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

Friends in Muskegon Feel the Same Way

Found this on the Muskegon County Democratic Party's website.

CHRONICLE BIAS: THE CASE OF STEVE GUNN - by Chris Kilgroe
11/20/2009 Steve Gunn, a former Chronicle reporter, was recently given a weekly commentary column at the Chronicle. He uses the column exclusively to advocate against local Democratic office holders and candidates, the Michigan Democratic Party and particularly against the MEA and the SEIU as bargaining representatives of school system employees.
Now that could be a legitimate advocacy position, except that Gunn is not an issues advocate. He is a political staffer of a Grand Rapids anti-union, anti-Democrat PAC. He also aspires to paid work on the political campaigns of conservative Republican candidates.
Currently Gunn's other job is Communications Director of a Grand Rapids political action group called the Education Action Group. The group collects political donations and spends the money on election campaigns attempting to defeat candidates who are Democrats or supporters of the MEA or the SEIU.
Cindy Fairfield, the Chronicle's editor, has attempted to defend Gunn's hiring as attempting to provide balance to the Chronicle's editorial viewpoint balancing the columns written by Dave Kolb.
There's a big difference: Steve Gunn is not an issues advocate like Kolb was as Editorial Page Editor and remains as a columnist. Kolb argues for issues on the national level and attacks Democrats as well as Republicans. Gunn only wants to make unsubstantiated charges and persuade voters to vote against Democrats or supporters of organized labor in Michigan. His articles often state positions but he doesn't justify or prove them. It should be labeled "paid advertising".
Case in point: Gunn's most recent full-blown campaign advertisement for Pete Hoekstra's gubernatorial bid. Gunn trashes the other GOP candidates and pompously dismisses our current Lieutenant Governor -- "poor old John Cherry" -- as a joke. Never a mention of Pete's security breaches as House Intelligence Committee Chair. See Rachel Maddow link, above ( -- Ed.)
How is that Chronicle employees may not have bumper stickers or give to political campaigns - but can work for Republicans and a Republican special interest group?

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by: philgoblue @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 06:33:35 AM CST

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Allegan County Commission
9 Fritz Spreitzer (I)
10 April Carvalho

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Benzie County Commission
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Berrien County Commission
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13 John Klimek (I)

Cass County Commission
1 Ed Goodman (I)
7 David Taylor (I)
9 Judy Helpingstine
11 Clark Cobb (I)
12 Minnie Warren (I)
13 Johnie Rodebush (I)
14 Debbie Johnson (I)

Grand Traverse County Commission
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Ionia County Commission
1 Lynn Mason (I)
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Kalamazoo County Commission
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3 Robert Barnard (I)
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6 Mike Seals
7 David Buskirk (I)
9 Chuck Vliek
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11 Barb Hammon
12 Scott McCormick
13 Harvey Hanna
15 Leroy Crabtree
16 Thomas Post
17 Jerry Rudolph

Kent County Commission
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2 Patricia Kramer
3 James Black
4 Fred Clowney
6 James Rinck
7 Al Nielsen
8 Keith Courtade (I)
9 Duane Sprague
10 Albert Abbasse
11 Russell Duffin
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13 Kyle Hinton
14 Carol Hennessy (I)
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16 Jim Talen (I)
17 Candace Chivis
18 Richard Tormala
19 Bob Synk (I)

Leelanau County Commission
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6 David Marshall (I)
7 Karl Dungjen

Manistee County Commission
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3 Glenn Lottie (I)
4 Ervin A. Kowalski (I)
5 Karl R. Waitner
6 Jim Krolczyk (I)
7 Carl Rutske (I)

Montcalm County Commission
1 Ronald C. Blanding (I)

Mason County Commission
5 Jerome Rybicki (I)
8 David Fonnesbeck

Musekgon County Commission
1 Kenneth Mahoney (I)
2 Charles Buzzell (I)
4 James Derezinski (I)
5 Carl Wentzlof
6 Lew Collins (I)
7 Scott Plummer
8 Anthony Longmire
9 Rillastine Wilkins
10 Benjamin Cross
11 John Jurkas

Newaygo County Commission
1 Barbara Geno (I)
5 Rick Werkema

Oceana County Commission
1 David Spitler
5 Evelyn Kolbe (I)

Ottawa County Commission
3 Jeff Williams

Van Buren County Commission
1 Claudia Maddox
3 Al Hughes

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