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Jeff Winston
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Phone: 616.780.5174

WATCH THE WOOD-TV INTERVIEW

Click here to watch Jim's entire interview with WOOD-TV's Joe LaFurgey and learn more about his vision for a better Grand Rapids.

A RECORD OF SUCCESS

Jim Rinck has dedicated 14 years of public service as the longest serving member of the Grand Rapids Board of Education. He has been a consistent voice for Grand Rapids Public Schools, its students, and families.

Rinck’s common sense approach to leadership led him to remain in opposition to the privatization of the school busses. Local media has labeled Rinck as ‘combative’ because he was one of the most vocal and outspoken opponents of attempts to privatize custodial and support services.

Jim Rinck proposed and the Board of Education approved tougher new rules for GRPS vehicles. The new rule requires that all busses and GRPS vehicles be turned off if sitting idle for more than 5 minutes. This cost-saving measure will save the district money and help keep our air quality safe. Jim Rinck has included a similar rule for city vehicles if he is elected Mayor.

RINCK SEEKS TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE, NOT THE POWER BROKERS.

Jim Rinck is beholden to no one except the residents of Grand Rapids. Unlike his opponents who have made promises to special interest groups; Rinck is only interested in serving the best interests of ALL of the people of Grand Rapids, not just business or union leaders.

Rinck says, “I have no interest in trading my soul for an endorsement from a special interest group. I would rather concentrate on the issues facing the people of Grand Rapids than to pander to the so-called ‘decision-makers’. I want the voters to be the decision makers; not the special interest groups”.

Jim Rinck in the Press:

Labor board sides with GRPS bus drivers

Tuesday, June 26, 2007
By Dave Murray
The Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS -- Busing Grand Rapids Public Schools students might get more expensive for the company contracted to do the job, now that it must negotiate with the Michigan Education Association.

The three-member National Labor Relations Board panel sided with former bus drivers who claim they were coerced into joining a union affiliated with Dean Transportation.

The Lansing company now must recognize the drivers' MEA affiliation, and union leaders say they will push to restore wages and benefits.

One school board member fears that could make transporting city students unprofitable for the company. But drivers cheered the news.

"I'm so excited I can hardly breathe," said Charisse Patterson, a driver for 10 years. "Morale was down and we were feeling so disenfranchised. But now Dean is going to have to recognize us and negotiate with us."

Monday's NLRB ruling is the latest victory for the union over Dean and the Board of Education. Drivers and support staff in February divided $600,000 received from Dean through an out-of-court settlement in a case that alleged the company interfered with the union's contract.

And last month the school board agreed it violated the Open Meetings Act by allowing owner Kellie Dean to attend a closed-door meeting where privatization was discussed.

Dean staff members are studying the ruling and looking at options.

"We are committed to continuing to focus on our No. 1 priority: providing safe, reliable transportation for the students and families of the Grand Rapids Public Schools," General Counsel Troy Scott said. "We will always operate our business with honesty, integrity and compassion."

The NLRB backed a ruling from an Atlanta administrative law judge who sided with bus drivers who claim they were coerced into joining a Dean-affiliated union rather than their MEA unit.

Dean hired 120 of the 220 former union members and brought on about 40 new employees when it took control of the district's transportation system in 2005. In a split decision, the school board outsourced the jobs to save $18 million over five years.

The contract with the drivers' union, the Grand Rapids Educational Support Personnel Association, still had a year remaining when the board voted.

"This is huge, an absolute slam-dunk," said Buz Graeber, the MEA representative assigned to GRESPA. "We told these members that we would fight for them always."

Drivers used to full health coverage through the MEA were told they would have to pay up to $820 a month for family coverage under Dean, and the district offered bonuses -- $250 a week the first year and $150 a week this past year -- to help employees adjust.

"We're going to lose those bonuses this year and I don't know how people are going to make it," said Patterson, who expects to be a member of the bargaining team. "But they're going to have to look at our last MEA contract."

GRESPA President Steve Spica said the union will "definitely" push to restore wages and benefits included in the original deal.

Grand Rapids Superintendent Bernard Taylor called the NLRB decision "a Dean matter" and declined to comment.

Board member Jim Rinck vocally opposed the busing contract and said he is worried about what happens to students if Dean either can't work out a deal with the MEA and faces a work stoppage, or if it can no longer make money and walks away when the contract expires.

"Maybe I wasn't as arrogant and bombastic as people said I was at the time," he said.

But David Allen, who was president in 2005 and cast the deciding vote, said he would make the same decision today.

"Absolutely," he said. "My only regret in all of this is the trouble that Mr. Dean has had to go through. But we did this to save money, and it turns out that we're saving more money than we initially thought."

Allen said if Dean decides not to renew the pact, the district could put the job out to bid and find another company.

Grand Rapids Press - Editorial

At 8 a.m. on the second Wednesday of every month, I trudge over to Grand Rapids City Hall, take the elevator to the sixth floor, walk into a room and cover the Downtown Development Authority "action." I know what you're thinking: "I hope you pour yourself some strong coffee." To be honest, the atmosphere can be overly restrained. Discussions are short, quiet and polite. Votes nearly always are unanimous. No one shows up to argue over or grieve some DDA action.

Well, maybe I exaggerate a bit. Fact is, any public body that has Jim Rinck as a member can never be dull or non-controversial for long. Up until the Dec. 12 meeting, Rinck had been a DDA member as a representative of the Grand Rapids Board of Education.

During his seven-year tenure, Rinck could be counted on to ask questions or make observations that most of us thought but didn't dare ask. For example, when the DDA was faced last month with giving up land for a new, larger art museum, Rinck asked if there was enough art in Grand Rapids to justify a bigger building. It was a touchy question. But lots of people were wondering the same thing.

The DDA is a public body that collects a portion of the property tax on downtown property owners. Where and how it decides to spend those tax dollars have a critical impact on the economic fate of downtown. The DDA's task is important, requiring something more than "yes" men and women.

Unfortunately, the Board of the Education and the City Commission have unceremoniously sacked Rinck. The City Commission, following a recommendation from school board President Brian Craig, appointed Jerome Dixon instead of Rinck.

Dixon could make a fine DDA member. He's a smart guy with a banking background who understands business. And because he is black, he brings much-needed diversity to the otherwise all-white authority. But Dixon will not match Rinck's flair for quick-witted verbal jabs and pugnacious questioning. The DDA will lose a valuable questioner of the status quo.

Rinck often was right! From a selfish standpoint, I'll miss the ever quotable Rinck. More importantly, the public is worse off without Rinck sitting on the DDA. Critics called him a loose cannon, but his aim often was true. The best example came three years ago when the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel was protesting its property tax bill. Only Rinck objected to the DDA paying $33,000 for an expert witness on a case that "should have been settled long ago."

Too bad city officials didn't listen. Amway offered to settle the case at the time with a property value of about $36 million; this month, the Michigan Tax Tribunal set an even lower figure of $34.8 million. The DDA could have kept its $33,000, plus received more tax revenues every year had it listened to Rinck. I don't know exactly why Rinck is no longer welcome to sit on the DDA. Craig praised Rinck's years of service but noted that "none of our appointments are for a lifetime." Maybe the bigger problem was that Rinck could be abrasive and was a thorn in the side of the power brokers.

Bully for him.

Too many public boards in this area are filled with wishy-washy dilettantes whose big decision of the day is deciding between the gray suit and the blue suit. And don't be misled, Rinck isn't just a go-it-alone misfit. Others less willing to stick their necks out routinely asked Rinck to speak for them.

In protesting his removal -- one made without notifying him ahead of time -- Rinck said, "I'm one of the few guys who says anything on that board."

I'll second that observation. Too bad it won't come to a vote.

Press business reporter Jack Naudi covers economic development, utilities and Alticor Inc. Contact him by e-mail at jnaudi@gr-press.com or 616.222.5678.

Published in the Grand Rapids Press

by: Dave Murray

After a year at the helm of the behemoth vessel that is the Grand Rapids Public Schools, James Rinck stepped aside this week as Board of Education president for a new skipper -- relative newcomer David Allen. While Mr. Rinck didn't leave voluntarily, he did so with grace.

Mr. Rinck served the school district and its 24,000 students admirably during the last year. The kinder, gentler President Rinck was a welcome change to the one whose 13 years on the board has been marred by incidents of unprofessionalism and divisiveness. Mr. Rinck proved himself a successful moderator during an extraordinarily difficult year.

He guided the nine-member board through many emotional issues and several split votes. The two most noteworthy were the debate over the requirement that student athletes must maintain a 2.0 grade point average and the painful process of closing schools.

Also in a split vote, Mr. Rinck lost the president's seat to Mr. Allen, who was elected to the board a year ago. Fellow board member David Bulkowski called Mr. Allen "the most capable leader on our school board." As budget concerns grow, additional school closings loom and the district struggles to conform to changing state and federal standards, the importance of having a high-quality leader becomes even more important. Mr. Rinck set a good example for Mr. Allen to follow.

Rinck running for mayor

From WOOD-TV 8
Jan 31, 2007 12:23 PM

GRAND RAPIDS - Jim Rinck, the long-time school board member who [was unsuccessful] in his bid to unseat Congressman Vern Ehlers, announced he's running for mayor.Rinck becomes the only announced candidate to officially challenge current Mayor George Heartwell for the post.Current second ward commissioner Rick Tormala and businessman Dan Tietema said they're looking into a run, but have not decided.

24 Hour News 8 will have more details as they develop.

3 have eyes on Mayoral prize

From WOOD-TV 8
Jan 8, 2007 05:50 PM
By JOE LaFURGEY

GRAND RAPIDS - Eight months before the city's primary election, and candidates are lining up to become Grand Rapids' mayor.Current mayor George Heartwell is apparently ready to run again. But so are two other candidates - a city commissioner and a local businessman.In a letter to supporters dated Dec. 17, 2006, Heartwell said he's prepared to announce his decision to seek re-election. Four years ago he won the election by capturing more than half the votes in the primary.But his term has had controversies, including his plan to ban smoking in most public place, his proposal to fight voter-approved Proposal 2 (banning affirmative action in government,) and his secret meetings with the developer that wants to buy more than 16 acres of city-owned riverfront property.Heartwell did not return calls for comment.Second ward commissioner Rick Tormala said he'll decide in March whether to mount a mayoral campaign, though he's not ruling out running again for his city commission seat. He's only allowed to run for one of the two.Businessman Dan Tietema was an unsuccessful candidate for a Third Ward seat in 2005, and he'll make a decision within the next three weeks.

Technically, though, no one is running yet. City Clerk Terri Hegarty said no one has picked up nominating petitions from her office, though she expects the activity to pick up soon.

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