They use your money. That is why they are billionaires.
The Upton family that started Whirlpool Corporation wants to build a private golf course for themselves and their friends. Since a lot of their friends live out of town, they also need a hotel to put them up in when they come to play golf.
Since Fred Upton is the Congressional Representative from the 6th District, they pass legislation and with the help of Governor Granholm they put together a taxpayer giveaway of $120,000,000 to finance the deal.
They decided that they needed a public park owned by the City of Benton Harbor which is right on the sand dunes so their friends can have a nice lake view. Now this park was given to the City of Benton Harbor with a reverter clause that would take ownership away from them if they convert it from public to private use. No problem for them. They just bring judges and whatever they need to get the right kind of decision into the deal through ownership in Ship Street Realty and Law & Title Realty LLC. Both companies have a major interest in the profits of this development. We don't know exactly how many judges, lawyers, and prosecutors may have ownership in these entities, but we do know that Judge Alfred Butzbaugh, the Chief Judge of Berrien County is a major player in Ship Street Realty, besides owning a good deal of property which will directly benefit from this development. He is also Chair of the Michigan Bar Association's Ethics Committee.
What you have at this point is an inside tap on your tax dollars while you're trying to figure out where you're going to get the money to fill your gas tank. If you don't like it, they always tell you that you can take it to court. What court? Why, of course, Berrien County's Courthouse. You might even get Judge Butzbaugh to hear your complaint. Good Luck!
What do the people of Benton Harbor get from this deal? Harbor Shores guarantees 22 seasonal maintenance jobs on their golf course. Forty percent of those jobs go to Benton Harbor, or 9 jobs. Government money is supposed to create one job for each $35,000. These jobs cost you $5.45 million each. What does it cost you to fill your gas tank?
Don't forget to vote for Fred Upton in November. It doesn't really matter if you don't like him. If you vote against him, there is a high probability that your vote will be given to him anyway. Do you think that just might be one of the reasons they don't let us count the ballots after an election? [This is outrageous and true in Mich. See the following.]
From http://www.michiganelectionrefo
One man sits in one of the filthiest, most inhumane county jails in the country for the crime of seeing Whirlpool's land grab coming, and speaking truth to power. Rev. Edward Pinkney has repeatedly stated that Harbor Shores will provide no jobs for Benton Harbor residents. He said that facism is the merging of the corporation (business interests) with gov. A starker example than Berrien County cannot be found. And Gov."If you vote for me I'll get you your golf course" Granholm is behind it all.
Write to Rev. Pinkney, #10017670-IS04, Berrien Cty. Jail, 919 Port St., St. Joseph, MI 49085
Send articles you think might be of interest to him if you like.
BOYCOTT WHIRLPOOL & SUBSIDIARIES (Amana, Estate, Gladiator Garage Works, Insperience, Jenn-Air, KitchenAid, Magic Chef, Maytag, Roper, Acros, Inglis, Bauknecht, Brastemp, Admiral, IKEA appliances, some Kenmore)
