MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL

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MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL 
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GINA BURGESS- LOCAL POLITICAL ANALYST PUBLIC POLICY WONKETTE INDEPENDENT COMMENTATOR/JOURNALIST/RESEARCHER
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 social media page:
https://www.facebook.com/GinaMBurgess?fref=nf
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https://www.facebook.com/GinaMBurgess/posts/10210814605506038
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THE SHORT VERSION
"FOLLOW THE MONEY"
WHO WILL BENEFIT AND WHO WILL PAY FOR IT?
IS IT THE "FREE-MARKET;FREE ENTERPRISE; CAPITALIST SOLUTION- PRIVATE SECTOR FUNDED AND PROFIT SHARING WITH THE PUBLIC IN TAXES REVENUES

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in parts:/chapter one-two three four five
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10210814744949524&set=a.1512152488599.66075.1378001731&type=3&permPage=1
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CHAPTER ONE:
 MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL (PART 1): NOW THAT ROY HAS DIED, WHAT HAPPENS?https://www.facebook.com/GinaMBurgess/posts/10210814725629041
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CHAPTER TWO:
MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL (PART 2): WHO SHOULD REPLACE ROY?
https://www.facebook.com/GinaMBurgess/posts/10210814708588615 

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CHAPTER THREE:
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 

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CHAPTER FOUR:
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 

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CHAPTER FIVE:
MODIFIED 2016 ENDORSEMENTS FOR ALLEN COUNTY COUNCIL (PART 5): SOURCES AND NOTES
https://www.facebook.com/GinaMBurgess/posts/10210814596825821

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Gina Burgess

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:

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THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
X attribution- Gina Burgess

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.