Michigan Residents Boot Their Local Government Out of Office Over China-Linked Company

What can happen when people decide enough is enough?

This is the type of news story that makes my heart sing, dear reader. In a stunning turn of events, residents of the Green Charter Township in Michigan took a bold stand against government overreach and corruption, voting out their entire local governemnt.

This move was motivated by opposition to a controversial Chinese-affiliated electric vehicle battery plant which has become the source for heated debate in the Wolverine State.

Five members of a Big Rapids-area township board that voted in favor of tax breaks for a multi-billion-dollar battery plant investment by a Chinese-owned company were recalled Tuesday in retaliation for their support for the project.

Green Township Supervisor Jim Chapman said he and four other members of the board were recalled months after the board voted in favor of a property tax abatement plan for Gotion, Inc., which plans to build a $2.4 billion electric vehicle battery parts facility on the outskirts of Big Rapids and create an estimated 2,350 jobs in Mecosta County.

Two others of the seven-member board resigned ahead of recall election.

The issue became controversial earlier this year when Michigan’s state government approved a project to shell out $175 million in taxpayer fundss to Gotion. They argued that the move would create thousands of jobs and benefit the local economy.

However, residents were not happy about the move. Many questioned the proposal, asking why a Chinese company was being favored when there were plenty of American companies who could step up. Others expressed concerns about the company being aligned with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Indeed, Gotion’s bylaws explicitly say it will “ensure and supervise the implementation of the Party’s guidelines, principles and policies in the Company, and implement major strategic decisions of the CPC (Communist Party of China) Central Committee and the State Council as well as relevant important work arrangements off the Party organization at the higher level.”

Several of the town’s residents were wary about allowing Gotion to operate in their community. Harry King told reporters: “Right now, we are not on friendly terms with China. They are threatening us. I consider them the enemy. I don’t want them here, either.”

Apparently, the town’s former leaders, who were Republicans, did not think it important to listen to the concerns of their constituents. All too often, this is the case in many towns and cities across the country. They ignore the wishes of the people they are governing because they believe they will not face consequences.

However, in this case, they were dead wrong.

From a liberty-focused perspective, the developments in Green Charter Township exemplify what can happen when people band together to challenge those who govern them. Government officials can typically get away with all kinds of malfeasance if they know the people won’t stand up to them. The situation in this town shows that we the people do have power. We just need to be willing to use it.