Mike’s Musings: Even county governments spend unwisely: Case study, Allegan County

Our government, whether it is at the local, county, state or federal level, makes numerous decisions on how they spend taxpayers’ money. Some we can agree with, some we can’t. I would like to think with the advent of social media, more people are paying attention as to how their money is being spent.
Here’s an example of one contract signed by Allegan County that came across my desk. I was shocked when I read it. To summarize Allegan County, approved by the Board of Commissioners has been subsidizing an internet media company located in Saginaw.
The company, Issue Media Group, in their accepted proposal, said, “Because of the decade-long decline of local newspapers across the country, many communities are left with significantly diminished news coverage, creating community news deserts in many rural communities.”
Mind you this addressed to Allegan County where there are three vibrant weekly newspapers- the Allegan County News, the Saugatuck/Douglas Commercial Record and the Plainwell/Otsego Union Enterprise. Our office is smack dab across from the courthouse and we spend six figures each year on reporters to cover the news in the county. Allegan County is hardly a “news desert.”
We are not subsidized by the County. I never thought of asking for taxpayers to pay our way. That money should go to essential services, not some company 150 miles away that if you look at their current articles, not one is about Allegan County. To say I’m upset, is an understatement.
One also has to wonder how you and I can even subscribe to the subsidized Issue Media Group to find the so-called articles. In Allegan County it is called The Lakeshore and actually covers several counties up and down the Lake Michigan Lakeshore. In mid-Michigan it is called The Epicenter. Unless you are familiar with the publications, you wouldn’t know they exist. I venture to say at least 90 percent of the taxpayers that pay towards the pubs, are not aware of their existence.
On the other hand our newspapers are everywhere. Any store that has a large volume of customers has them. You can purchase a subscription and get them through mail. You can get a subscription online directly to your email.
Issue Media was also able to get money from the Allegan County Community Foundation, which granted is a private charity, but again, why would they subsidize a so-called competitor of their own county newspapers. The same could be asked of Mid-Michigan College in Clare County, that is also providing public money to support Issue Media. In the case of both entities we publish numerous press releases free of charge about their good deeds.
You gotta wonder what else our county governments are spending needless dollars on. We know spending is crazy at the federal and state levels. It is well documented. Thank God, for DOGE and their efforts to clean it up at the federal level. But one would expect county governments to be more diligent when it comes to spending our money.