The leeching class is comprised of numerous individuals and entities that have learned how to make a living by effectively extracting money from American tax payers and the generosity of donors. Oftentimes, they create arrangements that allow organizations and individuals to further their worldview at someone else’s expense. Dollars can come in the form of grants, tax breaks, and direct payments from government entities or non-profits that sometimes pass through money to subsequent destinations. The “work” produced by the leeching class is rarely adequate to offset the tax or donation money that directly or indirectly funded it, creating a hidden financial burden for every hard-working member of society.
The Momentum Center is one visible, local entity that is associated with members of the leeching class. Although the Momentum Center may provide benefit to a very small number of individuals, like many organizations operated by the leeching class, they appear to be a machine centered on furthering left-wing progressive political agendas. In addition to money from wealthy donors and grants from the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation (GHACF), the Momentum Center is heavily supported with tax dollars granted to them by Ottawa County and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). Along with monthly payments of $24,233.33 from the Ottawa County mental health millage, they received county funding for start-up costs associated with opening the Moo-Mentum ice cream parlor in Holland, and a $700,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to be used for renovations.
Members of the leeching class tend to make crony-capitalist business deals with each other, socialize together, promote one another, serve on each other’s boards, and give each other awards. In September 2022, both Grand Haven Area Public School (GHAPS) Superintendent Scott Grimes and Curriculum Director Mary Jane Evink advocated for the Momentum Center to receive Ottawa County American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. According to a letter signed by both individuals, Grand Haven Area Public Schools and the Momentum Center work with a “parallel philosophy.” Another GHAPS individual, former Technology Director Brian Wheeler, was appointed to the board of the Momentum Center, before his arrest for embezzlement.
Thrive Ottawa is another organization associated with members of the leeching class and connected to both GHAPS and the Momentum Center. Thrive Ottawa lists the Momentum Center, the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD), the Ottawa Community School Network (OSCN), Ottawa County Community Mental Health (CMHOC), Community Spoke, Opportunity Thrive, Arbor Circle, and Help Me Grow Ottawa, as community partners on its webpage showing how it fits into the leeching class network.
The Momentum Center Experi-Mentor, Barbara Lee Van Horssen is pictured on Thrive Ottawa’s About and stories pages. Andy Ingall, former GHAPS superintendent, is featured on the Thrive Ottawa’s stories page. Former Director of CMHOC Lynne Doyle (whose organization provided funding to the Momentum Center) and former Community Spoke lead Patrick Cisler (whose organization receives approximately $45,000/year in funding from Ottawa County) are listed as the media contacts for Thrive Ottawa.
Continuing with the confusing connections within the leeching class network, the Ottawa Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (OSAP), which operates under Arbor Circle, is a collaboration formed with assistance from Community Spoke and CMHOC. CMHOC provides approximately $125,000 of funding to Arbor Circle on an annual basis. With some of their money, OSAP created approximately 50 videos for middle school students, high school students, and adults on the topic of building mental health skills. The vast majority of the videos have fewer than 100 views, and VanHorssen of the Momentum Center is featured in some of the videos. Reciprocally, the Momentum Center virtual town hall meetings have featured speakers from Thrive Ottawa.
The Ottawa Community School Network (OCSN), another organization that pushes progressive ideals, has received over $142,000 in funding from CMHOC and is also supported by the United Way. The OCSN provides funding to Opportunity Thrive which was created by its Executive Director, Rebekah Schipper. Randy Schipper, father-in-law of Rebekah, serves on the OAISD board. Additionally, GHAPS Curriculum Director Mary Jane Evink is featured thanking Opportunity Thrive in a video on their website.
In February 2023 the OAISD Coordinator of Health Education announced the district had just won a $2.4 million Child and Adolescent Health Centers (CAHC) grant from the State of Michigan for new health services in Ottawa County Schools. Showing how members of the leeching class sometimes push a world view while being funded with taxpayer money, the Health Coordinator’s bio on OAISD had links to over 170 different documents and websites, many of which encouraged sexual experimentation and enhanced gender confusion. A few examples include the websites Sex, etc that offered a Condom Game, Power to Decide which helped teens find abortion providers, and Stand with Trans which offered advice to parents with children who are seeking sex-change surgery.
Unfortunately, the leeching class is not limited to progressive politics. Sometimes conservative members of the leeching class coordinate with their progressive counterparts, whereas at other times they compete for the monetary prizes. Although I have always supported the message of Constitutional Freedoms and Individual Rights conveyed by Ottawa Impact, they have made some financial decisions that I found questionable. Firstly, although they appeared to have the votes to say ‘no’, they voted to continue funding the Momentum Center. Secondly, they voted to give lucrative and unusual severance agreements to former County Administrator Benjamin Wetmore and former Assistant to the County Administrator Jordan Epperson. Lastly, the Ottawa Impact majority voted to approve an agreement regarding care, management, and maintenance of land located at Crockery Lake. These actions reinforce my belief that politicians of all stripes care more about their pet projects than serious fiscal responsibility.
The Wetmore and Epperson agreements raise concern because both individuals received agreements to stop working for the county based on the possibility that their employment might be terminated under a new county board of commissioners. In addition, they had potential lawsuits against the county. Wetmore received one year of pay ($175,000) and Epperson received a lump sum of $75,000, five months of pay ($33,974), plus insurance benefits. Months later, during the September 23, 2025, OCBOC meeting, Commissioner Jordan Jorritsma (2:10:48) accused Commissioner Joe Moss of misleading OCBOC members during closed session when discussing the separation agreements. Jorritsma may have been onto something as the closed session audio was subsequently released and appears to validate his statements. Then in October 2025, Brandon Hall posted the following photo on Facebook, showing former Board Chair Joe Moss enjoying an evening with both Wetmore and Epperson on Mackinac Island.
Both Epperson and Wetmore worked extensively on the Crockery Lake contract. During discussion for approval, it was revealed that execution of the contract would have involved the use of an unproven technology, and the county would have assumed liability. The county was to pay $563,000 up front, and the project did not address the root causes of the pollution entering Crockery Lake. New commissioners brought concerns over the contract to a judge and at the end of September 2025, “Judge John Hulsing ruled that the proper steps were not followed and the former board acted outside its authority,” nullifying the contract.
It is difficult to determine who is part of the leeching class because members tend to closely associate with genuinely honest people trying to do the right thing. The leeching class preys on these honest individuals, using them for cover, and influencing those who hold elected positions to vote in certain ways. Sometimes members of the leeching class take actions that actually do benefit the public, but sometimes they only make speeches expressing views held by the majority of the public, and then vote in opposition to their words. Sometimes their actions may be illegal whereas at other times they may just be immoral. Whatever the case, as a taxpayer I do not like seeing public money wasted, used inefficiently, or used as a perceived payoff to friends who provided favors. Please pay attention to how various levels of government are allocating resources and give a thought to what you, as a person funding it, is getting in return.