love where you live!™ - Bay City, MI’s Immigration Debate: Public Safety, Fear Politics, and the Mayor’s Veto with 7th Ward City Commissioner, Chris Runberg

Bay City, MI’s Immigration Debate: Public Safety, Fear Politics, and the Mayor’s Veto with 7th Ward City Commissioner, Chris Runberg

Explicit content warning

03/30/25 • 40 min

Bay City is tucked into the curve of Michigan’s Thumb, nestled along the shores of Lake Huron. Its people like to pride themselves on being a welcoming community, a place where neighbors help neighbors and public safety is built on trust, not fear. Its tagline is “A Beautiful View of Life.” But only if you “fit in,” apparently. Recent events at City Hall have tested its identity.

On March 17, the Bay City Commission narrowly passed the Resolution Affirming Bay City's Commitment to Local Public Safety Priorities and Jurisdictional Integrity—5-4—that sought to reaffirm that local law enforcement should focus on protecting and serving Bay City, not being pulled into federal immigration enforcement that has taken over the nation. It was a simple, straightforward commitment to public safety.

Then came the mayor’s veto.
Today, we talk with Chris Runberg, Bay City's 7th Ward Commission and author of the Resolution, on his feelings about the public response to the Resolution and the mayor's veto. Along with the question that all of us should be asking ourselves regardless of where we live: Do we want to be a city that leads with fear, or a city that leads with integrity?
Podcast Show Notes

Link to Resolution Affirming Bay City’s Commitment to Local Public Safety Priorities and Jurisdictional Integrity.

PULSE of the Great Lakes article

Chris' Substack Political Neophyte Goes to City Hall

Email Chris: [email protected]

Chris' Facebook

Article: What basic rights do people have if ICE stops them? A lawyer explains

This podcast may contain adult language or sensitive topics and may be triggering to some. Please take this into consideration before listening.
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Link to Resolution Affirming Bay City’s Commitment to Local Public Safety Priorities and Jurisdictional Integrity.

PULSE of the Great Lakes article

Chris' Substack Political Neophyte Goes to City Hall

Email Chris: [email protected]

Chris' Facebook

Article: What basic rights do people have if ICE stops them? A lawyer explains

To make a tax deductable donation to our various initiatives to help Empower Great Lakers, please visit lovewhereyoulivefoundation.org/donate.

Previous Episode

Reconciliation and Healing of Michigan's Indigenous Peoples: Episode 3

We continue our powerful journey of truth, reconciliation, and healing with survivors of the Indigenous boarding school The Holy Childhood School of Jesus in Harbor Springs. Through their courageous narratives, we confront the difficult truths of abuse, torment, and the unsettling realities concealed in unmarked graves and beneath paved roads.

This isn't a podcast about seeking revenge or assigning blame. Instead, it serves as a platform to witness the resilience and strength of our Native brothers and sisters. For those of us who are descendants of white assimilation, we must pause and acknowledge the historical atrocities committed by our ancestors.

This journey goes beyond notions of "white guilt" or superficial apologies. It's about actively listening to and understanding the truths of our Native communities, striving to reconcile the past and actively participate in the healing of intergenerational trauma. It calls for a commitment to truth, understanding, and empathy.

This is Episode 2 of many to come where you will hear the unfiltered truths and conversations from the survivors. In this podcast, you'll directly hear from Marilyn St. Ange Wakefield, Linda Cobe, Cora Googan, Kim Fyke. These are their truths; unfiltered and unmediated.

Through the medium of podcasts and the written word, we aim to amplify the voices of survivors; sharing their truths and accompanying them on their healing journey toward a shared, unified future. Join us in engaging in open dialogue, amplifying Indigenous voices, and supporting initiatives that address systemic challenges. Together, we contribute to a collective journey of reconciliation, fostering a future of healing and cultural revival—central tenets of our shared national narrative of autonomy and democracy.
Resources for this Podcast
We are working on a documentary to further empower the voices of Holy Childhood School of Jesus Indigenous Boardinig School Survivors. To make a tax deductable donation to help support this project, please visit shoplivelovelocalmi.com/donate.
To purchase Linda's book "Red, White & Blues" visit shoplivelovelocalmi.com/books. Linda is offering free shipping and an autographed copy.

To make a tax deductable donation to our various initiatives to help Empower Great Lakers, please visit lovewhereyoulivefoundation.org/donate.