Ottawa County Cancel Culture

Invariably if you monitor extremists, you will find they commit the very same sins they accuse others of doing

Public Health Department Demonized for Doing Their Job

It is the Public Health Department, not the Ottawa Impact Morality Police. One would expect them to promote healthy sexual practices at high risk gatherings such as colleges or gay pride events and other social gatherings, particularly for young people. The idea that the presence of the public health department somehow legitimizes promiscuous sexual activity or would be doing something that children should not see, shows a complete lack of understanding of public health outside the rigid judgmental attitudes of evangelical Christianity.

The attitudes of the Ottawa Impact Commissioners falls in line with the advice to put an aspirin between your knees to prevent pregnancy or God doesn’t allow rape victims to get pregnant. Unfortunately, not even the health department can find a cure for stupid.

Commissioner Bonnema Censured

The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners will vote on whether to censure Commissioner Jacob Bonnema and remove him from committees for alleged abuse of power. Since Ottawa Impact Commissioners vote as a block, the censure is sure to be passed. Commissioner Bonnema split from the group in March over disagreements regarding the commissioners lack of transparency.

The action request to be voted on claims Bonnema confronted County Administrator John Gibbs before a March 14th board meeting. According to Chair Joe Moss Bonnema leaned down near the Administrator’s face while Gibbs was seated and demanded the Administrator answer his questions… the incident was witnessed by fellow commissioners, with Commissioner Cosby telling Commissioner Bonnema to take a seat and stop making a scene.

It should be noted other witnesses to the incident have reported a vastly different scenario including Gibbs saying in a threatening manner, Get out of my face. Bonnema submitted a complaint to the HR director claiming harassment, threats, intimidation, insubordination and indecent conduct.

According to Joe Moss the HR director Marcie VerBeek is quoted as saying After a thorough investigation, it was determined that the claim is unfounded, and the charges raised are not sustained. The evidence gathered during the investigation did not substantiate the claim of harassment.

The Ottawa County Republican Party has censured Bonnema for behavior unbecoming of a public servant and violating Republican values.

The most obvious abuse here is an HR director who would make a public statement so one sided in a case where clearly there are two sides to the story. The unwillingness of Ottawa Impact commissioners to work with non Ottawa Impact commissioners is obvious to anyone paying attention to county meetings. Either Marcie VerBeek has been misquoted or Ottawa County needs to look for a new nonpartisan HR director.

Cancelled

In the MAGA era, it is not about qualifications or performance, it is only about loyalty. Any and all disagreement is squelched using the power of the government. They claim the mandate to use that power in whatever way they choose because they won an election.

The group think (voting as a block) and the unwillingness of the Ottawa Impact commissioners to work with others has brought extreme partisan politics to Ottawa County. This sand in the gears of county government serves no one but the partisans who want to punish county employees and commissioners for doing their jobs.