Last week the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority board approved the expenditure of $850,000 to help the city buy five new DASH buses for the downtown parking lots. The catch is that mayor Heartwell asked the DDA to kick in extra money so the city could buy hybrid-electric buses instead of standard buses. The...
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Mayor Heartwell to Taxpayers: Drop Dead
Rapid Silver Line: They Almost Got to Take Credit
An important article appeared in the Grand Rapids Press last week that highlights several issues regarding the failed Silver Line bus system and the false claims of economic development that are touted by the Silver Line’s supporters. The Grand Valley Metro Council (very much pro-Silver Line) won $400,000 in federal grants to clean up...
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Rapid Silver Line Goes Down
It’s fantastic news for taxpayers and for fiscal sanity in the Grand Rapids area. Last night the expensive and redundant Rapid “Silver Line” tax increase request went down in flames. The overall vote total was 52% against and 48% in favor, but when looking at the six cities in the Rapid service district, we...
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Rapid Silver Line – Bus “Slow” Transit
Just Say No to the Silver Line The supporters of the proposed $110 million Silver Line bus system in Grand Rapids tout it as a “Bus Rapid Transit” line. The proposed route of the Silver Line is up Division from 60th Street, a jog around the hospitals around Michigan street, and back to the...
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The Rapid Silver Line – More Concealment and Deceit
Grand Rapids Pundit has received one of the pro-Silver Line post cards in the mail, as I’m sure many residents of the ITP service district have (Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Walker, Wyoming, Kentwood, and Grandville). This post card, which you can view here, exemplifies the continued contempt that the ITP/Rapid has for the...
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Rapid Silver Line – Another Waste of Money
The ITP/Rapid transit agency is again asking taxpayers for a tax increase on Tuesday, May 5th. Once again, they are using an off-election date to try and get as few voters as possible. If you live in Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Walker, Wyoming, Grandville, or Kentwood, you should vote no on May 5th. ...
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Grand Rapids: The Next Stop for the Light Rail Boondoggle Train
This weekend’s Grand Rapids Press had an article about the ballooning cost of a potential “light rail” system that is in the works for Grand Rapids. The project hasn’t actually even begun, but already the potential cost has jumped from $69 million to $79 million – in the span of one year. The Rapid is...
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Grand Rapids Area Tax Hikes – Vote on Tuesday, May 8th!
Don’t forget to vote tomorrow (Tuesday, May 8th). There are three tax issues on the ballot in Grand Rapids, and everyone in Kent County gets to vote on the Grand Rapids Community College tax hike. If you live in Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Walker, Wyoming, or Grandville, you get the pleasure of...
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Tax Attack 2007 – May 8th!
Grand Rapids residents need to be aware of tax attack 2007! There are three tax increase proposals on the ballot May 8th – did you know that? This is the problem with May elections – who pays attention? Tax issues include the following: Grand Rapids Public Schools – GRPS is asking for a renewal...
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May 8th Transit Tax – Opposition Organizes
Did you know that you should be voting on May 8th? Probably not. And that’s what the folks at the local bus service agency, the Interurban Transit Partnership (also known as The Rapid), are betting on. They are asking for a renewal of their .95 mill property tax, along with an increase of .17...
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