Welcome Back? Cindy Gamrat To Meet With Cotter Soon

 

State Rep. Cindy Gamrat (Photo by Darlene Dowling Thompson)

By Brandon Hall
Email him at westmipolitics@gmail.com

According to her latest "Inside Scoop" newsletter, State Rep. Cindy Gamrat will meet with House Speaker Kevin Cotter this upcoming week.

" I have still not learned of anything else regarding any further charges from the Speaker's office, but I do have a meeting set up with him next week," Gamrat said.

Here is her full comment on the caucus situation from today's newsletter:

Caucus Saga
"Last week I was expelled from the House Republican Caucus meetings and was told personally by the Speaker that it was because of the Facebook post I made while attending a Budget Workshop. I did not feel I revealed anything confidential and all budgets had already been passed in public subcommittee hearings. Here is that post:



There has been a lot of media attention on the news, radio, and papers surrounding this as you can imagine. This does not interfere or prevent me from serving in my capacity as State Representative. I have still not learned of anything else regarding any further charges from the Speaker's office, but I do have a meeting set up with him next week. I may disagree on issues with my colleagues, but I respect the trust between us. I was elected to be accountable to the hard working taxpayers of Allegan County and the State of Michigan. I will work diligently every day for their best interests and to be transparent in my role as State Representative. I appreciate your prayers and support as I continue to stand as a strong voice for personal liberties, Constitutional rights, and fiscal responsibility."

It is widely expected that Cotter will invite Gamrat back into the caucus, and they will move forward...
   
Gamrat is optimistic the caucus can move forward stronger than ever. Here is an excerpt of a recent Gamrat interview with WMP:


At the end of the day, Gamrat is enjoying herself and believes some good may come out of the situation.

"There is something beautiful about this process" Gamrat said. "The people, the debate, even when I disagree with them, I enjoy it. I have no malice toward Kevin (Speaker Cotter) or Al (Pscholka) even though I vote "no" on most of Al's bills.

I am hopeful and optimistic that now the elephant is out of the room, and they're like "how do we deal with you?" and I am like, "how do I deal with all this?" that we can have an honest, frank discussion and move forward. I want to be transparent and accountable to my constituents while respecting my peers. It's a balance, it's a fine line but I think we have the potential to come together stronger than ever as a caucus as a result of this."

So, will Gamrat face a primary challenger?

"I just always expected that, since day one," Gamrat said. "I don't approach this out of fear.If voters are satisfied, they will re-elect me. I am working hard, and I hope I can earn their vote"

Read more about the situation below:

The PURGE: Daniela Garcia Pushed Cotter For Gamrat Caucus Removal

>>>State Rep. Cindy Gamrat Talks About Caucus Controversy And More In WMP Interview

Cindy Gamrat "Shocked" By "False" Cotter Confidentiality Claims, Expects To Rejoin Caucus

#StandWithCindy: Justin Amash Defends Cindy Gamrat On Twitter

Source: Planned Parenthood Reference Prompted Gamrat Purge, Cotter Will Invite Her Back 

TARGETED? Email Shows Cindy Gamrat's Facebook Post Was At Worst An Honest Mistake

Gamrat Booted Over Facebook Post

Breaking: Cindy Gamrat Kicked Out Of GOP Caucus

Candidate for RNC expelled from caucus

Tea party state Rep. Cindy Gamrat kicked from House Republican caucus 

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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

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Photo By Darlene Dowling Thompson

PRIMARY Colors: Will Geoff Haveman Run Against Daniela Garcia?

Geoff Haveman, center, with supporters at a fundraiser last year

 By Brandon Hall
(Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com)

With State Rep. Daniela Garcia backing Prop 1, pushing bills in the legislature for donors, and refusing to do a townhall 6 months after being elected, some area residents in what MIRS calls "the most conservative house district in Michigan" are beginning to become immensely upset with the freshman legislator.

The 90th District includes Zeeland, Hudsonville, Jamestown, and Holland.

Rumors are beginning to swirl that Garcia's main opponent from 2014, Zeeland lawyer Geoff Haveman, will run against Garcia in the 2016 90th District State House primary.

"I would support Geoff," said Ray Reifsnyder, a resident of the 90th District who is active in local politics.

Haveman, who interestingly enough graduated from U of M Law School the same year Justin Amash did, also helped draft last year's Part Time Legislature amendment. Haveman was at a Prop 1 debate hosted by the Ottawa County Patriots this week. I caught up with him and asked Haveman about the issue, pushing for some answers to the rumors.

"When I talked to families during the campaign last year, I had a lot of great conversations throughout the 90th District," Haveman said. "Voters shared their dreams and ideas for a more free, more prosperous Michigan, and debt garnishment reform was not a part of that conversation. Yet that was Rep. Garcia's first bill, legislation changing the debt garnishment process."

Haveman continues:

"It's disappointing to see Rep. Garcia care more about a couple campaign donors who gave her thousands of dollars and benefited from that law than the almost 100,000 people of the 90th State House District who elected her and who she took a Constitutional oath to represent.

Make no mistake, our community deserve a legislator who wakes up everyday and works as hard as they can to stand up to Lansing, fighting for the future of our families-not for donors, lobbyists, or special interests. Rep. Garcia, while supporting the biggest tax increase in over 50 years, among other problems, has simply not shown the type of real conservative leadership our community expects and deserves."

Will Haveman primary her?

"All options are on the table," Haveman said. "That's all I can say currently. It would be a large time and money commitment, but an improved Michigan, rooted in liberty and prosperity,  is something that's worth fighting for. All options are on the table"

Stay tuned... A  Garcia/Haveman race would be a fiercely bloody battle as important as it is interesting. It would not be in any way easy, but Garcia is definitely vulnerable in Michigan's most conservative House district...

State Rep. Daniela Garcia

  __________________________________________________________

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 

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Source: Meekhof's Own Chief Of Staff Scheduled Prop 1 Townhall He Bailed On Then Had Amanda Price Cover Up

Sen. Meekhof, outside the Capitol, walks away as WMP asks tough questions after he bailed on his Prop 1 townhall

By Brandon Hall
Email him at westmipolitics@Gmail.com 

A source extremely close to the scheduling habits of Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof tells WMP "there is absolutely no doubt (Meekhof's Chief of Staff) Bob DeVries, scheduled the townhall at Spring Lake Library (with State Rep. Amanda Price.) Bob schedules every single one of Arlan's major events and this would be no different-his first townhall in two years would have been managed by Bob."

They continued: "Everytime Sen. Meekhof schedules an appearance like that, it is personally handled by Chief of Staff Bob DeVries-it's been that way since he was a State Representative."

The townhall had been scheduled to answer questions about Prop 1, Meekhof's first townhall style event in years.

As a result of this new information, WMP is calling on Arlan Meekhof and Amanda Price to release the documents that show who scheduled this event. I am confident they will show Arlan Meekhof's own office scheduled the townhall. If not, why not release them?

>>>After a WMP articlte about the event, Meekhof canceled, then had State Rep. Amanda Price cover it up and say she had never confirmed the event with Meekhof. Anyone who knows Price knows that is simply not true.

When the WMP article was picked up by the Detroit News, Meekhof's office of course denied the allegation.

Here is an excerpt:

""An Internet blogger from Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof’s home turf in west Michigan this week accused the West Olive Republican of ducking a town hall where he was supposed to field constituent questions about Proposal 1.

Meekhof, who backs the proposition connected with $1.2 billion more annually for road repairs, was going to face a hostile audience before “bailing on the event,” wrote West Michigan Politics managing editor Brandon Hall of Grand Haven.

The frequent Meekhof critic didn’t accept an explanation from state Rep. Amanda Price, R-Holland, that Meekhof hadn’t confirmed he would attend the April 27 event in Spring Lake.
But Amber McCann, press secretary to Meekhof, said Price is correct — the representative sent out notices before Meekhof’s office had a chance to check his schedule and confirm. He was being asked to co-sponsor it.

“He has talked about Proposal 1, in support of it, at nearly every public appearance since the beginning of the year,” McCann added. “He certainly is not shy about his support for the ballot measure.”

Check out the other articles on this issue below:

You SCARED, Bro!? After WMP Article, Detroit News Asks Meekhof About Bailing On Prop 1 Townhall

Cover Up: Price Apologizes, Claims She Never Confirmed Townhall With Meekhof

After Tax Increase Flip-Flop And Ducking Constituents, Meekhof's Prop 1 Town Hall Meeting May Get Heated

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

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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

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Photo By Darlene Dowling Thompson

 

The PURGE: Daniela Garcia Pushed Cotter For Gamrat Caucus Removal

  

By Brandon Hall
(Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com)

State Representative Daniela Garcia eyed me like a hawk as I entered the Cristman Building minutes before the meeting that would result in State Rep. Cindy Gamrat being expelled from the Republican caucus.

"You can't be here!" she immediately snapped at me as I approached. "This is a private House GOP Caucus Budget Meeting!!"

I replied, "Oh, woah, easy haha, this isn't the House Office Building? I have a couple stops to make." (I assumed it was because I saw all the Reps pile in there as I was headed to the HOB)

"No," Garcia said, "it's next door."

After some back and fourth with Garcia, I walked away, pretending to go further into the building, but then quickly turned around. Garcia had been watching me and was ready to chase after me had I really continued on!

When I got to the House Office Building, I asked a guard, "what is that place next door?"

"The lobbyist building," he said. "They meet there all the time."

The next day, State Rep. Cindy Gamrat was thrown out of the caucus. It wasn't over a Facebook post, Cotter has admitted that. It wasn't over "multiple incidents" of confidentiality breaches-no one can point to a single one from Gamrat...It was a behind the scenes power play from the likes of Al Pscholka and Daniela Garcia. Period.

I received a phone call from MIRS and a couple of other news outlets after Gamrat's ouster, saying that they had received information from "top sources" that "Cindy Gamrat was booted out of the caucus for inviting you into a private House GOP caucus meeting."

What the hell??

Hoekstra, Huizenga, Garcia, Haveman, Meekhof

 I couldn't believe I was hearing this. Such B.S. trash came from only ONE place, State Rep. Daniela Garcia. Garcia is third in command of House Leadership, and some factions want her to be speaker one day.  Powerful factions: think the likes of DeVos. She too, wants to be Speaker.

She is the ONLY  person who would have known enough to take a small sliver of truth and rig it all to hell, then feed it to media-no one else would know enough about the situation to provide media outlets with what they received! No one. Garcia or an agent she asked contacted multiple media outlets to tell an absolute lie. Ans she is spreading it all over Lansing too, adding other baseless accusations as well.

After our interaction, I figured out Garcia was indeed the key instigator who riled up some members of the caucus and pushed Pscholka and Cotter to act and boot Gamrat. And remember, Garcia, though a freshman, is Asst. Floor Leader-she's on the path to lead the House.

Garcia is a former Obamacare lobbyist who supports Prop 1 and Common Core. Garcia was trained in the Joe Haveman/Arlan Meekhof/Bill Huizenga school of politics: get elected, serve mostly special interests, avoid real people, move up the ladder.

Garcia dislikes me after coverage of her 90th District House race, among many other things, and hates the likes of Gamrat for ruining the fantasy land narrative she wants to promulgate. Dissent does not sit well with Daniela. As Orwell said, "Truth is treason in an empire of lies." Daniela wants to head the Empire, she's Darth Vader in waiting while Gamrat is Luke Skywalker, fighting like hell with everything she has to blow up the "Death Star" that is Lansing.

Garcia's devious, deceptive whisper campaign, trying to tie Gamrat with WMP, is an absolute, bogus LIE. I can confirm for a 100% fact Daniela's "theory" is making its way around the Capitol, along with other false allegations that Gamrat is giving me information about caucus meetings. It's a cooked-up BS power play-she should be ashamed of herself.

Before Monday, when I stopped by her open office hours, I had never spoken more than a few words with Cindy Gamrat, let alone hung out with her at secret House GOP caucus meetings or organized with her in any way!

State Rep. Cindy Gamrat with son Joey Gamrat

It's interesting to note that Garcia refuses to hold a town hall after over 6 months since being elected, and her first bill was literally bought and paid for by a donor. (More on that next week.)

It's time she stop lying about Cindy, put the fundraiser lists down, quit worrying about being Speaker, and start serving the people of the 90th State House District to the best of her ability.

Garcia is an immensely smart, talented Rep. who, though I disagree with her on many issues, at least she was up front about them. 

She is capable of doing better than the same old politics of the past that have plagued Lansing, that people are sick of... Will she? It's not looking good-just ask Cindy Gamrat.

Read more about the situation below:

>>>State Rep. Cindy Gamrat Talks About Caucus Controversy And More In WMP Interview

Cindy Gamrat "Shocked" By "False" Cotter Confidentiality Claims, Expects To Rejoin Caucus

#StandWithCindy: Justin Amash Defends Cindy Gamrat On Twitter

Source: Planned Parenthood Reference Prompted Gamrat Purge, Cotter Will Invite Her Back 

TARGETED? Email Shows Cindy Gamrat's Facebook Post Was At Worst An Honest Mistake

Gamrat Booted Over Facebook Post

Breaking: Cindy Gamrat Kicked Out Of GOP Caucus

Candidate for RNC expelled from caucus

Tea party state Rep. Cindy Gamrat kicked from House Republican caucus

__________________________________________________________

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 

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Photo By Darlene Dowling Thompson

Meet The NEW Boss? Cordes Likely To Replace Hagerstrom At AFP

Kent County GOP Exec. Director Paul Cordes (Photo By Darlene Dowling Thompson)

By Brandon Hall
Email him at westmipolitics@Gmail.com 

Reliable sources tell WMP that Kent County GOP Exec. Director Paul Cordes will soon be named the new head of AFP-Michigan...

Scott Hagerstrom

Cordes would replace Scott Hagerstrom, who left AFP earlier this year and now works with Paul Mitchell's Anti-Prop 1 "Say No..." group.


Stay tuned...
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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

Facebook

Twitter

Photo By Darlene Dowling Thompson

Follow The MONEY: Every "Safe Roads YES!" Donor Will Ca$h In On Prop 1's Taxpayer Dollars

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