The Ottawa Antifederalist Herald

18/02/2024

https://davebondy.locals.com/upost/5283495/keeping-it-real-sunday-feb-18-2024

Connect with Davebondy and other members of Dave Bondy community

26/01/2024

For those who may not know, I am originally from Texas. Ottawa County, Michigan needs to take the “Texas approach” to Washington, DC and Lansing in defense of founding Christian US constitutional principles. That includes on the matter of energy that is necessary for our wellbeing and even survival: https://savethecampbell.com .

06/01/2024

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have been rising, but does the graph below suggest we should consider that a blessing or a curse, especially in light of the fact we know carbon dioxide in general enhances plant growth? https://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/timeless/YieldTrends.html . Dr William Happer of Princeton cogently argues we should be happy atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have been rising to levels the earth has enjoyed in an earlier period. This matters for Ottawa County, because we are told the J.H. Campbell Generating Plant needs to be closed because all of the horrible effects of atmospheric carbon dioxide. I would submit the people have been told a lie, and I challenge anyone to a debate on this topic.

The Corny News Network was created by RL (Bob) Nielsen, Extension Agronomist at Purdue University. The articles written for the CNN pertain primarily to corn production & management issues important for Indiana corn growers and their consultants.

05/01/2024

Reduced carbon dioxide emissions and economic decline are very much tied together. It is like a death march. The West is on a trajectory towards Third World status in many ways. This trajectory needs to be combatted at the local grassroots level. It is God’s judgment on us.

German carbon emissions fell to a seven-decade low as Europe’s biggest economy scaled back coal production, according to a report released by think tank Agora Energiewende. The report projected emi…

05/01/2024

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/only-citizens-should-vote-america-gingrich- adding non-citizens to the voter roll is part of the effort to destroy election integrity

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

05/01/2024

The election system in Michigan, like a number of other states, is seriously flawed, especially due to Democrat legislation like this: https://apnews.com/article/michigan-election-law-young-voters-71e38a065dfbaf30fccee92511c448e7 . In multiple ways invalid entries are being added to the Qualified Voter File (QVF), rendering it useless for election integrity. Without a valid QVF, election integrity is thrown out the window. Other barriers to election integrity have been added as well, including in this recent Michigan legislation. What should a county like Ottawa County do in the face of this assault on election integrity?

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed a package of bills adding more protections for election workers and allowing 16-year-olds to register before they can legally vote at 18.

05/01/2024

The Emperor Has No Clothes

Ottawa County is on the verge of joining the "Green Energy" delusion by the closure and demolition of the J.H. Campbell Generating Plant which provides electric energy for 1 million people in the region. It is a disastrous policy, as Dr. Chris Martenson explains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFWo2CDJoX4. Citizens Consulting Group, LLC plans to soon launch its "Save The Campbell" campaign in Ottawa County. While these means are important, ultimately it is only God who can save us from delusion.

The myth of affordable green energy is over. Progress is stalled around the world as nobody wants to admit the real costs. Join this channel to get access to...

04/01/2024

"The U.S. Department of Justice sued Texas on Wednesday over a new state law that allows Texas police to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico border illegally...In a landmark 2012 case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that local police didn’t have the authority to arrest someone solely based on their immigration status and said that responsibility falls to the federal government." - https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/03/texas-senate-bill-4-illegal-immigration-justice-department-lawsuit/

In contrast, the Articles of Confederation, the USA's original Christian constitution which was illegally overthrown, states this: “…every state shall always keep up a well regulated and disciplined militia, sufficiently armed and accoutered, and shall provide and constantly have ready for use, in public stores, a due number of field pieces and tents, and a proper quantity of arms, ammunition and camp equipage. No state shall engage in any war without the consent of the united states in congress assembled, unless such state be actually invaded by enemies..."

The Federal Government has been aiding and abetting illegal immigration (which is an invasion) for decades, and now it has become a flood. When will counties rise up and say, "enough is enough"? Federalists illegally overthrew our original decentralized constitution, and now they want to impose their globalist agenda on the USA so it becomes a full-scale, crime-ridden modern Babel led by corrupt elites.

We should legally and peacefully be taking steps to return to the Articles of Confederation county by county. Counties and states have the right to protect themselves from invasion.

Senate Bill 4 allows Texas police to arrest immigrants who cross the border between ports of entry. The federal government says the law is unconstitutional.

04/01/2024

We need to bring utilities, especially electric utilities , under local county control, via county member-owned cooperative. Our survival depends on things like electrical energy and we cannot afford to delegate that to some far away organizations which are showing they do not have our best interests in mind, but rather a misguided agenda, big business profitability, etc. This article speaks to the issue how utilities were more under local control in the past, just as education, health, welfare, defense, etc. were. We need to return to the Antifederalist model.

Every year the U. S. Library of Congress chooses 25 recordings to preserve for future generations. The recordings are chosen because they are important parts of American culture, history, or art. I…

03/01/2024

The election system is seriously messed up, from the national level all the way down to the local level. This is the first article in a series on this topic.

2020 was the first year many of us became aware just how messed up the election system is, primarily through the experience of the Presidential election. Here was some of the evidence we became aware of : https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/01/wisconsin-pennsylvania-highlights-explosive-summary-election-fraud-2020/ . Michigan was one of the leading states with problems. Perhaps most disappointing has been the fact many leaders deny problems or try to ignore them.

Earlier today, President Trump ’d out an all-inclusive summary report of the 2020 Election and the anomalies and discrepancies in the six key swing states. Earlier today, The Gateway Pundit published an article highlighting some of the key takeaways from Georgia that can be read here.

01/01/2024

Ottawa County is part of MISO. We are heading into turbulent waters in the drive to de-carbonize:

"A new study by Midcontinent Independent System Operator says that utility decarbonization goals could require 200 GW of new capacity by 2041, while also highlighting the ongoing risk of a capacity shortfall in the region, MISO staff said Aug. 24...The 2022 RRA found that significant acceleration of resource expansion will be needed to meet utilities' combined carbon reduction plans. More than 100 GW of new capacity will likely be needed by 2030, and 200 GW may be needed by 2041, according to a presentation discussed at the RASC meeting...MISO's renewable pe*******on could hit 30% sometime between 2027 and 2028, and 40% in 2030, the presentation said. Pe*******on will hit 50% in 2036 and exceed 60% in 2041, according to the RRA. The pace of pe*******on growth is significant because MISO has warned that renewable integration will get significantly more complicated when renewable pe*******on reaches 30%-40%. That pe*******on reflects inflection point, at which existing infrastructure may be inadequate to access diverse resources, regional energy transfers will increase in magnitude and variability, and power delivery may need new transmission technologies with dynamic support capabilities, according to MISO's 2021 Renewable Integration Impact Assessment." - https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/energy-transition/082422-us-midcontinent-iso-study-says-200-gw-new-capacity-needed-by-2041-to-meet-utility-climate-goals

In other words, in order to meet these de-carbonization goals, things get tougher overall as we head to 2030.

A new study by Midcontinent Independent System Operator says that utility decarbonization goals could require 200 GW of new capacity by 2041, while also highlighting the ongoing risk of a capacity sho

01/01/2024

Happy New Year! As we enter 2024 let us be resolved not to imagine that Washington DC is going to solve our major problems and challenges, but that we look at resolving them at the county level by God’s grace, and encourage Americans in the other counties to do so as well, working with them as helpful. Biblical Christian Antifederalism is bottom-up, not top-down human governance according to the USA’s original decentralized Christian constitution (the Articles of Confederation) which was illegally overthrown by those who wanted centralized empire.

31/12/2023

California Dreamin In West Michigan

(This continues the series covering the planned shut down of the J.H. Campbell Generating Plant.)

If we are going to destroy our reliable source of electrical energy here in Ottawa County and become a net importer of electric power from elsewhere, California Dreamin looks to be our lot:

"California saw its electricity prices rise six times more than the rest of the United States from 2011 to 2019, due to its huge expansion of renewables. Republicans in the U.S. Congress point to that massive increase to challenge justifications by Democrats to spend $2 trillion on renewables in the name of climate change.

Even though the cost of solar panels declined dramatically between 2011 and 2019, their unreliable and weather-dependent nature meant that they imposed large new costs in the form of storage and transmission to keep electricity as reliable. California’s solar panels and farms were all turning off as the blackouts began, with no help available from the states to the East already in nightfall...

The two blackouts in less than a year are strong evidence that the tens of billions that Californians have spent on renewables come with high human, economic, and environmental costs.

Last December, a report by done for PG&E concluded that the utility’s customers could see blackouts double over the next 15 years and quadruple over the next 30.

California’s anti-nuclear policies also contributed to the blackouts. In 2013, Gov. Jerry Brown forced a nuclear power plant, San Onofre, in southern California to close.

Had San Onofre still been operating, there almost certainly would not have been blackouts on Friday as the reserve margin would have been significantly larger. The capacity of San Onofre was double that of the lost generation capacity that triggered the blackout...

There has been very little electricity from wind during the summer heatwave in California and the broader western U.S., further driving up demand. In fact, the same weather pattern, a stable high-pressure bubble, is the cause of heatwaves, since it brought very low wind for days on end along with very high temperatures.

Things won’t be any better, and may be worse, in the winter, which produces far less solar electricity than the summer. Solar plus storage, an expensive attempt to fix problems like what led to this blackout, cannot help through long winters of low output.

California’s electricity prices will continue to rise if it continues to add more renewables to its grid, and goes forward with plans to shut down its last nuclear plant, Diablo Canyon, in 2025...."

Yep, just California Dreamin' on such a winter's day.

Four million Californians were denied electrical power and thus air conditioning last night during a heatwave, raising the risk of heatstroke and death, particularly among the elderly and sick. California's climate policies are to blame

30/12/2023

(This continues the series covering the planned shut down of the J.H. Campbell Generating Plant.)

As a stopgap measure in their ESG agenda, the Establishment looks to replace coal (like the the J.H. Campbell plant uses) with natural gas. But there is a dirty little secret to this stopgap measure: evidence suggests it does not achieve what the activists want. This is described at: https://e360.yale.edu/features/how-climate-activists-failed-to-make-clear-the-problem-with-natural-gas-mckibben . In other words, there are plans to demolish the expensive J.H. Campbell Generating Plant with stopgap measures even climate change activists should not be happy with according to their own theories.

Furthermore, we are exposing ourselves to risks associated with natural gas infrastructure problems and fracking environmental problems, as we flee use of all coal.

For what purpose? Mainly because of a misguided fear of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Hopefully the citizens of Ottawa County will have the good sense to say, "wait a minute, when it comes to the shutdown and demolition of our J.H. Campbell Generating plant."

Note: my point in this is not for people to stop using natural gas, but for people to reconsider destroying coal plants costing billions of dollars. When people do things like that, they are throwing away their wealth for little in return.

The climate movement’s biggest failure has been its inability to successfully make the case that natural gas is not a clean replacement for other fossil fuels. So as natural gas has boomed, U.S. emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, have increased dramatically. 

30/12/2023

(This continues the series covering the planned shut down of the J.H. Campbell Generating Plant.)

Even many who buy into the fallacious assumption that atmospheric carbon dioxide is a pollutant recognize the perilous public policy course we are on: https://www.city-journal.org/article/the-states-power-down . If the J.H. Campbell Generating Plant closes in May 2025 as Consumers Energy plans, West Michigan will move to the forefront of this brave new world of electric energy. We will be the Guinea pigs exploring what it is like to destroy one’s reliable supply of electrical energy and on course to try to replace it with solar and wind, yet without the infrastructure set up in advance to even do that. In reality, the end game is unrealistic, and the path to get there is perilous. We will find our brave new world turns us into the old Third World. When you add in the illegal immigrants the globalist elite want to settle here so West Michigan can be “diverse”(on the erroneous assumption that it is wrong for a place to have a permanent ruling white people group), the Third World picture will become complete.

This is where the Babel moral code leads us: the ESG agenda and Third World status. In contrast, the Bible's moral code does not demonize things like atmospheric carbon dioxide and white people groups having homelands even as other people groups do, but things like theft, murder, pe******ia, etc. Theft, murder, pe******ia, etc. are tools of trade for some globalist elites, so is it surprising they are trying to impose on us their Babel moral code?

Vermont is one of the nation’s most environmentally friendly states. But two years ago, the backers of a local wind-energy farm shelved the project after intense public opposition. An initiative supporter noted how the controversy reflected rising hostility to wind power. Whereas a decade ago, amb...

30/12/2023

This begins what I plan to be a long series on the planned closure of the J.H. Campbell Generating Plant in Ottawa County in 2025, and why it needs to be stopped, and on an effort in the works to stop it by God's grace.

That plant provides the electricity for 1 million West Michigan residents. In other words, it effectively provides the electricity for our area of West Michigan. Now wrap your mind around the thought that this source of electricity for West Michigan is going to be closed down in May 2025 by Consumers Energy and demolition begun.

DTE is not shutting down its coal plant on the eastern side of the State in Monroe until 2032, in order to have sufficient time to prepare for the closure. Wolverine Power has warned West Michigan of many bad things that might happen to us with this shutdown.

Is West Michigan really prepared for what might happen in the coming years as a consequence of this speedy shutdown of the J.H. Campbell Generating Plant? Do we fully appreciate how important electricity is to our modern way of life: https://electricalstudy.net/why-is-electrical-energy-so-important/ ? Is there not at least some reflection on the fact that maybe there is a good reason why "electricity from conventional coal-fired thermal power plants accounts for more than half of all electricity generated worldwide"? Is there not some concern of becoming dependent on other regions for the electricity we need in this region? Why is there this rush to close and destroy what has been reliably providing the electricity for our region? Could it be that those who are imposing this on us do not have our best interests in mind?

In this article, we are talking about Why is Electrical Energy so Important? that every electrical engineer needs to know.

28/12/2023

Like public health departments across the nation, Ottawa County Public Health Department tows the Federal Government line when it comes to vaccinations and public health in general:https://www.immunize.org/wp-content/uploads/catg.d/p2017.pdf and https://www.miottawa.org/Health/OCHD/coronavirus.htm . Absent are alternative perspectives such as found at https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/ and https://covid19criticalcare.com/ . I recommend a separate department to promulgate the alternative views and to debate the Federal Government line. Commissioners Moss and Rhodea have indicated a desire for such a separate department.

In addition, Ottawa County should consider ways to protect doctors who do not tow the line. Medical doctors who do not tow the Federal Government line are often subject to various sanctions, such as described here: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/01/covid-misinfo-docs-vaccines-00003383 and https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-08-16/doctors-coronavirus-misinformation-license .

The reality is that vaccine skepticism is growing in many quarters, and that for good reason: https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-vaccine-skepticism-is-growing-on-the-right-anthony-fauci-misinformation-public-health-covid-pandemic-virus-11675625341 . The Federal Government approach to vaccines and public health rightly instills distrust.

Public-health officials imposed mandates and kept news of potential side effects under wraps.

26/12/2023

THE RIGHT OF OTTAWA COUNTY CITIZENS TO ASSUME CONTROL OF THE ENERGY PLANT WE PAID FOR

Since Consumers' Energy is a regulated utility, the consumers of the J.H. Campbell coal plant in Ottawa County have effectively been the ones to pay for this plant, since its commissioning in 1962. If Consumers Energy is no longer willing to operate it on erroneous grounds, then the users of it should be allowed to have it and decide if they want it to continue operation beyond the planned 2025 closure date. (This was 15 years before the earlier planned closure date.) As discussed in the previous article, a member-owned cooperative should be formed to take over operation of this utility plant.

The reality is that the best use of the plant property is its current use. Other uses are lame at best, as even suggested here:

“The study says some of the land is best suited for parks, homes and businesses, while other sections could remain industrial. The fly ash landfills could also have another use. On that property, there’s the potential for some battery storage. There may be some small-scale solar, but I get the feeling it wasn’t the highest and best use for that area,” Sabatino said.”

“A Midwest environmental law group is launching a “major new” initiative this year to work with utilities, municipalities and conservation groups to study the potential reuse of Michigan coal plants as public parkland as well as renewable energy production. The Chicago-based Environmental Law and Policy Center’s (ELPC) “power plants to parklands” project is in the early stages of examining the reuse of at least four coal plants along each of the Great Lakes that Michigan touches.”

Furthermore, it more appropriately addresses the breach of contract that Cadillac-based Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative Inc. has alleged in this earlier closure. Wolverine stated the following: “Consumers’ reckless actions in effectuating an early retirement of Campbell 3 in 2025 not only jeopardizes the reliable supply of electricity throughout rural Michigan, but also significantly damages Wolverine for Consumers’ benefit,” according to Wolverine’s suit…The company added that while the premature closure of Campbell “jeopardizes Michigan’s ability to keep the lights on, particularly at a time when our state faces rolling blackouts due to disorderly plant retirements, this case is about Consumers’ actions in breach of the contract and the resulting damage to Wolverine’s 260,000+ members.”

On February 7, 2023 Board meeting at the 30:00 minute mark Township Supervisor explained the challenge of closure, and at 34:00 Commissioner Cosby expressed how closure of the plant would negatively affect our energy security and her opposition to the closure. Commissioner Rhodea expressed the same. I very much appreciate how the Ottawa Impact commissioners are speaking up for a sound and sane energy policy approach. Now it is time for a group like Gideon 300 to step in and help provide a path out of the green agenda ditch which globalists are driving us into.

23/12/2023

An Examination of the Hambley Case Now in a Muskegon County Court by Joseph Parnell McCarter

In order to understand the case better, I studied the following sources:

• https://sylviarhodea.com/press-release-update-on-hearing-regarding-administrative-health-officer
• https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081241238987 (Commissioner Bonnema’s comments on the case)
• David Morren’s public comments at the 25:00 minute mark at a recent Board meeting: https://www.youtube.com/live/_1PTpj-RMHo?si=NqFGeCAPHQHqyu6Y , combined with a follow up interview I conducted with David
• https://www.iheart.com/podcast/53-westmichiganlivewith-28276509/episode/ottawa-county-board-chair-joe-moss-131693083/
• https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/news/politics/county/2023/12/04/judge-will-review-closed-session-minutes-in-sjudge-will-review-closed-session-minutes-in-4m-settleme/71801441007/
• https://www.scribd.com/document/686612041/Ottawa-Co-appeals-health-officer-ruling-to-Michigan-Supreme-Court

Here are my conclusions and recommendation in bullet point:

• All parties agree the following happened: In a 7-3 vote, commissioners voted to “accept counsel’s recommendation regarding litigation and settlement activities in the case of Hambley v. Ottawa County as addressed during closed session.”
• Accepting “settlement activities” is not the same as accepting an offer. It would be unjust for any court to force a $4 million settlement when the Board never accepted such offer. The Board simply voted on process acceptance, not offer acceptance.
• David Morren is correct that this case should have been judged by an elected Ottawa County judge and not a judge in another county not elected by the citizens of Ottawa County. It is very sad they recused themselves.
• Besides the legal case in the Muskegon County Court, there is a mediation effort underway. David Morren says the Muskegon County judge is pressing for the matter to be settled in mediation.
• Given the different targets of the Board and the Hambley side, it is hard for me to see a coming together in settlement number in mediation. There is a big difference between less than $200,000 (which from what I can tell the Board wants) and $4 million (which is what the Hambley side wants). Can that difference really be bridged?
• David Morren is correct that it could be politically fatal for Ottawa Impact commissioners if they accept a deal over a few hundred thousand dollars, especially at a time many County residents are struggling to make ends meet.
• The Muskegon judge should not rightly impose a settlement if mediation fails, but that does not mean it will not happen. I fear the settlement amount so imposed would be bad for Ottawa County and make the Ottawa Impact commissioners look bad as we enter the 2024 election year.
• One possibility the Board may pursue is to terminate Health Officer Hambley, give her severance of less than $200,000, and be prepared to litigate it through the court system if she does not sign the severance agreement. This option carries the risk of leaving it to the court system to decide what happens, but makes a clean break now with Ms. Hambley. David Morren favors this approach, and it is likely a majority of other conservatives do as well.
• Another possibility would be to give Health Officer Hambley a warning report not to repeat her conduct in the budget process, such that if she were to do it again, she would be terminated. Furthermore, it could include the creation of a separate health department applying alternative policy approaches (Commissioner Rhodea has suggested the name Department of Family Impact, and Chair Moss has expressed he likes the idea) which will compete with Officer Hambley’s department, and decrease the funding of Ms. Hambley's department and re-directing it to the new department. Furthermore, it could require the 2 department heads to engage in public debates on issues like the Covid vaccine, so citizens could hear both sides. I lean to this approach, because of my distrust of how the court system may rule if this is litigated.
• No matter which direction the Board goes, there is no guarantee that litigation can be avoided. Lawfare is a tool the Establishment uses because they know the judicial system is generally slanted in their favor. The long term solution involves a return to the USA's original constitutional. order.

23/12/2023

Was the Commissioner Interview Process Fair? by Joseph Parnell McCarter

Commissioner Bonnema has opined on his website https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081241238987 the following:

“District 6 Commissioner Interviews:
I am deeply disappointed by Chairman Moss's decision to deny commissioners the opportunity to submit questions and the public the chance to observe their elected commissioners asking interview questions to the applicants today.
It is concerning that the public was only allowed to witness what Chairman Moss deemed appropriate for them to see. It is crucial that we strive for a higher standard of transparency and good governance. I am committed to advocating for increased transparency and good governance in the future.”

Here was one response:

Kristen Zeilenga Boersma
Couple questions about this. Did you receive the recommended questions prior to today’s meeting before the agenda came out? Did you reach out to the chair, vice-chair, or any board member and propose any questions to be asked??? And again. Engaging by being present and looking applicants in the eye is a respectful process.

I have responded thus:

“I was of course one of the interviewees, and I felt the interview process was fair. On multiple occasions I have publicly invited any in the County who disagree with my political philosophy (Christian Antifederalism, with an ultimate goal of returning to the original US constitution which was illegally overthrown [the Articles of Confederation]) to a formal public debate, so that the public could hear how well both positions could hold up under cross-examination. So far, no one has taken me up on that offer, even though there seem to be many in the County wedded to humanistic centralized Federalism or even Globalism. Also, I am not satisfied with the way the County delivers humanitarian assistance, as implied in my interview response to what I would like to have been asked. We need a system designed to help lift people up out of need on a customized basis, and not designed just to dole out things. Finally, I have offered a Facebook group for free exchange and debate, which I hope liberals will take me up on the offer: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ottawacountypublicsquare . Those who are of more liberal persuasion have been given much opportunity to engage me and others in debate, but so far have not accepted the invitation. The "interview" did not need to be limited to the brief time before the Board.”
It seems to me Chairman Moss’ approach prevented certain interviewees from being disproportionately targeted and embarrassed in that setting. I know that I appreciate that did not happen to me. However, for all 5 of us interview finalists, I think it would be entirely fair publicly to raise questions on a venue like https://www.facebook.com/groups/ottawacountypublicsquare because we chose to enter politics, so we should be willing to publicly be questioned and challenged. On that venue we could then respond to those questions and challenges.

Ottawa County Public Square is committed to free exchange across the political spectrum. It is committed to avoiding what has happened on Commissioner Bonnema’s Facebook website, as described by Ottawa County Freedom Fighter:

"Guess who blocked us on OttawaCounty Truthers …. This guy Isn’t that against the rules for a commissioner page ? OttawaCounty FreedomFighter Ohhhh. Jacob Bonnema you coward! You technically can’t block commissioner pages! Maybe look into the rules! Or wait …. You making up yours as you go along ?"

We need more not less public debate and discourse in this County, and the Ottawa County Public Square was created to try to meet that need. I challenge those of liberal persuasion in the County to join this Facebook Group and engage in such debate. I also continue to challenge them to a one-on-one debate on overall political philosophy.

Ottawa County District 4, Zeeland City, Zeeland Township and parts of Holland Township