Monday, November 7, 2016

ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL AT LARGE 2016 ELECTION- NOW WHAT?

x
ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL AT LARGE 2016 ELECTION
x

x
insight and analysis by Gina Burgess
local political analyst public policy wonkette
and independent investigative journalist and commentator
x
x
Follow · 19 hrs 
 
MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL – WITH BUSKIRK’S DEATH, WHO SHOULD YOU VOTE FOR? Republican Roy Buskirk, Republican Bob Armstrong, and Democrat David Roach. Yes, I am asking you to vote for a “dead man” and a wild card Democrat. Folks, I can’t believe I am making this request and I am just as surprised as you. When you hear the reasons why--- those of you who have been paying attention are going to be angry at first, but will be in full agreement of my incredibly unusual endorsements.

I’ve also proposed that the Allen County Republican Party replace Roy Buskirk with current County Councilman Tom Harris – District 2 (NE) and create a County Council District 2 vacancy to be filled by Nathan Hartman.

So why have I endorsed this strange combination of candidates? And why am I proposing a shuffling of candidates out in County Council District 2? The short, succinct answer:

1. To slow down impending UNIGOV-style regional governance;

2. To slow down expansion of Fort Wayne into Allen County in an effort to create a regional city; and

3. To slow down an estimated community expenditure of $1.7 BILLLION to $3.5 BILLION over the next 10 years.

The long answer, or the full detailed reason, is going to require a lot of reading on your part—but I promise, it will be worth it. Just follow these links:

MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL (PART 1): NOW THAT ROY HAS DIED, WHAT HAPPENS?https://www.facebook.com/GinaMBurgess/posts/10210814725629041

MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL (PART 2): WHO SHOULD REPLACE ROY?
https://www.facebook.com/GinaMBurgess/posts/10210814708588615

MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL (PART 3): WHY MY ENDORSEMENTS ARE INFLUENCED BY THE MAKE-UP OF COUNTY COUNCIL?
https://www.facebook.com/GinaMBurgess/posts/10210814628826621

MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL (PART 4): NOW THAT ROY IS GONE—WHO SHOULD YOU VOTE FOR? AND WHY?
https://www.facebook.com/GinaMBurgess/posts/10210814605506038

MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL (PART 5): SOURCES AND NOTES
https://www.facebook.com/GinaMBurgess/posts/10210814596825821
x
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
x
PART ONE:
Gina Burgess
20 hrs
MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL (PART 1): NOW THAT ROY HAS DIED, WHAT HAPPENS? On Thursday, November 3, 2016, I provided my 2016 endorsements for Allen County Council. [1] Those endorsements were for Republican Roy Buskirk, Republican Bob Armstrong, and I left the third spot open. On Friday, November 4, 2016, Roy Buskirk lost his fight to cancer and died. [2] Since Roy’s passing, my inbox has been flooded with questions about what happens now, whose my pick to replace Roy, requests that I withdraw my original endorsement for Roy in light of his passing, requests that I maintain my original endorsement to Roy as a tribute to honor him, and renewed requests that I open my endorsements up and nominate a third. I’ve listened carefully to the pros/cons presented by everyone.
Before I go further, however, there needs to be some “housekeeping.” First, I want to thank EVERYONE who has reached out to me. I tried my best to respond to everyone yesterday from 8 am on November 5th to 8 am November 6th, this morning. I was literally online reading and responding to everyone the best I could for nearly a solid 24 hour period. I wasn’t able to respond to everyone—and I offered my apologies for that. Please know that it wasn’t for lack of trying on my part or lack of importance on your part. It’s just that there were only so many people I could attend to within that 24 hour period. Second, there is no way that everyone is going to be happy with my Modified Endorsement. (And that was a factor in why I stayed up for a 24 hour period.) I ask that everyone be respectful of my posts and more importantly, please be respectful of each other. At the end of the day, no matter who is elected to what position---we are all in this together.
NOW THAT ROY HAS DIED, WHAT HAPPENS?
Nothing really happens at first. Roy’s name will remain on the ballot. It has to. Ballots have already been printed, a significant number of ballots have already been cast due to the interest in this year’s Presidential election, and in all honesty---I believe it’s very likely that Roy has already won this election and is likely the number one GOP vote-getter. I don’t think that is likely to change. Matter of fact, I suspect that the worst case scenario for Roy is that even if everyone stopped voting for him the exact moment he passed until the close of polls on November 8th, 2016 (Election Day)---that he might wind up as the 2nd place finisher in a 3-person race.
Logistically, the Allen County Republican Party can caucus in a replacement for Roy to fulfill the end of his current term, which ends December 31, 2016. Then after the election, hold another caucus to replace Roy for the term starting January 1, 2017 and ending December 31, 2020.
x
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
PART TWO:

Gina Burgess
20 hrs
MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL (PART 2): WHO SHOULD REPLACE ROY? If I had any influence in GOP circles, I would respectfully ask that no replacement be named for the current term, ending December 31, 2016. Let the vacancy remain intact as a symbol honoring the number of years Roy served on the Allen County Council. With all due respect, there are only two meetings left on County Council for this calendar year---and one vote is not going to make or break any upcoming bills that may be in County Council’s pipeline.
With regards to Roy’s replacement for the term starting January 1, 2017 and ending December 31, 2020. If I had any influence in GOP circles, I would respectfully ask that the Allen County Republican Party fill Roy’s spot with current 2nd District County Councilman Tom Harris, which would then create a 2nd District County Council vacancy. I would then propose that Nathan Hartman, who is an associate actuary (pension consultant), fill the 2nd District.
I make these suggestions based on 8 factors:
(1) The replacement has to be a Republican;
(2) No one local Republican can fill Roy’s shoes---and I don’t say that out of any respect for Roy. I say that as an acknowledgement of some basic facts.
(3) Roy was one of 18 elected Republican leaders to speak out against Greater Fort Wayne’s “efforts” to wrangle taxpayer dollars to subsidize massive private development, which pretty much included all the Republicans on City Council and County Council.
(4) Roy was one of the few Republican County Council members to publically speak out against County Government Restructuring. Tom Harris was another one.
(5) Roy Buskirk wanted to set aside part of the County’s existing Rainy Day Fund to pay for any Greater Fort Wayne/Regional Cities Initiative mandates to get ahead of and in replacement of raising taxes.* Of all the County Council members, Tom Harris seems to be the most receptive to that idea. Perhaps once Downtown Bill Brown is off County Council, that idea can be better developed.
(6) Roy publically spoke out against the North IV Annexation. So did Nathan Hartman. Matter of fact, this is one of the reasons that I picked Hartman over Ken Richardson who did not take any public position on the North IV Annexation matter. Please remember folks, that on April 28th of this year, my GOP Primary picks for Allen County Council were, in random order: Roy Buskirk, Nathan Hartman and Ken Richardson. [3] Out of the field of 8 potential candidates, these were the guys I believe to be the most financially responsible and fiscally conservative. It should be noted that had Mark Hagar not made the campaign finance mistakes he did earlier this year, my 2016 May Primary endorsements would have been Buskirk, Hartman and Hagar. Hartman and Hagar are both numbers guys while Ken Richardson is a real estate guy whose attached to UPSTAR Alliance of Realtors, which tends to be a very pro-development group of people. Hagar got hung up on campaign finance nuances and didn’t get them remedied by the time I gave my primary endorsements. He would be someone I would give consideration to if Hartman isn’t able, willing or available. While both of these guys took a public stance against the North IV Annexation, only one paid close enough attention to the details to get his campaign paperwork in order. Also, Hartman as an actuary will naturally tend to be a bit more fiscally conservative than Hagar, but Hagar will be considerably more conservative than Richardson. All three guys are accessible and responsive—Hartman and Hagar more so than Richardson by way of their public position against the North IV Annexation. For more info, please read my 2016 Primary Endorsements. [3]
(7) Roy Buskirk is the most accessible and responsive elected leader in all of Allen County. (And folks, that is not an opinion, that is a fact supported by an academic study that I helped initiate in 2013. The point of the study was to measure the responsiveness of elected officials that control local legislation and local fiscal policy decisions, specifically Allen County Commissioners, Allen County Council and Fort Wayne City Council.) Tom Harris is moderately accessible and responsive (A/R). He is more A/R than fellow Republican Councilmen Bill Brown and Larry Brown, but less A/R than Bob Armstrong. During this year’s May Primary, Nathan Hartman publically demonstrated both his accessibility and his responsiveness by way of his social media accounts and by way of his involvement with the North IV Annexation matter.
(8) There is a reason that County voters have continuously voted for Roy since 2002 and have kept him as their consistent #1 pick. Those voters need to be acknowledge and respected. The only way to do that is to replace Roy with someone with as many qualities as he had, many---but not all—have been noted above. County voters have made it well-known that they are NOT FOR all the “Downtown Development, “ “Riverfront Development,” “Regional Development,” nor the runaway spending associated with all of this so-call unsustainable economic development, which hasn’t created the number of jobs it was supposed to create, and what few jobs were created---the majority weren’t the high-wage paying jobs that we were promised. If these economic development matters were put on a referendum for voters to actually have a say in this matter, it would fail worse than the 2014 County Government Restructuring proposal did. (Folks—why do you think the powers that be WON’T let the matter make it on a referendum for your vote??) In the May, 2016 Primary---GOP insiders along with Republican voters flat out rejected the candidacies of Republicans who had any taint of Downtown remotely associated with them.
x
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
PART THREE:
Gina Burgess
19 hrs
MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL (PART 3): WHY MY ENDORSEMENTS ARE INFLUENCED BY THE MAKE-UP OF COUNTY COUNCIL? Before I give my endorsements, I need to discuss the current and likely future make-up of County Council. No matter who gets elected Tuesday, November 8th---certain members of County Council will remain on County Council. While Fort Wayne City Council all gets replaced at the same time, only half of County Council gets replaced each election cycle. The election cycle goes like this: 2014— 4 County Council District candidates are up for re-election/replacement; 2015 – 9 City Council candidates, District and At-Large, are up for re-election/replacement; and in 2016 – 3 County Council At-Large candidates are up for re-election/replacement.
Currently County Council consists of these 7 individuals: Roy Buskirk (deceased)-At-Large; Bob Armstrong – At-large, Downtown Bill Brown – At-Large; Sharon Tucker – District 1 (SE); Tom Harris – District 2 (NE); Joel Benz – District 3 (NW); and Larry Brown – Distict 4 (SW). [4] All the guys are Republican. Sharon Tucker is the lone Democrat. Downtown Bill Brown decided not to seek re-election. And if he had, I would have felt an increased obligation to enter the 2016 County Council race—I had my forms ready to go and was represented on-site at the Rousseau Center in case of a last minute “change of heart” filing by Downtown Bill Brown.**
So that leaves us with Sharon Tucker, Tom Harris and Joel Benz. Tom Harris is the most financially conservative of this group, so it’s imperative that he stay. Sharon Tucker asks a lot of good questions, but then ignores the answers she receives and rubber stamps abatements, tax increases, and general support for Downtown development. In fairness to Sharon, she doesn’t have much choice. If she doesn’t do these things, Henry Democrats will go shopping for a new candidate. I endorsed Joel Benz in 2014 and, regrettably, he has been a disappointment. I really wish Darren Vogt would get back into the game. Benz is considerably more liberal in his fiscal policies that Vogt.
Roy is likely to get re-elected and despite my suggestions outlined above, the Steve Shine led GOP is very likely to replace fiscally-conservative Buskirk with a wheel-and-deal liberal spender. But undoubtedly, it will be someone with name recognition and the ability to MASQUERADE as a fiscal conservative.
Mitch Harper is likely to be a top consideration. If he loses his bid to become a member of FWCS Board (and please let there be a God that can make that happen), then Tom “Let’s tear down the largest pre-existing but underutilized parking garage in all of downtown and replace it with an even bigger parking garage” Smith is another likely choice. (Also known as Tom “I’m Just Like You Only Prettier” Smith.) Ron Turpin, the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Greater Fort Wayne---the agency that wants to spend $645 million over the next 10 years, essentially wiping out what’s left of the Legacy Fund as well as the Regional Cities nitiative “Grant”. (Folks, its not a grant---its your taxdollars.) It should be noted that both Smith and Turpin are part of Riverfront Fort Wayne. Jeremy Bush, the current President of the local Firefighters Union, may also be a consideration in light FWFD’s desire to take over TRAA’s ambulance service, which will expand the City’s reach into the County in a way similar to Fort Wayne City Utilities did with the residential housing in the proposed North IV Annexation area. (I had hoped to discuss that more this past Friday, but that discuss gave way to news of Roy Buskirk’s death.)
Rounding out the list of likely contenders includes former County Councilman Kevin Howell, who became a full-time staffer for Marlin Stutzman. Effective December 31, 2016, Howell is likely to be out of a job since Stutzman lost his Senate race in May and will be replaced by Jim Banks (R), Pepper Snyder (L), or Tommy Schrader (D). Less likely contenders include Eric Tippmann (if he loses in the 2016 General Election bid), Mark Hagar, business owner, and Ken Richardson, business owner and a 2014 Board of Director member for UPSTAR Alliance of Realtors, as discussed earlier.
Finally, we could also find ourselves cursed with a January surprise in the form of the can’t-wait-to-spend-more-taxpayer-dollar antics of Downtown Bill Brown. Think it can’t happen? Or maybe you’re thinking “Surely, Downtown Bill Brown wouldn’t vacate a position, not run for re-election, only to come back again? That doesn’t really make any sense??” I have two words for you---Win Moses. (And as a public disclaimer, I adore Win, but I’m going to call a spade a spade here.)
If we assume that fiscally conservative Roy Buskirk will be replaced with a pro-“development”, wheel-and-deal, liberal-spending Republican cheerleader from the “Make Downtown Great Again” club (with “Downtown Bill Brown,” Mitch Harper, and Ron Turpin being the most obvious choices), that means we have lost a fiscally conservative and gained a liberal spender. This means the new make-up of County Council will be:
LIBERAL SPENDER: Someone from the “Make Downtown Great Again” club. (Roy Buskirk’s replacement)
LIBERAL SPENDER: Sharon Tucker, the Henry-backed Democrat who has to vote for LIBERAL SPENDING to keep her position.
LIBERAL SPENDER: Joel Benz, who leans waaaaaay more fiscal liberal than his predecessor Darren Vogt, who was a moderate, and has consistently voted with LIBERAL SPENDERS Downtown Bill Brown and Sharon Tucker.
LIBERAL SPENDER: Larry “I’m Not Downtown Bill Brown but I Wanna Be” Brown, who has consistently voted with LIBERAL SPENDERS Downtown Bill Brown, Sharon Tucker, and Joel Benz.
MODERATE SPENDER: Tom Harris, he periodically breaks from the LIBERAL SPENDING “Make Downtown Great Again” club to vote with Roy Buskirk.
MODERATE SPENDER: Bob Armstrong, he periodically breaks from the LIBERAL SPENDING “Make Downtown Great Again” club to vote with Roy Buskirk. I’m really hoping Bob stretches politically here and take a more aggressive leadership position than he has in the past on County Council. I see the potential in him and don’t understand what is holding him back.
UNKNOWN: This is the position totally up in the air.
x
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
PART FOUR:
Gina Burgess
20 hrs
MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL (PART 4): NOW THAT ROY IS GONE—WHO SHOULD YOU VOTE FOR? AND WHY? Before I give my endorsements, I need to first remind everyone that about 30% to 50% of you are not going to be happy no matter who I endorse. Please be respectful of me. More importantly---Please, please, p-l-e-a-s-e be respectful and kind to one another. Your votes should be for Roy Buskirk (yes, the dead man), Bob Armstrong, and David Roach.
Folks—let’s please continue to bear in mind that Roy has likely already won his race. And that is a very likely reality that has to be considered. Any votes cast for him after his death are tribute votes honoring Roy and his years of service. Interestingly, I am not advocating you vote for Roy as a matter of tribute. I’m asking you to vote for Roy to make all the votes already cast meaningful. You see, even though Roy is gone---it will be interesting to see how much an impact the change of an impact the early voting locations and new rule change will have on the ACGOP’s consistent top County Council vote getter. Even though Roy is gone, votes cast for him still serve a purpose and that purpose is to help measure the political playing field for County races. Did these changes level the playing field making the political arena more egalitarian or is the playing field still significantly tilted in favor of the GOP County Council candidates. That’s an interesting question and one that can only be answered if everyone would vote for Roy as if he’s still alive.****
With Roy likely to be replaced with a liberal spender from “Make Downtown Great Again” club, that replacement reduces the number of true fiscal conservatives, or Conservative Spenders, to zero (0).
Given the number of joint-commissions, task forces, boards, etc. shared between the City and the County and the number of seriously expensive projects facing our community--- an estimated $1.7 BILLION to an estimated $3.5 BILLLION***--and that County Council is dominated by Liberal Spenders, all of whom belong or are heavily influenced by the “Make Downtown Great Again” club, a Fiscal Conservative is desperately needed.
Our choices for this last lone spot is one of the following four candidates: Republican Eric Tippmann, Democrat Palermo Galindo, Democrat Morrison Agen, and Democrat David Roach. Eric Tippmann is financed by Chuck Surack (Mr. Let’s Build A New Arena Downtown—wait, it’s not an Arena; it’s an expansion of the Grand Wayne Center---ooops, my bad, it’s an Arena??). Democrats Palermo Galindo and Morrison Agen are heavily financed by Henry Democrats.
And all three of these candidates are backed by the local Greater Fort Wayne Business Pac and/or the Indianapolis-based Indiana Realtors PAC. The GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Pac is currently completely funded by…..(drum roll please)….Greater Fort Wayne. That’s right, the folks who are proposing the community expenditure of $650 million dollars over the course of the next 10 years. Interestingly, they had their first “town hall” style meeting on the same day that Roy Buskirk died. (How eerily creepy is that??) The Indiana Realtors PAC only funds candidates who are interested in spending money on real estate. Spending money on real estate in combination with a $650 directive from Greater Fort Wayne---yeah, what could POSSIBLY go wrong there? (sarcasm)
All three of these candidates are pro-UNIGOV. Oh, they won’t admit that in a way that is obvious. Well, Democrats Palermo Galindo and Morrison Agen weren’t obvious. But Republican Eric Tippmann hilariously tripped over himself: “….Tippmann believes there may be overlap in economic development groups partially funded by the county, such as Greater Fort Wayne Inc. and the Downtown Improvement District. He would also seek other EFFICIENCIES IN THE COUNTY’S BUDGET AND OPERATION and believes the widespread respect and success enjoyed by Sweetwater Sound shows what Allen County is capable of…..” [7]
Efficiencies in local government. Hhmmm….now where have we heard that before? That would be from the Republicans on Fort Wayne City Council---as headed up by Russ Jehl and Michael Barranda. [8][9]
Hilariously---Tippmann really, REALLY messed up here. And in fairness to Tippman, it’s pretty clear that he either didn’t study the talking points OR no one from the Democratic Henry Administration gave him the talking points OR no one from the Eric Doden-lead Republican-supported Greater Fort Wayne gave Tippmann the talking points. (Btw, I would love, LOVE, L-O-V-E to be a fly on that wall when these guys start blaming each other….ROFLMAO!!) Folks--Efficiency studies aren’t used with budgets. Audits are used with budgets. Efficiency studies are used to determine whether operational needs, specifically whether all personnel are needed or not. [8][9]
Now, I wonder why the County and the City are BOTH looking at whether personnel are needed or not? Because there are behind-the-scenes plans in play to covertly resurrect County Government Restructuring to create a UniGov style “regional city.” To do this, they are going to have to get rid of “redundant” staff who are “disposable.” (Now made significantly easier without the City being tied up with collective bargaining matters.) They are also going to have to expand additional City services out into the County to help justify the “need” for UniGov---like FWFD’s take over of the County’s EMS services?? And they are also going to have to increase the size of Fort Wayne’s population to pay for all of this? Enter the failed North IV Annexation, the proposed SW Annexation, and let us not forget Chuck Surack/Sweetwater Sound backed “Road to One Million”--- all designed to increase Fort Wayne’s geography (for property taxes, water/sewage increases, utility fees, etc) and population (for additional income taxes from CEDIT, COIT, LOIT, LOIT-Public Safety, etc as well as population-driven taxes, like Fort Wayne’s newly created Wheel Tax).
So, to recap---of the four political contenders remaining on the ballot --- Eric Tippmann, Palermo Galindo, Morrison Agen, and wild card David Roach, the only one NOT FUNDED by the “Make Downtown Great Again” club, the local political establishment, and/or anyone who might have something to gain financially from the estimated $1.7 to $3.5 BILLION dollars being spent in our community over the course of the next 10 years (i.e. real estate developers, construction trades, construction supply, bank financing, municipal bond providers, insurance companies, political party patronages, etc.) is the wild card---David Roach.
Interestingly, given all that is at stake, Roach will be a good choice for another reason too. He is going to be the wild card that is most likely to ask all the questions at County Council meetings that all the other Councilmen will try to avoid. It’s in his nature. He won’t be able to help himself. He will literally end up being the spotlight that scatters the roaches. This is poetic irony at its finest.
Another interesting thing about Roach is that he is really good at "following the money trail." Perhaps even better than me. Sadly, that skill often gets lost because Roach's writing style is significantly differe then mine--offering fewer facts and less clarity. Perhaps, should he be elected, he will work on to improve communications so as to help everyone understand where all the money is going.
x
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
X
PART FIVE:
MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL (PART 5): SOURCES AND NOTES
X
Gina Burgess
20 hrs
MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL (PART 5): SOURCES AND NOTES
NOTES:
* I’m betting that some folks in County Government and local political establishment thought I wasn’t paying attention to what is going on over there. Sincerely, with all due respect, how could I not pay attention or why would I not pay attention? I know that certain individuals are looking for back door methods to push county restructuring and local government consolidation efforts. Let this be a lesson---Don’t mistake my silence on something as me not paying attention. ;-)
**Despite reservations and my public declaration that I wouldn’t compete in the 2016 Allen County Council race, the only thing that would have caused me to reconsider entering this race would have been if Downtown Bill Brown would have decided to stay. This was due to two things:
First, Brown’s continued advocacy for downtown development project that were directly responsible for tax increases; Brown’s advocacy on behalf of companies that would come forth to County Council seeking abatements and then turn around and admit that the abatements weren’t really necessary---Brown would rally other County Council members to go ahead and give the abatement, even when some members of County Council expressed a reluctance to do so; and Brown’s continued advocacy for “investment” of taxpayer-financed subsidies for the public and allegedly “non-profit organizations” of DID/Downtown Development Trust, Greater Fort Wayne, Northeast Indiana Regional Part, as well continued support for the Capital Improvement Board.
Second, I was approached by individuals who were willing to practically run by County Council campaign for me. They had donors and volunteers lined up, a sound campaign strategy in place, and not realizing I was already keeping up on County Council—had information packets ready to go to bring me up to speed on current events. None of them, nor I, knew about all the changes that were going to take place this 2016 election season, such as early voting for County Elections taking place at the public libraries (which tend to lean Democrat) and the requirement that people now have to vote specifically for At-Large candidates (that voting straight party no longer equates to automatic straight party votes for At-Large positions). Those changes leveled the playing field and leveling of the playing field would have given me a significant advantage over the other Democratic County Council candidates, given my current political brand, pedigree and a vetting process that has been nearly continuous since 2011.
Because my campaign team had just come off of the 2015 campaign trail and because the playing field as I knew it at the time of these discussions was tilted to the advantage of Republican County Council candidates, I couldn’t in good faith enter the 2016 County Council race. My compromise to these individuals was that if Downtown Bill Brown changed his mind, then so would I. To those individuals---Thank you for the opportunity and the confidence you placed in me. As I’ve said before, but will say again, my apologies for not taking you up on the offer and yes, I regret the decision not to participate—especially in light of Roy’s passing.
*** The anticipated $1.7 BILLION to $3.5 BILLION estimated price tag comes to be spent over the next 10 years, as follows: $650 million for Greater Fort Wayne’s “Make Downtown Great Again” proposal, $130 million for RepairFWCS Phase 2 (noting that $119 million RepairFWC Phase 1 is still being paid on and that a Phase 3 is likely on the horizon for 2020 for an estimated $130 million and Phase 4 is likely to follow in 2024 for an estimated $130 million---that would be a total of $510 million dollars, as in the $500 million originally proposed and rejected in 2007 plus an additional $10 million dollars for debt service or other FWCS “investments” not discussed in 2007), $500 million to $1.9 billion EPA federally mandated sewage tunnel project (promoted as only costing $250 million, which was very likely under bid---so we have to double the bid to get a more accurate cost and then take into consideration just how much it cost Indy when they did the same project, especially since Fort Wayne is utilizing the same plans, contractors and oversight. [5][6]).
****Personally, I’ve found the early voting polling locations of Democratic public libraries an odd choice for the GOP-dominated County government structure (i.e. County Commissioners, County Council, etc) and the GOP-dominated Allen County Election Board, which is led by GOP Chair Steve Shine’s law partner, Tom Hardin. In a year when former Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who is heavily supported by the GOP establishment and the financiers who back the local GOP establishment, is running to become Vice President of the United States, why would the local GOP “level the playing field?” Isn’t that inviting more votes for the competitors of Trump-Pence? Of all years to “level the playing” field, why this year? If I’m part of ACGOP---I wouldn’t be leveling the playing field for the ACDP? Not in a year when my man Pence has a shot at US VP? Does this make sense to anyone?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)