Letters to the Editor: Schultheis a good pick for city council
Schultheis a good pick for city council
Michael Schultheis is no stranger to good governance and civic engagement. He has served his community as chair of the Civic Center board with distinction. Michael is also on the board of Washington School Neighbors, a highly active local group in central Holland. These are both unpaid positions, and prove his commitment to serving others. His opponent seems like a pleasant person, but does not seem to have the depth of knowledge that comes with prior service to the community. Vote Schultheis on Nov. 7.
John Shea
Holland
We must choose to work together for peace
Former President Jimmy Carter concluded his Nobel Peace Prize lecture in 2002 with these wise words:
“War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other’s children.
"The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices. God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes — and we must.”
Sadly, his words have gone unheeded. In 2002 the U.S. began to wage wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in retaliation against an attack on our country on Sept. 11, 2001. Lives lost in these wars far surpassed the losses we received on 9/11.
The attack on Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, marks the beginning of another retaliatory war with brutal losses of lives — not only of soldiers but also civilians and children.
Before World War II, Germany forced Jews from their homes into ghettos and from there to their extermination in death camps. How is what Israel has done and is doing to Palestinians in Gaza any different? When will we, as human beings, choose to work together for peace and alleviate suffering?
Judy Parr
Holland
An open letter to our health officer
Admirable Adeline,
This assurance comes with many thoughts of support, prayers for direction, and words of gratitude for your pursuit of a far higher, Christ-like calling than your own personal gain. Thank you for joining the league of women warriors who have resounded throughout history, eloquently memorialized in the famous Tilbury speech by Queen Elizabeth I in 1588 when she affirmed — perhaps more appropriately to her less enlightened era: “I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king ...”
Your “heart and stomach” have suffered much to support genuine Ottawa County needs, especially those among the most otherwise underserved. So easily you could have surrendered to those who continue to seem bent on prioritizing self-service to the deprivation of others. With every right to homeschool their children, because those who could not comply with the mask mandate and have abandoned other neighbors’ rights to county services, we all have suffered.
May your battles be blessed in victory for yourself and many others, with new vision for the poorly sighted.
Margaret VanGrouw
Holland
What has Kallman Group done for Ottawa County?
When the Ottawa Impact group took over the board of commissioners in January 2023, they appointed the Kallman Group as the official attorneys of Ottawa County as one of several actions at their first meeting of the year. As I understand it, the Kallman Group’s leader is related to Chairman Joe Moss’ business partner whose last name is also Kallman. This is suspicious in itself.
So, what have they done for Ottawa County and how much has it cost the taxpayers? To my knowledge, they have never won any cases for the county or they would have made it public and well-known. They also were charged with reviewing all contacts going back 42 years for any errors. There must not have been any major issues with these contracts or again they would be have made it well known to everyone.
In addition, why 42 years ago? Is there a report on their findings? As far as the cost to the county, according to information given to a commissioner the Kallman Group has billed the county $287,000 for six months in 2023 while the previous attorney, Doug VanEssen, billed the county $235,000 for the entire 2022 year. That caused a budget adjustment of $110,000 for additional legal expenses in 2023.
Mr. Jordan, the attorney assigned to Ottawa County, attends every committee meeting at $225 per hour (soon to rise to $240 per hour on Jan. 1, 2024). This is totally unnecessary. Attending the Board of Commissioners meeting is understandable. When Mr. Jordan is called on for legal guidance, he seems confused and overwhelmed. At the Oct. 10 board meeting, Mr. Jordan was questioned on a legal point brought up by a commissioner causing a 90-minute recess with a motion on the floor and had to backtrack on the original opinion. This seemed to go against the Open Meetings Act, as residents could not hear the backroom discussions that occurred as the commissioners made a decision.
Any other organization would dismiss the Kallman Group as incompetent and costly; however, the Ottawa Impact commissioners would never do that and admit it was a mistake to hire them. Maybe when Ottawa Impact loses control of the board, in hopefully the near future, we can have an attorney that truly represents the residents of the county and not just Moss’ actions. The lawsuits are mounting up fast for the county and Gibbs. Those are yours and my tax dollars they are wasting.
Bob Spaman
Blendon Township
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Letters to the Editor: Schultheis a good pick for city council
