ERC News & Notes
2026 Fall Edition
Inside this Issue:
ERC Forum - Sept. 15
Note from the Chair
Trivia: Who Said it? - Middle East Edition
Election 2026 - Crucial Down Ballot Races / Power of Plunking
ERC-PAC Candidate Endorsements
Voter Links & Info
ERC Member Running for Statewide Office
GP Board of Education Update - The Left’s Domination Continues
Commentary - Mainstream Media Fallacies
Republican Victory Center Opening in Grosse Pointe
On the Calendar
Summer Picnic Wrap-up and Photos!
Be a Member!
ERC Forum - Sept. 15
The War Memorial
32 Lake Shore Drive, Grosse Pointe Farms
7 p.m. Cookies and coffee reception
7:30 p.m. Meeting
Joining ex-ICE agent and current Hamtramck Police Officer Scott Budnick in addressing the ERC is retired auto worker, Brian Pannebecker, founder of Auto Workers for Trump, and author of recently released book, “Blue Collar Conservative: From Reagan to Trump.”
Note from the Chair
Still Busy…
Many exciting changes have been taking place at the Eastside Republican Club. Everyone on the Board has been bringing their A game to make the ERC the place to be for informative speakers, updated information on local and state happenings, means of getting politically involved and staying connected with like-minded individuals.
Our website is the go-to for prevalent information pertaining to how to become a poll worker and precinct delegate, to why and how to contact your congress person regarding legislation that affects your schools and taxes. Also, you should never have to wonder when our next forum is by checking out our website at EastsideRepublican.Club.
We are thrilled to announce that we are now including an online payment system for membership dues through Cheddar Up. No App is required! On the ERC website, click on the “Pay dues online” button under the drop down, “Contact” and fill in the information. It’s that easy! Although, if you prefer, you can still write and send checks or pay at the door. As a reminder, membership dues are per household and are $35 per year, $100 for 4 years, or $500 for lifetime. Also new… if you are a student, your membership is free!
I would be remiss if I did not mention that because of dues paying members and generous negotiating partners, we still have The War Memorial as our forum venue. Many of the speakers have commented on its beautiful architecture and atmosphere. We truly are grateful.
In addition, we have been listening to our members and have been trying to keep you well informed and engaged. At our forums we have crucial updates from Mike Vethacke and Terry Collins on the Grosse Pointe School Board. Our very own Cheryl Costantino who is the MIGOP Administrative Vice-Chair and Wayne 13th Chair provides updates on the 13th Congressional District. Dave Testa is the leader of the ERC college Republican outreach and will be able to keep us connected with the youth of our party.
We are sending emails more frequently and to hundreds and hundreds of more addresses. To our members we have been forwarding updates from Lansing provided by Michigan House Republican liaisons, Tommy Smith and Phil Peters.
As a member of the Grass Roots Grand Council hosted by Phil Peters, I have also been forwarding minutes of our meetings which include members of the Michigan House. If you have any legislative issues you would like us to discuss, please let me know by emailing me at chair@eastside-republican-club.com. Also to our members, we are sending emails with politically pertinent information from supporting conservative youth to gubernatorial debate watch details.
Recently at our 24th annual picnic, attendees were able to listen to Tudor Dixon, political commentator, Fox News guest, and businesswoman, in addition to several candidates running in federal, state, and local offices. Please see the article “24th Annual Eastside Republican Club Family Picnic” for details. A tremendous amount of work was done to organize and prepare for this event: securing park passes, tents, tables and microphone equipment, inviting speakers and candidates, organizing who gets what, does what and when, decorating, setting up the barbecue, cleaning the picnic tables, raking the grounds, and getting and preparing the food. Not to mention clean up! A heartfelt thanks to all involved! And all who attended!
Stay tuned for updates on a possible Republican Victory Center. I need not remind everyone that this is a crucial election year where we can take the state government trifecta and finally send a Republican US Senator to the Capitol.
As you can see, we have been very busy at the ERC. We hope that our accomplishments are as beneficial to you as they have been challenging to us. See you at our next forum Tuesday, September 15 at The War Memorial. Our guest speakers will be Scott Budnick, former ICE agent, and Brian Pannebecker, founder of Auto Workers for Trump and author of recently released book, “Blue Collar Conservative: From Reagan to Trump.”
Trivia
Who Said It?
Middle East Edition
Let’s take a walk down memory lane to see what some of President Trump’s biggest critics have said about the threat posed by Iran. See if you can guess who said the following:
A. “The United States will never allow [Iran] to acquire a nuclear weapon. As president, I will take whatever actions are necessary to protect the United States and our allies. I will not hesitate to take military action if Iran attempts to obtain a nuclear weapon.”
B.“Iran has American blood on their hands. This attack on Israel, 200 ballistic missiles. What we need to do to ensure that Iran never achieves the ability to be a nuclear power, that is one of my highest priorities.”
C. “We will not let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon. Period. Period. End of discussion. It will not happen on our watch.”
D. “I will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon…diplomacy is my preferred path to that end, but all options are on the table.”
E.“All Members of Congress, regardless of party, agree: a nuclear Iran is simply unacceptable. It is a threat to the region, to the United States, and to our allies across the globe…we must all use all the tools at our disposal to stop Iran’s march toward nuclear capability.”
Answers below. Scroll down to see how well you did!
Election 2026
Crucial November Election Down Ballot Races
Terence Collins, ERC member, former ERC board member, and former trustee of the Grosse Pointe Public School System Board of Education, is running for State Board of Education along with Bree Moeggenberg. (See separate article on Terence below.)
Other important University Board candidates include: Julie Maday and state Senator Roger Victory for Michigan State University; Lena Epstein and Michael Schostak for University of Michigan; Andy Anuzis and Christa Murphy for Wayne State University. These races are on the partisan section of your ballot so if you vote straight ticket, you will have voted for these candidates. If not, then you must vote for them individually.
Don’t forget the judges: Michael Warren and Casandra Morse-Bills, candidates for Michigan’s Supreme Court and Sarah Colegrove candidate for Wayne County Probate Judge. And finally, for Grosse Pointe and Harper Woods residents, DO NOT FORGET TO VOTE for JENNY JEUP, current trustee of the Grosse Pointe Public School System Board of Education, running to retain her seat.
Judges and School Board candidates are on the non-partisan section of the ballot, so must be individually selected regardless of voting straight ticket or not.
Erratum by author: Eastside Republican Review, Feb. 2026 edition, “Key 2026 Election” article stated that “The Grosse Pointes are mostly in State House District 2.” This should have read, “The Grosse Pointes are mostly in State House District 10.” The exception is a small portion of Grosse Pointe Woods. (See map at district link above.)
Be informed! Vote your values!
Make a plan to vote: absentee, in-person early, or on Election Day. Vote your entire ballot!
In certain races as noted above, it is recommended to “plunk,” which is voting for less than the number of candidates permitted. For more info on plunking, see article, “The Power of ‘Plunking,’” below.
Note: The Grosse Pointes are mostly in State House District 10. The exception is a small portion of Northwest Grosse Pointe Woods, which is located in State House District 12.
The Power of “Plunking”
What is “plunking”? It is a way to ensure you don’t dilute your vote. You “plunk” by only voting for your favorite candidate(s) in a particular race.
For example, in a competitive race where there are four candidates vying for three spots, voters typically vote for their favorite one or two candidates, and then often cast their third vote for someone they really don’t like as well, but consider in some way to be better than the fourth option.
Remember, a vote is a vote. Every vote is weighted equally—your third vote isn’t counted any less because it’s your third choice.
In fact, the vote you give to your third choice, could very well be the single, winning vote that causes your third-choice candidate to place ahead of your first or second choice—causing them to lose!
Keep in mind that in this scenario of four candidates vying for three spots, the ballot instructions would say, "vote for not more than three”—see, it’s not necessary to vote for three! In fact, you are not throwing a vote away if you vote for less than three, but actually strengthening your support for your candidate(s)! So, if you really want to help your candidates come out on top, “plunk” by voting only for your favorite(s) in a crowded field!
ERC Member Running for Statewide Office
We are pleased to highlight the candidacy of longtime ERC member Terence Collins. Terry is running alongside Bree Moeggenberg for one of the 2 open spots on the Michigan State Board of Education.
Many who attend ERC forums or picnics have already met Terry. His day job is in finance, overseeing billion-dollar financial transactions for one of the Big 3 on a regular basis. His passion is applying his financial and managerial expertise to improving our schools. Please support him any way you can. You can get in touch with him via Facebook at Collins4MISBOE; email at Collins4MISBOE@gmail com; or at his website Collins4MISBOE.com.
Following is more from Terry, describing his path towards running for office:
“My journey into local school board politics began in the spring of 2020, when I realized my local school board and administration had no plan to return students to the classroom in the fall of 2020 due to the COVID lockdown. I watched as local private and parochial schools, as well as schools just across the border in Macomb County, planned to reopen in September 2020 for face-to-face learning. I spent the better part of the next two years fighting to return students to the classroom late in April 2021 and then fighting to remove mask mandates that kept local students masked until February of 2022.
By June of 2022, Grosse Pointe Public Schools had lost 840 students, or 11% of their pre-COVID enrollment, and $9 million in fund equity despite receiving an $8 million COVID cash infusion from the state and federal governments. It was clear that new leadership was required. In January 2023, I was asked to join the Grosse Pointe Schools Finance and Facilities Committee, where I and several other local business people supported the new school board in right-sizing the district’s bloated budget and administration. By October 2023, I was appointed to the School Board, where I served until December of 2024, helping to restore fiscal responsibility to Grosse Pointe Schools and end the triple-digit enrollment losses of the prior three years.
As a member of the State Board of Education, I will be committed to restoring parental transparency and fiscal responsibility to the Michigan Department of Education. Michigan public schools have been on a steady decline over the last 25 years, going from a high of 14th to the current low of 44th in the nation. At the same time, school administration has ballooned by 95%, while the number of teachers has grown only 10%. These trends must stop and be reversed. I will return the focus to reading, writing, and math while ensuring that every tax dollar is spent wisely.”
GP Board of Education Update
The Left’s Domination Continues
Some of you, like me, are old enough to remember when the non-partisan positions on the Grosse Pointe Board of Education (BoE) were actually non-partisan. If you read these newsletters or attend ERC Forums, you know that’s no longer the case. With the brief exception of 2023-2024, the BoE has been dominated for years by activists with political views running the gamut from the left, to the very far left. The result is a BoE majority (led by Colleen Worden, Clint Derringer and Valarie St. John) that long ago abandoned its duties to taxpayers and residents, to instead advance a progressive agenda.
In this November’s election, three seats on the BoE will be open. To fully convey the importance of this election, here’s a summary of changes the progressive bloc has already inflicted, or tried to inflict, upon Grosse Pointe Schools:
While claiming to oppose Schools of Choice, they actually expanded it via GSRP in pre-K, allowing spots in Grosse Pointe school buildings to go to non-residents, ahead of residents who pay for those buildings;
Ran up $4M/year operating deficits, eliminating millions in fund equity;
Fought tooth and nail against fiscal discipline in 2023-2024, then pretended that the balanced budgets that resulted were all their idea;
Publicly lied about Superintendent Dr. Andrea Tuttle’s record, accomplishments and integrity, while taking credit for her results;
Forced out several CFOs due to micromanagement and badgering questions;
Ignored massive amounts of data and resident feedback supporting re-opening Trombly as an elementary school, choosing instead to push a plan for Trombly that’s supported by no data at all;
After campaigning on increased transparency, they reduced transparency by removing BoE emails from the district website and lowering resident participation on committees;
Tried to impose a woke speech code on the BoE, by giving the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center veto power over which groups Trustees could associate with;
Tried to give Beaumont $1M of taxpayer money and room at Grosse Pointe North, for a mental health clinic.
This fall, each BoE candidate will talk about how much they love our students and teachers. But the real differentiator among candidates will be this: do they endorse the woke path that current trustees Colleen Worden, Clint Derringer, and Valarie St. John have the BoE on, or do they take a stand against it?
Commentary
Mainstream Media Fallacies – Part 1,482
You may have noticed the mainstream media has re-discovered the concept of inflation, after ignoring (or at least rationalizing) it for four years during the Biden administration. Recent reporting on the subject provides a good opportunity to examine the skewed approach to economic data common amongst most journalists today.
To start with first principles: if the president is Republican, economic data in a left-leaning source (i.e. NYT, CNN, most news networks, the AP) will be packaged in a way that makes things sound worse than they really are. To be fair, the opposite is also true, if you see the data in a source like Fox or Newsmax.
I think we all know this intuitively, but our friends across the aisle have trouble grasping it. This is why, for example, there is much recent hysteria about rising prices. This is not to say the problem is inconsequential—no one likes rising inflation. The point is that in its panic over inflation, the mainstream media has fallen into easy-to-spot logical traps. Some would call it bias or hypocrisy; though it could very well just be lack of analytical ability.
These logical traps include framing data to support a previously reporting prediction or narrative (confirmation bias). Another is persistent lack of context. This can manifest in harping on one causative factor and ignoring others; or hyperbole—blowing a relatively common outcome out of proportion to make it sound like the end of history.
Let us examine how these fallacies play into recent reporting on inflation. We know that it’s an article of faith among most mainstream media “experts” that Trump’s policies would cause ruinous inflation. They convinced themselves of this by focusing on his tariffs or Middle East policy, while ignoring his dis-inflationary policies (like deregulation, elimination of government waste, removing green energy subsidies, de-stigmatizing fossil fuels, etc.); and also parroting the hyperbolic fiction that Trump, a billionaire businessman, is economically ignorant and uniquely awful.
Thus, every piece of economic data they receive must be wrangled to fit that preconceived narrative. It’s very hard to convince someone, who reads (and believes) the New York Times, that inflation under Trump would not only be lower than under Biden…but it’d be lower by a lot. But that’s what’s happened.
In fact, even if inflation stayed at April’s 3.8% rate for the entire rest of Trump’s term (a very conservative assumption, since the Iran war will end at some point) then Trump’s average inflation rate would still be about 1.5 percentage points below that of the Biden era.
To reinforce this point: for over a year almost every expert in the media proclaimed Trump’s policies would cause runaway inflation. While those same experts spent four years being completely blindsided by Biden’s much higher inflation rates. As Bertrand Russell once said, “Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken.”
Coming Soon…
Republican Victory Center in Grosse Pointe
20778 Mack Avenue, Grosse Pointe Woods
Stay tuned! Grand opening to be announced…
Volunteers Needed!
To sign up, send an email with your name and phone number to: GPRVC @ yahoo.com. You will be notified when a Sign-Up Genius link has been set up and a grand opening date has been announced. Elections are won by the involvement of the grassroots! Michigan thanks YOU!
On the Calendar
Tues. Sept. 15, 7 p.m. - ERC Forum speaker: Scott Budnick, ex-ICE agent and Brian Pannebecker, Auto Workders for Trump
Sat. Sept. 24 - Absentee ballots begin to be mailed out
Fri. Oct. 2, 6-9 p.m. - ERC-PAC Dinner, Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, for tickets and sponsorships, click here
Wed. Oct. 7, 5:30 - 8 p.m. - Community Joiner Fair, The War Memorial, join the ERC at this community event
Tues. Oct. 20, 7 p.m. - ERC Forum: Candidates Forum
Tues. Nov. 3 - General Election - polls open from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Tues. Nov. 17, 7 p.m. - ERC Forum: Patty McMurray, Gateway Pundit
Celebrating America’s 250th
The 24th Annual ERC Family Picnic
…Was a huge success! It was a beautiful, sunny day and a great time appeared to be had by all. Delicious food was prepared by Max Weiner as well as our own members who generously provided side dishes and desserts. In attendance and speaking were many federal, state and local candidates. Way to go candidates! Tudor Dixon graciously donated her time to commence the speeches. We also had a face painter, a yarn craft, and 4th of July memorabilia for the kids.
Pictured: John Goldwater, candidate for State Senate District 12, and family. Captain Mike Bouchard, candidate for U.S. Congress 10th District; Lena Epstein, candidate for U of M Regent; and Michael Schostak, candidate for U of M Regent. Tudor Dixon, gubernatorial candidate 2022 / Fox News contributor and Mike Cox, gubernatorial candidate 2026.
Who Said It?
Middle East Edition
Answers:
A. Hillary Clinton, 9/9/15 at Brookings Institution
B. Kamala Harris, 10/8/24 “60 Minutes Overtime”
C. Joe Biden, 6/28/21 “Politico”
D. Kamala Harris 8/22/24 “Iran International” and “The Forward”
E. Rep. Nancy Pelosi 7/31/13 press release
Opinions expressed in the Eastside Republican Club News & Notes are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the ERC.
Support the ERC by being a Member!
Pay 2026 dues in one of four ways!
1) In person at a Forum;
2) Online at Cheddar Up;
3) Through your own bank’s online Bill Pay service; or
4) Mail to:
Eastside Republican Club
P.O. Box 361025
Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236
For membership levels, click here or view at Cheddar Up.