Pages

Monday, April 13, 2015

Meekhof Bails On Prop1 Town Hall, Says He's Already Picked Out A New Office

Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof
By Brandon Hall
(Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com)
Those excited about Senate Majority Leader Alan Meekhof's first town hall meeting in a year and a half will be disappointed to learn Meekhof is apparently flip-flopping on his promise to attend the April 27th event on the Prop 1 road tax package.

State Rep. Amanda Price had said:

"On Monday, April 27, Senator Arlan Meekhof and I will be hosting a Town Hall meeting on Proposal 1. Many of you have questions about road funding, the various aspects of the legislation and the impact for taxpayers and our local schools and local units of government.

Senator Meekhof and I believe that that it is important for all residents to make an informed decision, and we will present information and answer questions on the road proposal before you vote on May 5th.

A representative from the Michigan Department of Transportation will be on hand to discuss the proposal and answer any questions members of the audience may have. The town hall will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 27 at the Spring Lake District Library, located at 123 E. Exchange St., Spring Lake."

However, multiple sources tell WMP that just hours after a WMP article on the town hall event and Meekhof's potential problems at the meeting, the Senator canceled and made other plans as inquiries flooded his office today.
This isn't the first time he has bailed on an event. He missed an Ottawa County Patriots townhall on medicaid expansion a couple years ago, and his first debate with Sarah Howard last fall. He hasn't held a town hall in 18 months and hasn't held open coffee hours in years...
Also, In an appearance Monday morning on "Talk Of The Town" with Juke VanOss, a Holland radio show, Meekhof was blasted by multiple listeners for backing Prop 1-not a single caller supported it.

He defended the package, saying he thinks the proposal may still pass. He also claimed that those who oppose the proposal don't even have a "plan a" to get roads fixed and if there was an easy solution to the issue, it would have been done years ago. 

One listener said Meekhof has got to be kidding when he says there is no other plans to fix the roads. "No, I am not kidding you," Meekhof said.

Meekhof also told a caller who asked if he had his new office picked out. "Yes, I do,"  Meekhof justified the $70 million Senate building by saying the "House spent $135 million" on theirs.


Stay tuned for an update on the townhall...

_______________________________________________________________________


Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.
Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com
Photo By Darlene Dowling Thompson

1 comment: