Dick Devos the self proclaimed economic savior of Michigan, is currently on public assistance. How can this be that a billionaire would be accepting money from the government? As reported last month and again today in the Grand Rapids Press, Dick Devos and his wife Betsy benefited from some $12,000 in farm subsidies.
I avoided writing about this last month. After all Mr. Devos is a billionaire and what some would call a former highfalutin pyramid executive. Given the currently over complicated U.S. tax code I showed him some mercy. Understand this, the IBO Rebellion is a true blue conservative. Mr. Devos has talked quite a bit about government waste. Mr. Devos claims that he had no knowledge that he had received any subsidy as stated in the November 18th article.
Among the wealthy recipients are former Michigan gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos and his wife, Betsy, who shared more than $12,000 in subsidies from 2003 to 2005, mostly for corn, for land they own in Ada Township.
Among those who fed at the subsidy trough from 2003-2005: Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who took in $30,000; talk show host David Letterman, who scored $8,023; David Rockefeller of the Rockefeller fortune, who netted $29,615. In West Michigan, businessman Dick DeVos, former president of Amway, and his wife, Betsy, took in $6,530 each. Mr. DeVos wasn't even aware he had received the money for land in Ada Township owned by his holdings company.It has been nearly one month since this was brought to Mr. Devos' attention. I would have expected that he would have put his money where his mouth is and would have returned the money to the federal treasury. Apparently, neither him or his advisers thought this was a good idea. If this money doesn't qualify as wasteful spending then I am not sure what would. Yet another example of a Devos failing to lead by example.
November 18th GR Press Article
December 15th GR Press Article
10 comments:
I too am a conservative so here go's. Many people take advantage of tax breaks and subsidy's that probably should not. As far as Mr. DeVos being a leader, not gonna happen. The man has an abysmal work record. He has quit everything he has ever done whenever it gets tough. While on the school board he attended less than 25% of the meetings (obviously didn't care. I hope the MI republican party wakes up. This man would be a terrible Governer.
I can only thank God that this man was not victorious in seeking Michigan's highest office. Amway, with the blessing of the Devos family, has engaged in cut throat and dishonest tactics in its battle with TEAM. I could only imagine what other dirty tricks would have been employed if he was in power. Would the State Police have been sent to infiltrate seminars? Nothing is impossible with this bunch from Ada. It is amazing to me that anyone would alienate a large and increasingly influential group such as TEAM. I am sure that TEAM would have preferred to stay with Q if Q hadn't embraced policies that continued to fleeced IBOs and created an impossible relationship. Devos has turned what could have been an ally into a formidable adversary. As for the Republican Party coming to their senses.... unfortunately it won't happen. They have been sold a line of crap and besides when you have a "pay to play" candidate like Devos who is willing to pay 30 million dollars of his own money they will give him a pass.
More money for the Fat cow! No integrity or character, I'll take the pathetic Jenny for Gov over Devos.
The choice of Jenny or Dick, hmmm. Sounds like a theme song (facts of life, you younguns look it up)
You take the crooked,
You take the bad,
You take them both
And there you've had
A messed up state.
A messed up state.
Who wants to finish this song?!!!
Okay... I don't care for Quixtar or Devos, but I'm sure he's paid a lot more than $12,000 in taxes.
Who cares if he got some little bit back from the gov? No offense, but seems like fractions of pennies comparitively speaking.
Will
It's not the amount it's the principle. When Reagan was Gov. of California the State ended up with a huge surplus. The legislators of CA were shocked and protested when Reagan wanted to take the surplus money and give all of it back to the citizens of CA. Thats Character! If DeVos is ok with taking a few thousand dollars of federal $ then he would be perfectly fine with taking a few thousand dollars of your money which is what he did. If he made a living farming and needed a subsidy to survive thats bad enough, but he's no farmer. If he had character he would give it back or donate it to a somewhere that didn't benefit his political agenda's.
If you are against government waste and have went on the record stating that is your position you can't have it both ways. I am sure Mr. Devos pays his share of taxes, that isn't what this is about. These are farm subsidies... all those fat cats listed in the article should be ashamed of themselves. This is all just another reason the Fair Tax is the best way to go. No more high paid lobbiest doing backroom deals to get tax breaks. Find out more at www.fairtax.org I would suggest reading the book all about the Fair Tax if you are truly going to understand it. It just makes sense. Certainly more sense than a billionaire non-farmer receiving farm subsidization!
Interesting to see on the TEAM calendar for January 2008, scheduled to speak: Manase and Lisa Fotu, Jim and Mary Robson, and Jerry & Polly Harteis.
why is that interesting to see them speaking? Just curious? Jerry & Polly are excellent speakers and great people.
Yeah, why is that interesting? They have spoken before, especially the Robsons and Fotus. I don't understand what's so interesting in that. Can you explain?
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