Brandon

Fred Johnson
US Congress District 2: Allegan, Ottawa, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Mason, Benzie, Lake, and Wexford Counties
Fred Johnson Website
WMR Stories on Fred Johnson
Donate to Fred via the WMR Rising Dozen ActBlue Page

Julie Rogers
Michigan State House District 61: Kalamazoo County
WMR State House Ranking: #7
Julie Rogers Website
WMR Stories on Julie Rogers
Donate to Julie viaher website

Mike Huckleberry
Michigan State House District 70: Montcalm and Ionia Counties
WMR State House Ranking: #9
Mike Huckleberry Website
WMR Stories on Mike Huckleberry
Donate to Huck viahis website

Mary Valentine
Michigan State House District 91: Muskegon County
WMR State House Ranking: #5
Mary Valentine Website
WMR Stories on Mary Valentine
Donate to Mary viaher website

Don Cooney
US Congress District 6: Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Cass, Berrien, Van Buren Counties
Don Cooney Website
WMR Stories on Don Cooney
Donate to Don via the WMR Rising Dozen ActBlue Page
MI-6)

Goal Thermometer

The group from which you our readers will pick three to add to the Rising Dozen is in the diary below, but the list is on the flip.

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Bruce Hawley's Incumbent Destroying Mailer

by: philgoblue

Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 08:00:00 AM EDT

Today, voters throughout northern Kent County will be receiving a new mailing from Bruce Hawley, Democratic candidate for the Michigan State House from District 73.

What I like about it is that it isn't fluff. It uses Pearce's own bad votes against economic development -- the guy voted against grants to colleges to help build libraries at GVSU and GRCC and against West Michigan tourism that would have brought jobs and other benefits to his constituents.  In addition, he voted against veterans claiming budget constraints, but still found the money to try to keep is outrageous health benefits for life for just 2 years of work.

The mailer is perfectly pitched for the district and shows that Bruce is the ideal candidate to score an upset in what had been considered a strong to safe Republican district. Bruce doesn't run from being a Democrat, but labels himself a "West Michigan Democrat," by which he means one that is a cultural moderate and an economic populist.  Bruce also hits on the change theme and is likely to ride a wave of anti-incumbent, especially anti-Republican incumbent, feelings. Folks, inside the Hawley campaign really believe they are going to win.  Now, if only he can get the support from some from the MDP and House Caucus that could put him over the top.

And things are changing. I'm hearing that Bruce is getting public support from prominent northern Kent County Republicans.  They and probably thousands and thousands of probably McCain-voters believe Bruce is a candidate they can trust and one who will represent the district far better than Pearce (who is infamous for his poor constituent services).

The Back of the Mailer

But, heck, the most telling difference was during the Kent City parade where it rained buckets the whole day. Bruce Hawley marched with 30 supporters and greeted the people of Kent County. Tom Pearce ... he stayed home.

the front of the mailer is on the flip....

There's More... :: (3 Comments, 24 words in story)

Red Flannel Days closes out Marching Season

by: Harris

Wed Oct 08, 2008 at 23:55:25 PM EDT

Saturday was the Red Flannel Days parade -- the last parade of the campaign for Bruce Hawley.  And as his team will tell you, the best weather by far.  While Bruce didn't have a Senator to go with him, he did have 40 or so friends, plus a vintage Corvette for eye appeal.

Some marchers were well seasoned.  For others, this was a first:

Bruce Hawley

Bruce was fortunate: he was the first politician in the parade (48th entry of more than 120).   Other politicians taking part were Brian McKay (with a cute float in the shape of a boat -- way to go, Cap'n!), Henry Sanchez, and Chris Yates along with 50 of his nearest and closest friends, plus the the North Kent Obama contingent -- it was thrilling to march with them, after all their hard work.

For a city boy, the Red Flannel Days parade was something else.  We were surrounded by 4-H club floats, cute beauty queens in classic cars, boy scouts, and right behind us, the praise band from a local country church (and they weren't bad) -- and who could forget the Star Wars re-enactors, complete with kids dressed up a Ewoks.  Although Cedar Springs is still in Kent County, this was a world away from the city version of parades.  

As we turned down Main Street, the road was lined in red, the kids out front with hands out for the candy (or the magnets, or the brochure -- they took anything).  Behind them sat the important people, Mom, Dad, aunts, uncles, grandparents -- and Bruce was ready.
Bruce Hawley

More parade photos below the fold:

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How Deep Is the Republican Hole?

by: Harris

Mon Oct 06, 2008 at 10:38:38 AM EDT

What kind of trouble are they in?  Let's just say that for the state races it gets pretty messy.

The votes in play are those folk who come out for the national but not the state elections.  Especially those who come out and vote straight party -- the base.  

District 75
(Robert Dean, incumbent)
The 2004-2006 for the R is 3800.  Consider that in 2004, the D base difference was 1500, and you can see the trouble Dan Tietema is in.  He starts 1500 down, and then loses even more.  For some reason they still think there's blood in the water.  The young-Rs over at Right Michigan have made this a cause célebre.

District 73

(Bruce Hawley, challenger)
This has been such a Republican seat, no one seems to be paying attention, certainly not the incumbent Tom Pearce.  But the 2004-2006 difference is 6,000 in the base.  Bluntly, if they don't show, or if they switch (and Bruce is doing his best), this goes from a big-lead district to a virtual tie.  

Discuss :: (1 Comments)

One Last Weekend of Parades

by: philgoblue

Thu Oct 02, 2008 at 00:19:49 AM EDT

Yea, yea, Obama's coming to town tomorrow, but all of our problems can't be solved in DC.  If we want a better Michigan and Kent County, we've also got to show our support to local candidates.  You can do that this weekend during the last parades of the season.

I've heard from Roy Schmidt, Bruce Hawley, Chris Yates....  Here's the information.  Pick and candidate and give them an easy two hours of real important help.

Roy Schmidt in the Grand Rapids Pulaski Days Parade
Roy Schmidt for Michigan State House, District 76: Grand Rapids.

Saturday, October 4, 10:30 -- 12:00 noon
The Roy Schmidt parade team will meet at 10:30 am in front of the McDonalds on Michigan Street.
The Route starts at Michigan and College, ends at Michigan and Diamond.

Following the parade, a Roy Schmidt Blitz Tour will commence. We will be visiting all of the Pulaski Halls and you're invited to come along!
The schedule and sign-up information is available on the Roy Schmidt website or contact Linda Prus (616) 822-8227 for more information.  Please go, Roy thinks I'm going, but I'm going to Ann Arbor instead for the game with old friends.

Bruce Hawley in the Cedar Springs Red Flannel Parade
Bruce Hawley for Michigan State House, District 73: northern Kent County

Saturday, October 4, 2:15 -- 4:00 pm
Parade Starts: 3:00 pm.
The line up area is on the west end of town.  The line up area entrance will be at the corner of Muskegon (17 Mile Rd) and West Street.  Off of 17 Mile, go South on West Street (West St is ½ mile east of US 131).  We're not sure which street in this area we will be on, so you'll have to ask at the entrance.  Our line- up number is 48. We suggest that you be there by 2:15 pm.

PRIOR TO PARADE:  We will have a Campaign Table set up in front of Stein Brothers Pizza on Main Street starting at 10:00 am.  We will be filling balloons and walking the streets handing them out.  We will need people to help with this, so anyone who is available, for any length of time, would be appreciated!

Well, this is it -- our last parade of the season!  The Red Flannel parade in Cedar Springs is this Saturday, October 4.  This should be a fairly big parade and we would really love to end our parade season on a HUGE note!!!   We believe we have made quite an impressive showing at all of the parades, even at the Kent City parade where it rained buckets the whole day.   We were quite a sight to see, but we made our appearance and it was GREAT - thanks to all you die-hard, faithful who showed up!  We truly can't thank all of you enough!  Whether you've walked in one parade or all of them, we just appreciate your dedication and support so much!  If you have not walked in a parade with us, come join us and find out how much fun it is. Thanks again for everything, -- Bruce & Jean
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The Importance of Small Town Media

by: philgoblue

Wed Oct 01, 2008 at 13:00:59 PM EDT

I'm hoping to turn West Michigan Rising into Bruce Hawley-o-rama today and tomorrow.  Here's the first piece.

While our beloved Grand Rapids Press doesn't do much in the way of covering local politics -- governance or campaigns. Candidates can get their message out in smaller papers like the Advance or ... the Cedar Spring Post.

Case in point, last week Democrats held a rally in Cedar Spring for Barack Obama and State House candidate Bruce Hawley.  And lo and behold, it got frontpage coverage in the local weekly paper.  

The paper noted that over 100 people heard various speakers and they briefly summarized what was said: for stimulating an alternative energy manufacturing sector, improving education, expanding healthcare, ending the war, etc

The most interesting part of the article was an interview with two people in the crowd:

Tim and Cindy Brown, parents of Timothy Brown 23, who was killed on Nov. 4, 2005 in Iraq, liked what they heard. They are coming up on the third anniversary of their son's death, and have decided to vote Democrat instead of Republican this time around. "Everybody's in a real hurt and we need a change for families," said Tim Brown. "And we need some closure on this administration."

Hey: Want to expand the Democratic message throughout Kent County -- go support Bruce Hawley in northern Kent. March with Bruce and dozens and dozens of other Democrats THIS SATURDAY, in the Cedar Spring Red Flannel Days Parade.

There's More... :: (1 Comments, 46 words in story)

The Bruce Hawley Campaign Catching Fire in Kent County

by: philgoblue

Mon Sep 29, 2008 at 09:52:05 AM EDT

Here's Bruce Hawley at the Cedar Springs Rally for Change on 20 September. Bruce is running for the Michigan State House of Representatives from the 73rd District in northern Kent County.
I'll be writing more on the race soon, I promise.

http://electbrucehawley.org/

The video isn't much, so you might just want to consider this an audio clip. Sorry, I did the best I could with what was given me and with my barely average skills.  For those of you taking videos -- get close up, remember this stuff is going up on YouTube where it's only a couple of square inches.  And, use a standard format like .mov or .mpg or .mpeg.

Discuss :: (1 Comments)

WMR's Second Look at the West Michigan State House Races, September

by: philgoblue

Tue Sep 23, 2008 at 23:58:48 PM EDT

We've developed a ranking system based on the past voting history of the district, the financials of the campaigns, our (oftentimes limited) knowledge of the campaign organization on the ground, and the Republican opposition.

We at WMR continue to believe that we're likely headed into a tidal wave election at the national level -- given the upset wins in Strong Republican districts in Illinois, Mississippi and Louisiana, the rallying around nominee Barack Obama, the organizational strength of the Campaign for Change, the economic crisis, and an anti-incumbent mood -- and believe it is reasonable, if optimistic, to believe that we'll see that wave filter downticket to the State House races here in West Michigan. Indeed, we believe that we can increase the West Michigan Democratic delegation to the House in Lansing from the current five representatives all the way to ten. That's a big goal, but that's where we're at: 10 West Michigan Democrats in November 2008!

Earlier analysis of the 2008 State House Races:
Part I: The Democratic Incumbents
Part II: Strong Opportunity for Democratic Flips
Part III: Possible Opportunity for Democratic Flips
Part IV: Long Shot Opportunities
Part V: Likely Safe Republican Districts
An Analysis of West Michigan House Districts

And we'll look at the races one last time in late October after we've completed all our Candidate Profiles.

The Basic Rankings 
1. Doug Bennett
2. Robert Jones
3. Roy Schmidt
4. Robert Dean
5. Mary Valentine
6. Dan Scripps
7. Julie Rogers
8. Judy Truesdell
9. Mike Huckleberry
10. Bruce Hawley
11. Phyllis Smith
12. Carol Higgins
13. Roman Grucz
14. Bill Richards
etc. 

The details on the flip with poll.

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Too Casual?

by: Harris

Fri Sep 19, 2008 at 15:09:25 PM EDT

Oh, this is too good to pass.  Tom Pearce is interviewed over at Right Michigan.  When asked about his race, how's it going etc -- well, take a listen:

As to my race, I think it would be wrong for anyone to take their reelection campaigns casually.

Which undoubtedly explains his stellar fund-raising efforts to date.

And while Representative Tom hems and haws about the energy bill (he voted for it), he does come out for an Right to Work initiative.  

Discuss :: (0 Comments)

Palin Impact on Key Races

by: Harris

Thu Sep 11, 2008 at 01:51:14 AM EDT

The post-convention bounce has certainly troubled Democrats nationally, but should Dems be worried here in the Great Lakes State, and especially in Kent County?

The rough outlines of her appeal seem to be clear: her faith-tinged populism appeals to and motivates the GOP social conservative base.  Her celebrity dynamism which proves so attractive to young voters, suggests that she may also act as a positive draw for voters with social conservative leanings.  

SH-73, North Kent County

The district has a strong social conservative bent as it is, with Dems as likely to share something of the flavor (e.g. stance on abortion) as their Republican neighbors.   The risk rather comes with increased turnout. Palin's candidacy certainly creates headwind for Bruce Hawley.

Precincts at risk for Dems (Social Conservative -, Dem +, Turnout -):
City of Cedar Springs, Nelson #3, Plainfield Charter #10, Plainfield Charter #11, Plainfield Charter #3, Plainfield Charter #4, Plainfield Charter #5, Plainfield Charter #8, Plainfield Charter #9, Sparta #1, Spencer #2.

Precincts where Palin confirms GOP status (GOP+, Social Conservative +)
Algoma #1, Algoma #2, Algoma #3, Cannon #6, Courtland #2, Courtland #3, Nelson #2, Oakfield #3, Plainfield Charter #2, Plainfield Charter #7, Sparta #2, Sparta #3, Tyrone.


SH-75, east side of Grand Rapids
There is little of direct threat to incumbent Robert Dean within the city.  More troubling for the Democratic incumbent will be the strengthening of the GOP base in a sizeable number of the precincts.  Many of these same precincts in the Third Ward also make up County Commission 19 - this is bad news for Bob Synk who is working hard to unseat incumbent Nadine Klein.  Brandon Dillon, incumbent in CC-17, may also encounter some headwind, though it remains to be seen what kind of pull Palin has with Catholic social conservatives like those in the Second Ward.


Precincts at risk for Dems (Social Conservative -, Dem +, Turnout -):

2-34, 3-45, 3-55


Precincts where Palin confirms GOP status (GOP+, Social Conservative +)

2-37, 2-38, 2-43, 2-44, 2-45, 2-46, 2-47.
3-7, 3-31,3-38,3-39, 3-42, 3-43, 3-53, 3-54, 3-56, 3-57.
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Carl Levin's West Michigan Odyssey for Rogers, Dean, Hawley, Valentine and Huckleberry

by: philgoblue

Wed Jul 30, 2008 at 23:53:36 PM EDT


Senator Carl Levin with Bruce Hawley and his wife Jean in Sparta

Last weekend (yeah, 12 days ago ... hey, lay-off, I've been busy) the incredibly energetic Carl Levin made a swing out to West Michigan to support some great Democratic candidates for the Michigan State House of Representatives.  Now, a few things were amazing about this trip.  

First, how impressive is it that in the midst of his own reelection campaign, Senator Levin spent an entire Saturday supporting state-wide candidates. He didn't take a dime of the fundraising proceeds, just came out to support these Democrats working to improve our state from Lansing.  Now that's just selfless and impressive -- Carl is thinking about all the ways he can work to improve Michigan and build a Democratic farm team. No one can ever say that Levin has forgotten Michigan or the Michigan Democratic Party.  

Second, geez, Senator Levin must have gotten up around 6:30 am and probably made it home at about 10:00 pm and for most of that time he's got to be in full public mode which is exhausting.

Third, he pulled it off (kudos to the staff) and was on-time to everything.

The first stop was a 10:00 am house party for Julie Rogers (District 61) in Oshtemo (Kalamazoo County).  WMR's Mark Miller was there and gave the following report:

[Levin] was able to speak at some length and answer questions.

One memorable story was about trying to break a recent Republican filibuster on Medicare funding. Sen. Levin asked a colleague (I was taking pictures, so I didn't concentrate on some of the details) if Sen. Kennedy would be there to vote to close debate. He was told no, but in fact Kennedy did arrive, to thunderous applause. The Senate Dems were keeping his appearance a secret so the Republicans would not be able to react to it with another maneuver. That is the sense of Sen. Levin gave of the Senate these days - not a place of much collegiality.

All in all, a very good event with friends old and new, including former Congressman Paul Todd, Rep. Robert Jones, County Commissioners Brian Johnson (who is also Julie's manager) and Leroy Crabtree, former Rep. Mary Brown, and others.

Levin, then drove up highway-131 to downtown Grand Rapids for a fundraiser for Robert Dean (District 75).  I was able to attend that reception, though I had a bunch of things to do that morning and was late. I got to hear the tail end of Levin's remarks -- on the Iraq War.

The fundraiser was well attended and the campaign was reportedly able to raise some good funds for the upcoming battle with the winner of the Republican primary (my prediction: Tietema).  Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell introduced the Senator.  Also in attendance were City Commissioners Rosalyn Bliss (and yes she was "chipper" (and I think David LaGrand was there, but my memory is fading), Kent County Commissioners Carol Hennessy and Paul Mayhue, and Kent County Democratic Party Chair Sue Levy (there were others, I'm sure I'm leaving out, but there's no way I can find my notes on this mess of a desk).  I spent most of the time chatting with Rosalyn about the Jail Millage issue and the Green Grand Rapids initiative.  We're blessed with a lot of great progressives in Grand Rapids and Rosalyn is one who can have a very bright future.  I saw that Levin was leaving and shaking Rev. Dean's hand so I tried to get in to take a picture.  By the time I whipped out my camera Dean was gone and Levin assumed I wanted a picture with him and me in it.  So, sure, I thought and his staffer took the photo (below).  I mentioned we had met a month ago at the bloggers meeting at the Michigan Policy Summit, praised Carl for taking time out of his busy schedule to support these candidates, and mentioned that I couldn't hold a candle to his work that day since I was only doing two events.  He asked what the other one was and I replied, "I'm marching in the Sparta parade with Bruce Hawley who is a friend running for the State House in the 73rd district in northern Kent County."  Well, the Senator says, "Sparta! We were thinking about hitting that parade on the way to Muskegon."  I urged him to march with Bruce and told him that Hawley was a candidate worthy of strong Party support. I gave him Bruce's phone number and then, after Levin left (about 1:00 pm), quickly called Bruce and his campaign manager to let them know that Levin might soon be calling.  I talked with Jeff Winston, who is fast becoming a well-respected campaign staffer, and then drove up to Sparta (passing lots of Raymond and Stelma for Sheriff signs on the country roads).

I parked at Bruce's church, and then walked to the staging area where I found 75 other folks waiting to march for Bruce Hawley, but no Carl Levin.  Oh well, I thought, I tried.  But just as I turned around from a conversation with his wife Jean, up walks the Senator.  Now, Levin and Hawley don't agree on a few things, but Bruce is just a real nice guy, and it never popped into his head not play the gracious host and march right next to Carl Levin.  Bruce introduced Senator Levin to his friends and lots of photos were taken (like the one above).  It looked like it would rain on our parade, but that wasn't going to stop anyone from getting Bruce's message out to the people of Sparta.  I'll talk about the parade in a post I hope to write tomorrow, but here's a another photo:

I did get a chance to talk with and listen in on conversations with Carl Levin.  Again and again (with Elizabeth Edwards, Jennifer Granholm, Bart Stupak, Fred Miller, etc), it's always nice to see that these famous and powerful people are just regular folks when you get down to it.  Carl, I, and an old friend of Bruce spent the time walking out of the staging area toward the start discussing the chances the Tigers have to make the playoffs.

About half-way through the parade, Carl had to leave to make the next reception in Muskegon. He told me he was leaving, we shook hands again, I thanked him, and I knew that this was another indication that Bruce was getting the recognition he deserves.  Thanks again Senator Levin!

There's More... :: (2 Comments, 262 words in story)

Hey Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?

by: AikoAdam

Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 09:42:06 AM EDT

Today is the day. July 20th is the deadline for the reporting period for our State House candidates. As the last report before the pre-primary filing, this stands as a very important goal marker. Many people will be looking at these reports to see where the individual campaigns are at in terms of support and where additional funds will go for the final stretch. This election we have a very unique opportunity to build our "farm team" of progressive Democratic legislators here in West Michigan, hopefully leading the way to a more blue west side. The State House candidates that we have been highlighting here represent what we see as our best chances to flip districts. They will probably be the headlines on the "Rising" list coming shortly. If you are going to donate, now is the time. Campaigns are expensive and I know that your donations will be used to get voters to the polls to help us build our left coast.

go below the flip for the candidates and links to donate...

There's More... :: (0 Comments, 1419 words in story)

Democracy for America: An Evening with Bruce Hawley

by: greee

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 12:50:46 PM EDT

( - promoted by philgoblue)

On Tuesday night, the indefatigable DFA coordinator for Northern Kent County, Shirley Kallio, organized an evening with the Democratic Candidate for the 73rd House District, Bruce Hawley.

The Candidate:

Getting elected to any office requires that a candidate have the right mix of personality and politics, and Bruce is the perfect Democratic candidate for this area.  He has been a lifelong resident of the District, spent 30 years as President of the Little League, and is the current President (and former Treasurer) of the Kent City-Casnovia School Board.  In addition to this public service, Bruce has been extremely active in Union leadership in West Michigan, having served as President of the West Michigan Construction Alliance for 5 years, President of the West Michigan Building Trades for 10 years, and as Business Agent for Ironworkers Local 340 for 15 years.   Bruce has also supervised fundraising and financial oversight for numerous charities, as well as for Holy Family Church in Sparta.  A practicing Catholic, Bruce does adhere to Catholic doctrine on the wedge issue of abortion.  He is also a strong supporter of hunting rights, and spoke to a crowd of 60 people at the Sparta Hunting and Fishing Club on April 12th.  His "pro-life" and pro-hunter rights positions will serve Bruce well in the very conservative 73rd District.  I suspect that Bruce is the only candidate for an office in Lansing to have ever stood on top of the  Mackinac Bridge.  

The Issues:

Bruce opened up the evening by talking about the four themes he is stressing in this race:

1.  The need for governmental policies focused on maintaining and expanding the pool of good paying jobs that come with traditional benefits.

2.  A focus on improving education in Michigan.  This includes full time early age programs, equalized funding for our public schools, enhanced technical education, and better funding for our Colleges and Universities.

3.  Protection for and enhancement of funding for police and fire services.

4.  Protection for and strategic use of Michigan's Natural Resources.

In his speech, Bruce clearly demonstrated an understanding of how these themes play out in the 73rd.  

The 73rd is adjacent to Greenville, and the residents of the District have suffered through the manufacturing collapses that have occurred in that City over the last decade.  On public safety, Bruce noted that there are only two full time sheriff deputies assigned to patrol the northern eight Townships of the District, an area encompassing 288 square miles.  On the environment, Bruce supports the Great Lakes Compact, is opposed to the removal of ground water for use as bottled water, opposes building new coal fired plants in Michigan, and strongly supports the push for Renewable Portfolio Standards.  On education issues, Bruce has the depth of knowledge one would expect of a school board President.  He believes strongly in the fact that society will see dividends from funding full time early education, argues that not enough money is put into non-college skills training, and strongly supports spending for higher education.

While Bruce is certainly a more than competent public speaker, he really excelled during the group discussion that took place after his speech.  He is a good listener and very engaging in a this type of setting, an attribute important given the long slog of going  door to door to campaign in this largely suburban and rural district.

The District:

In a recent campaign mailing, the incumbent Representative, Tom Pearce, featured a photo of him shaking hands with Vice President Darth Vader, er, Dick Cheney.  With Cheney's approval numbers about equal to those of the Angel of Death, the fact that Pearce would feature a photo of him on a mailing speaks volumes about the politics in the District.  Recent numbers also demonstrate the uphill battle Bruce is facing:

2006
Pearce (R)       28,636 (59%)
Marckini (D)     14,708

2004

Pearce (R)        35,035 (70%)
Clowney (D)       15,277

2002

Hart (R)       24,370 (71%)
Clowney (D)   9,845

2000

Hart (R)    37,194 (71%)
Brown (D)         14,849

1998

Hart (R)          28,119 (75%)
Brown (D)          9,463

In 2006, Pearce's numbers as a percentage of vote were the lowest in the last five election cycles.  (Boy, wouldn't another 11 point drop in 2008 be great to see!)  Also, I took a look at the 2006 numbers to see how the District race played out in comparison to the Governor's race.  The 2006 Democratic candidate, Marckini, drew almost 5,000 less votes than Granholm did in the District (Pearce ran 2700 votes ahead of Devoleone).  So, there is clearly upside potential in this District for a hard working Democrat, especially in a year in which we find the wind at our back.

You can send a few bucks to Bruce by clicking here  

Update # 1: My chocoholic wife wanted me to plug the brownies served at the event.  They were delicious. And no Aiko, not those kind of brownies.

 

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