"Ricochet" Rick Tormala runs for Grand Rapids Mayor
Rick Tormala annouces his Grand Rapids Mayoral Campaign.
To view the
announcement click here.
Indian Trails debacle - part deux
Rick Tormala once again displays his special brand of decisive leadership. After voting to seek proposals from developers to purchase or lease Indian Trails golf course, "as a favor to fellow Commissioner Jim White".
Here is an excerpt from the July 9, 2007 Grand Rapids Press article by Jim Harger.
City officials who may have hoped their bungled attempt to sell Indian Trails Golf Course would die quietly will not get their wish when the subject comes up at today's City Commission meeting.
Second Ward City Commissioner Rick Tormala said he will challenge a resolution that would have quietly buried the notion of selling the golf course while establishing a new Green Grand Rapids master planning process that would review the city's entire park system.
Tormala, who is running for mayor, said he will push for a separate resolution that pledges to keep the venerable golf course out of the hands of developers who covet its retail and commercial potential on 28th Street SE.
"I think we need to apologize to the public and give assurances that this kind of nonsense won't happen again," Tormala said Monday.
"It really looks Orwellian that all of a sudden we're claiming to be green."
On June 5, the commission bypassed the lengthy master planning process and its own agenda rules when commissioners, including Tormala, voted 7-0 to seek development proposals for the course.
Ricochet Rick seems to care more about his political ambitions than the welfare of Grand Rapids. Tormala should have cared more for the people of Grand Rapids and less for doing a friend a favor. He is supposed to represent the 2nd Ward, he is supposed to represent the people of Grand Rapids, not his fellow Commissioner. This is NOT the kind of leadership that Grand Rapids needs.
Save our City... STOP the Secrets
2nd Ward City Commissioner Rick Tormala is the other candidate for Mayor. Ricochet Rick has switched his positions so many times recently, that the new moniker is quite fitting. Grand Rapids needs consistent and responsible leadership. When news broke of mayor George Heartwell signing secret confidentiality agreements, Tormala lashed out and admonished the mayor for his irresponsible actions. The mayor was seriously wrong and Tormala did a great thing by calling Heartwell out on his irresponsible behavior. Then on June 19th, Tormala voted on a new rule for the City Commission which will allow for secret deals in the future. (Perhaps because he hopes to have some secret deals of his own if he is elected). Who knows? Either way, which way does Tormala want it?
Indian Trails Golf Course debacle
First, Rick Tormala and other Commissioners decided to suspend the normal rules that allow for community input in the Indian Trails golf course sale. Tormala voted to fast-track the process and skip the advice of the City staff. When the Press broke the story and word got out... Tormala ricocheted again, back-tracking from his bad decision and emerging as a fiscal hawk who suddenly realized that the plan to market the course would cost the city $100,000. However, Tormala didn't care about the price tag before the citizenry rallied against the plan. Tormala, a fair-weather friend to the people, but a friend indeed to fellow Commissioner Jim White. According to the Press article below, Tormala only agreed with the Indian Trails sale as a favor to Commissioner White. Apparently his friendship with Commissioner White is more important than listening to the people of Grand Rapids and preserving its green-space.
INDIAN TRAILS SURVIVES
Grand Rapids golfers unite to keep course
Sunday, June 17, 2007
The Grand Rapids Press
No more Mr. Nice Guy? Second Ward Commissioner and mayoral candidate Rick Tormala said he voted to put the Indian Trails Golf Course on the market as a favor to his fellow Commissioner Jim White. Within a week, Tormala and other commissioners were reconsidering after an outcry from city duffers who love the venerable city course. "I should have gone with my gut," Tormala said ruefully. "I went against my own instincts in a spirit of collegiality, and look what happens." While Mayor George Heartwell joined Tormala in doing the back-pedal, third mayoral candidate Jim Rinck quickly declared he would have never given the proposal his support.
PARKING LOT SALE
The keystone to the Tormala campaign is to sell-off city owned parking ramps and lots to fund a host of new spending. There are many key issues with this proposal. Tormala’s first idea to improve fiscal solvency in the city of Grand Rapids is to sell our parking ramps. This one-time sale will bring $35 - $45 million in revenue to the city. Our parking ramps and lots provide anywhere from $5 - $7 million per year in income, and they are well run and well maintained by good city employees. Selling them would be a one-time financial fix and would be the moral equivalent of eating your own seed corn. In fact, according to city manager Kurt Kimball, the city still owes on the bonds utilized to purchase this property. The city would stand to lose money and equity in the sale. Also, how we are going to replace the ongoing revenue is the missing part of the Tormala equation?
Tormala’s plan includes several levels of ways to pay for his spending plan. Unfortunately, these additional steps are merely a way to add some phantom distance between selling city assets and tax increases. His statement mentions a few minimalist possibilities, such as lobbying the state government to provide more money to our city. Does anybody truly believe that will happen in this current budget crisis? He then reaches to his real position, which is to immediately raise taxes on the citizens of Grand Rapids. This equates to a TAX AND SPEND policy.