"All politics is local," was used by Congressman Tip O'Neil who began his political career as a member of the MA House in 1936 and O'Neil used it again in the '82 campaign in the November general election when it was found his GOP challenger had gotten significant donations from Texas. At the local and county level, it seems important these days to let voters know you are pro-life if you are running for office as a Republican. Why is that important for township, village, city and county issues, unless its there to establish that fact so voters remember when those holding local office decide to run for state legislative office? This year our Allegan County Prosecutor, running for her first full term, felt she had to list memberships to show she was pro-life. I’m interested in a County Prosecutor who knows and prosecutes cases based on written local and state law. There has been "outside money" going to Congressional and U.S. Senate races since the late 1960s. After the Citizens United decision, the floodgates for political cash opened for a lot of state legislative campaigns and it's difficult to follow the money. That's because you or I can send an unlimited amount to the 501(c) (4) of our choice and remain anonymous. Our donations becomes "dark money" the 501(c) (4) can then spend on "interest ads" on TV, radio and mailers. The 501(c) (4) has to state how much they spend for a particular candidate's "interest” on a particular issue Current election laws allow individuals to make "dark money" donations to 501(c) (4)s such as Americans for Prosperity and Michigan Conservative Values. I bring up those two because both participated in supporting candidates in the recent primary by sending out glossy mailers on behalf of Steve Johnson and Aric Nesbitt, respectively. Americans for Prosperity sent out a glossy flyer asking people to support Steve Johnson because he wants to protect Michigan voters covered by insurance from government bureaucracy. Never really explained what we are to be protected from except rolling back No-Fault Insurance. In my experience over the last five years with several hospitalizations, the bureaucracy already exists. Its with whatever health care insurance company you select. Successful GOP candidate for State Senate Aric Nesbitt had backers with deep pockets. My neighbor and myself received at least three to four glossy four-color pieces with multiple photos of the candidate and several times with photos of President Trump, too. Many of the campaign pieces were not sent by the Nesbitt campaign. They were sent by a group called Michigan Conservative Values. The 501(c) (4) has an address. It's in an East Lansing strip mall east of MSU’s campus that also has a UPS store, a dry cleaner and a few other businesses. For all I know Michigan Conservative Values was a 501(c) (4) set up specifically to support Mr. Nesbitt’s campaign. Why is Americans for Prosperity investing thousands of dollars on the behalf of a MI state representative to promote his re-election? More importantly, who is behind Michigan Conservative Values and what other candidates if any did they support like that group supported Aric Nesbitt? When groups like that are spending big money on State House and State Senate races the façade of “local politics” is gone. The bigger question in my mind is whose interests are being represented in Lansing? The voters on those districts or the nameless, faceless donors to the 501(c) (4)s and those running those organizations? And so it goes.