One of the leaders of the disability-rights movement may have violated the spirit of a campaign endorsed by his own organization to end hate speech. In a news article pubished by the Detroit Free Press, Dohn Hoyle, executive director of The Arc Michigan, called a retired Detroit police officer who takes care of his disabled adult son and daughter "an idiot"

Hoyle is described as a disability-rights activist in his role at The Arc, which lists as its mission a commitment “to ensure people with Developmental Disabilities are valued.” The Arc Services has supported the “Shred the Hate” campaign started by the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council. The campaign is trying to stop use of words like "retard," which the MDDC says was created to replace words like "idiot."

Hoyle is also listed as a spokesman for Proposal 4 which would lock into the state consitution the unionization of tens of thousands of home health care aides who provide care to lower income disabled individuals with assistance from a modest Medicaid subsidy. Most of the caregivers are family or friends of the disabled individuals.

Haynes and his wife, Patricia, take care of their two severely disabled adult children at their Macomb Township home. They are opposed to the forced unionization scheme, which was orchestrated by the Service Employees International Union when Jennifer Granholm was governor. They also oppose Proposal 4.

The SEIU takes about $6 million a year from the Medicaid money of the elderly and disabled in Michigan as "union dues." The union has taken more than $32 million to date from people who mostly are taking care of family and friends.

"Mr. Hoyle owes a prompt apology to Mr. Haynes, his family, and the rest of the developmental disability community," said Joseph Lehman, president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. "The Arc Michigan board is capable of determining if that is sufficient."

Yasmina Bouraoui, deputy director of the MDDC, and Vendella Collins, executive director of the MDDC, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Christine Lerchen, president of the The Arc Michigan board of directors, also didn't respond to a request for comment.

Hoyle also claimed Haynes was recruited by the Mackinac Center to speak out against Proposal 4. Actually, Haynes contacted the Mackinac Center with his story after reading a story in Michigan Capitol Confidential about the union skimming money from home help providers.

A property the Kent County Land Bank blocked from sale to private bidders is now listed for sale — by a company owned by one of the land bank's advisory council members.

5076 Montauk (click for picture), would have been available for bid at Kent County's tax auction this summer, but the land bank coordinated with county officials to block the property from sale. According to staff comments, the land bank requested the property be held because, "Revenue from this project will go a long way to help fund the Land Bank."

Just four months after the land bank acquired the property, 5076 Montauk is now listed by Greenridge Realty, a company headed by Tom Paarlberg, who sits on the land bank's advisory council. The asking price is listed at $169,900.

Paarlberg did not respond to requests for comment about whether the listing was a conflict of interest. 

"This points to our original concerns when you have a government entity involved in the real estate enterprise," said Eric Larson, spokesperson for the Kent County Taxpayers Alliance, a vocal critic of the land bank. "People will have to use connections and special favors with government bureaucrats to gain an edge. This is a perfect example of the cronyism that Kent County is at risk of with the land bank's activities." 

Land bank meeting minutes indicate that Paarlberg sat on a committee that chose which real estate companies would represent the land bank, and Kent County Board of Commissioners meeting minutes indicate that Paarlberg spoke in support of the move to block 5076 Montauk and other properties from tax auction.

Realtor Rusty Richter said that "it certainly appears that Greenridge Realty has a conflict of interest — and Tom Paarlberg in particular — because of his standing in three different groups. One, he is an advisory board member of the Kent County Land Bank Authority. Two, he was on the selection committee to choose realtors to represent the land bank. And three, he's the president of the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors."

Area realtors and developers (including Richter) recently filed a lawsuit against the Kent County Land Bank for blocking properties from tax sale. In the suit, the plaintiffs argue the land bank's actions violate state law that requires tax-foreclosed property to be put up for tax auction before being taken by a land bank.