November 17, 2007 -- Harbor Shores development town hall meeting in Benton Harbor

Yet the "public" meeting seemed clearly not designed for public interaction. There were only a few rows of chairs put out, there was only one mike (that didn't work), and there were absolutely NO materials whatsoever available to those who attended, other than a blown-up map used by the presenters. But when the meeting began erupting into shouts of disconent from those in attendance, it became obvious things weren't going according to plan. The sponsors of the event clearly weren't expecting either the number or enthusiasm of the reactions they received from the public.

Benton Harbor Mayor Wilce Cooke (below, right) was onhand to placate the frustrated crowd, assuring them that "nothing is carved in stone" and (contrary to what past events suggest), he and the City Commission wouldn't do anything that isn't in the best interest of the people of Benton Harbor.

With a compliant City Commission and the support of Governor Granholm and local U.S. congressman Fred Upton, the Harbor Shores project has been steadily steamrolled over the people of Benton Harbor, temporarily slowed only by a recent decision by the U.S. Park Service to deny the privatization of Jean Klock Park (for the first three holes of the golf course). The November 17 meeting regarded the closure of Eighth Street as part of the ongoing conversion from public to private land.

The Green Party of Michigan has been monitoring this story and has issued public statements in support of the the Black Autonomy Network Community Organization (BANCO), led by Reverend Fred Pinkney of Benton Harbor, which has been leading the charge against the gentrification efforts of Whirpool and Cornerstone. We chose to hold our Fall SMM in Benton Harbor to become better informed on the issue and to coordinate more intense political efforts on its behalf. Hillsdale County Greens Richard Wunsch, Doug Baker and Sean Munn attended both the SMM and the town hall meeting, with Richard (below) becoming a very active participant.

There are a number of online resources available for those who wish to know more about this ongoing struggle in Benton Harbor. First is an excellent item from the "In These Times" website, offering a general outline of the story and some of the major players involved:

Saving a Public Park

Next is the BANCO website, which highlights the battle between Rev. Pinkney and City Commissioner Glen Yarbrough:

Black Autonomy Network Community Organization

Next is a report from a Benton Harbor television station regarding the November 17 town hall meeting, including video:

Development Continues to Stir Questions and Concerns

Finally, a link for the Friends of Jean Klock Park, dedicated to saving this natural resource:

Save Jean Klock Park

I'd like to thank everyone who attended on behalf of the Green Party (especially my friend Richard Wunsch, who really got the crowd fired up!), as well as those from BANCO and the rest of the opposition to the Harbor Shores development project who later returned to join the SMM. This was a very good step in building an effective coalition in the struggle for social justice. Hopefully, together, we can turn the tide!