Letters 7/6/06

July 5, 2006

The dirt on DeVos
I wonder if people watching Dick DeVos’s political ads have noticed that he started running them in March, eight months before the election? He must have money to burn or is trying hard to brainwash the public. At least he has dropped the early ad about how he “rebuilt Grand Rapids” since, in fact, he did not do that. His dad and dad’s partner did it over 20 years ago.
People need to know more of the facts: In 1998 when Dick was head of Amway he cut 410 Michigan jobs at the Ada Michigan plant, but invested over $100 million from 1993 to 1998 in plants in China. In May 2000, DeVos cut another 900 jobs at Amway headquarters in Ada, Michigan, but invested another $120 million in China in 2003, increasing the Amway investment there to $220 million.
The October 22, 2004 Detroit Free Press stated “Because of DeVos’ decision to move the focus of the company from Michigan to Asia, Amway now admits it “considers itself an Asian company, with nearly 70% of its sales coming from the region.” Sounds like a type of outsourcing of our Michigan jobs to me, and I judge a man on what he has actually done, not what he says he might do. (Note that he has not told us of his actual plan to fix what ails Michigan; he is part of the problem, not the solution.)
He says in the ads that he would never move out of the state. No, instead he has moved our Michigan jobs and money out of the country. No matter how much money he has to spend on TV ads, the facts speak for themselves. He is not worthy of governing our state.

Evelyn Petersen • TC

Torch Fest finesse
I’ve read your article and would like to congratulate you for producing an accurate (from my perspective) and balanced piece of work (re: Rick Coates‘ “Torch Fest,” 6/29). In today’s “agenda driven” journalism, both print and media, it is refreshing to see work that provides information about both sides of an issue. Thank you for doing a good job!

Jack Graham • via email

Fan mail
Good to see Kenny Olson is actually playing again (re: Rick Coates‘ 6/22 interview.) To be frank, I was never able to sit through an entire Kid Rock song (song?), but then again you don’t have to go so far as to taste shit to know it’s shit.
Olson’s obvious skill still managed to seep through those banal lyrics somehow. For that he is to be commended.
By the way - Tell Coates he might want to take a few journalism coarses. That lengthy roller coaster analogy might have been clever to a 13-year-old, (hey, what do ya know? Kid Rock‘s audience!) but grown-ups expect a little more.
Oh, there’s more...

Carl Swanson • via email

(Rick says he‘ll get busy taking those “coarses.’ In the meantime, he passes on the news that Kid Rock will perform Saturday, Aug. 26 at Boyne Mountain. Tickets are now on sale. -- ed.)

Hablo Ingles, por favor
Harley L. Sachs offers sound reasons for us to share the bond of a common language (re: “Press Two for Spanish,” 6/29). Here are a few more.
Our continuing experiment in self-governance relies on a free exchange in our marketplace of ideas. This really wouldn’t matter in a dictatorship.
Interpreters impose transactional expenses in the transfer of thoughts. They are like monetary exchange rates. Transactions in the economic marketplace flow freely when we use the same currency. Imagine the inconvenience of transacting business in the U.S. with several different currencies.
Without the bond of a common language we run the risk of living in a nation with a permanent underclass of people that look and talk different than the rest. And, we undermine the foundation of self-governance.

John F. Rohe • Petoskey

Protect PBS & NPR
Recently the House of Representatives voted to eliminate all funding for PBS and NPR. I can’t believe that someone I voted for, and trusted would represent me, has failed me so utterly. I hope you will join me in refusing to re-elect any candidate who fails to support programs like The News Hour, Charlie Rose, Washington Week in Review and Sesame Street.

Priscilla Whiteford • Frederic