 
Quinn
Member
Username: Quinn
Post Number: 1019
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - 2:13 pm: |    |
RESUME - RICHARD DEVOS, JR.
POSITION DESIRED: GOVERNOR STATE OF MICHIGAN
EDUCATION: HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE (1973)
Grand Rapids Forest Hills
2nd string Quarterback of football team (Quit in senior year- team was reportedly progressing faster than him)
COLLEGE:
Calvin College (1973) Quit after one semester (college not for him)
Northwood Institute, Midland, MI (1981) Received business degree.
Attended night classes Harvard Business School. Quit without completing program
Wharton Executive Study Program. Quit without completing program
EMPLOYMENT:
1974-1989 AMWAY CORPORATION, Ada, MI Company involved with the sale and distribution of household products. Founded and managed by his father Richard DeVos, Sr. and his partner Jay Van Andel in 1959. Some refer to company as pyramid scheme where average distributor makes $124 per month. Held various positions with company rising to VP of International Operations. Quit to start own company.
1989-1992 Founder and CEO of Windquest Group. Closet organizer and storage container business (less pressure). Quit to return to Amway.
1991-1993 President of Orlando Magic, professional basketball team. Father purchased team in 1991. Quit to return to Amway
1993-2002 AMWAY CEO. Managed business to its greatest losses in history then downsized number of Michigan employees from 5,300 to 3,900. Invested $200 Million in China. Now Company is 80% Asian company. Quit to return to Windquest and pursue other interests.
PUBLIC SERVICE:
1990 elected to 8 year term to State Board of Education. Quit after two years, missing ¼ of all meeting (the most of any Board member)
1996 appointed by Governor Engler to Board of Control, Grand Valley State University. Quit before term expired; last meeting attended July, 2000. (missed 16 of 27 meetings)
2000 spearheaded Michigan ballot proposal to use public school funds for vouchers for private/charter schools. Personally spent millions to finance campaign. Measure was soundly defeated by 69% of votes cast.
CHARITBLE GIVING:
His wife and their foundation have generously given tens of millions of dollars to virtually every Republican, conservative and far-right group/cause. His family was the largest contributors to President Bush in 2000 and 2004. Wife Betsy has said they expect a return for their giving.
FAMILY:
Married Wife Betsy DeVos in 1979. Formerly Betsy Prince, heir to the Prince auto parts fortune. Betsy was Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman and finance chairwoman of National Republican Party Senatorial Committee. They have four adult children.
HOBBIES/INTERESTS:
Licensed pilot (Amway owns 14 aircraft, 10 of which are jets); Yachting (owns 41st largest yacht in USA); Accumulating great wealth (personal fortune estimated at $500 Million dollars, but won't release tax returns); Spending fortune on political interests (has spent more than $30 million of his own money in campaign for Governor.
POLICY POSITIONS:
Opposes abortion under any circumstances, other than to save life of the mother. Even in cases of rape or incest.
Does not support law to ban smoking in restaurants and bars. Says Michigan citizens should have the right to CHOOSE
Opposes embryonic stem cell research even if existing and unused stem cells are discarded or thrown in trash. Despite the huge promise and potential of stem cell research to save lives and benefit the public health.
Supports abolishing Michigan SBT by end of 2007. If abolished will eliminate nearly two billion dollars of revenue to the state. Favors one-half of the revenue being replaced by a tax on business, but won't discuss other taxes considered to replace lost revenue or what cuts in services he would recommend. For comparison, the entire operating budget of Michigan Department of Corrections is 1.7 billion dollars.
Supports eliminating business personal property taxes of 1.8 billion dollars but doesn't have plan to replace revenue lost by municipalities some of which depend upon this tax for 50-60% of their budgets. This loss would cause elimination of essential services (police, fire and schools).
Supports eliminating the estate tax. Is one of 80 families that has lobbied Congress (with millions of dollars) to eliminate Federal and State Estate taxes which would be a huge tax windfall to the wealthiest of the wealthy.
Says best way to deal with medical insurance crisis in Michigan is for all Michigan Citizens to get a good job, even though fewer and fewer employers are providing affordable health insurance and number of uninsured is increasing.
Says Governor Granholm is not managing Michigan well although Michigan is rated the third best managed state in the country, the best and most citizen friendly internet site in the country, and is operating with the lowest number of State employees since 1974.
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Dick Devos Before He Dicks You, Michigan. |
Bob
Member
Username: Bob
Post Number: 1208
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - 2:35 pm: | |
"The big Dick is here get ready." OK, so that from Good Morning Vietnam and they were talking about Richard Nixon, but it fits Tricky Dick DeVos also. |
Supersport
Member
Username: Supersport
Post Number: 10806
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - 8:45 pm: | |
Granholm experience: Ruined the great state of Michigan in 4 short years. |
Detroitbill
Member
Username: Detroitbill
Post Number: 65
Registered: 09-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - 9:53 pm: | |
Oh common,, Granholm was behind the corporate decisions made by GM, Ford, and Chrysler and its suppliers to cut thousands of jobs in order to survive in the world economy???????????? Right.
Sorry,, those companies did what they needed to do, due to global change in automotive buying habits,, some bad management and world environmental changes, To blame Granholm on that is sure idiocy,, next you will blame Kwame Kilpatrick for the Tigers not winning the world series,, after all they are both affiliated with Detroit |
Detroitbill
Member
Username: Detroitbill
Post Number: 66
Registered: 09-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - 10:04 pm: | |
Oh common, I suppose Granholm is to blame for the corporate decisions made by GM, Ford and Chrysler and its suppliers ?? Those decisions made by those companies were in response to world market changes and for their own survivability, Granholm has little if no influence on these companies, and either will good ole Dick for that matter. I think I will stick with someone who isnt bent on having his religious beliefs run my life |
Supersport
Member
Username: Supersport
Post Number: 10809
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 01, 2006 - 3:04 am: | |
Granholm is to blame for spending 4 years doing little to bring new jobs, non-manufacturing jobs, to Michigan. |
Pam
Member
Username: Pam
Post Number: 604
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 01, 2006 - 4:55 am: | |
What is Dick's plan? We all work for Amway? I have zero confidence in this guy. |
Quinn
Member
Username: Quinn
Post Number: 1021
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 01, 2006 - 8:49 pm: | |
Supersquirt that is an IDIOTIC statement. Engler had 12 years and left the state in SHAMBLES. You deny this? Everything was peachy when he left? Granholm walked into a cake-walk-job?
Christ! |
Rhymeswithrawk
Member
Username: Rhymeswithrawk
Post Number: 127
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, November 02, 2006 - 10:44 pm: | |
Granholm experience: Ruined the great state of Michigan in 4 short years.
Granholm has been a far, far cry from a great governor, but this is utter and complete b.s. And you know it.
It took Coleman Young more than a decade to destroy Detroit, and you think Granholm could destroy an entire state in four years?
Either you weren't here for the last 20 years or you're sleeping with DeVos. I can't tell which.
Let's be honest with ourselves about one thing: Once again, the state of Michigan must choose between two lackluster candidates.
But that doesn't mean we have to turn to outright lies in order to make our respective loser look better than he or she is. |
Supersport
Member
Username: Supersport
Post Number: 10825
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, November 03, 2006 - 7:55 am: | |
Liberals crack me up. Admit it, why you bash DeVos is because NEVER in your life would you consider voting for a Republican. I on the other hand, I voted for Granholm last election.
Doesn't surprise me a bit, YOU'RE party is the one that had it's previous presidential canidate treat our soldiers as a lesser grade of people, telling college kids "Do good, or you'll get stuck in Iraq." That is about as pathetic as is gets if you ask me. Go ahead, vote blindly, the Democratic party banks on people like you, with their heads stuck in the sand. |
Rusty
Member
Username: Rusty
Post Number: 422
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, November 03, 2006 - 8:12 am: | |
The past few weeks, I've traveled to Columbus, Baton Rouge, Baltimore and Hartford. Each and every stop had radio ads from the MEDC touting the benefits of moving your business to Michigan. It's quite surprising the amount of time/money that is actually being spent (nationally) going after new business. |
Madanthonywayne
Member
Username: Madanthonywayne
Post Number: 37
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Friday, November 03, 2006 - 11:19 am: | |
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