Media
“Meet the Candidate”
Fundraiser
February 4, 2010
Speech
As a husband and father I know how to say ‘NO’.
The ‘NO’ is the easy part; it’s the “but why Daddy” or the “why not dear” that gets to be tricky.
My wife, my children, the general public, you the working men and women, don’t buy into the answer “because I said so, that’s why!”
‘NO’ is not and idea!
‘NO’ is not a solution!
We have a lot of challenges facing us today from the recession, to a changing economy, to a growing county.
These challenges we face today must have solutions that reach beyond today and even tomorrow; we must find solutions that create a sustainable and balanced growth for generations to come; just as the steel industry did in the past.
As we have struggled through these tough economic times, I’ve looked around, and I believe the reason that you all are here today, is because you have looked around also and together we’ve noticed something, something is missing…something has been absent.
What’s been absent is…new ideas, alternative solutions, and an answer that goes beyond ‘NO’.
What’s been absent is…real leadership!
What’s been absent is…true representation in the 2nd District!
What’s been absent is…a Voice of Reason on the Porter County Council
So I say ‘YES’, Yes we can succeed if we work together!
I believe it was Ronald Reagan or Brendan Clancy, one of the two, who said “If not now, when? If not us, who?”
The time has come that we begin to move forward towards a common vision.
Porter County is a growing and Changing County. Growth is an inevitable and important part of our future; it is something that should be embraced, not feared. If the economy is not growing people aren’t working and the unemployment and crime rate will be the only thing that will grow… in place of opportunities.
We all hear the buzz phrases: smart growth, sustained growth, planned growth, no growth.
I believe the proper approach is a balanced and sustainable growth. One that protects our quality of life; preserves green space, protect our neighborhoods, create jobs, and keeps taxes low.
Speaking of Taxes, let’s clarify this right now. YES, I support the property tax caps. Homeownership is one of the cornerstones of our economy and when we begin to tax folks out of there homes or hold a young family back from their dreams, there is something fundamentally wrong with the system and it must be corrected. The tax caps that have been put into law by our legislators are a step in the right direction.
Take our seniors for instance, their income is capped once they retire, how can they afford endless property taxes increases. Retirees should spend their time enjoying the fruits of their labor, not spend their pensions trying to hold on to their homes.
Entrepreneurship, business is another cornerstone of a strong economy. We should attract businesses, which in turn creates jobs. We should attract them with strong schools, safe communities, low taxes, accessibility, a well maintained infrastructure, and a well educated and trained workforce.
Education, another cornerstone (the most important of all building blocks) is essential to creating a balanced and sustainable economy. We have a perfect opportunity right here in downtown Portage to put our priorities in order at the County by cooperating with the City of Portage in helping them get their long overdue downtown higher learning center built. This educational facility will serve as an anchor for future downtown development. It will help provide educational opportunities at the high school equivalency level, university level, and job training opportunities as we begin to not only train our young for emerging economies, but also retrain our current workforce for a shifting economy.
Pardon my metaphors with the cornerstones, but I am a Mason and what we must truly do is build…build a safe and prosperous tomorrow, and build a future in which not only our children, but our grandchildren will be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor.
Talking with a good friend of mine recently he said to me “Jeremy, if the founding fathers of Portage didn’t have a vision for a small city over 40yrs ago, we wouldn’t be celebrating the quality of life that we have access to here today.
On July 26, 1967, just a little over a year after the Portage Park and Recreation Department was formed, the Park Board purchased a 60 acre piece of property, which today is now know as Woodland Park.
Today, thanks to that vision, the Portage Parks department has eleven parks throughout the community including the recently opened Portage Lakefront Park which was home to over 80,000 visitors in its first year open.
This Lakefront Park was part of another vision introduced in 1985 by a good friend of all of ours, United States Congressman Pete Visclosky. This Vision is known today as the Marquette Greenway Plan.
We must see past today, beyond tomorrow, and envision what it is we are leaving the next generation.
We must break down the walls, set aside our differences, and find common ground in which we can begin to move forward in building that safe and prosperous future in which we all desire.
Together we can Succeed, but together, we must first begin to envision our future.
Together we can Succeed, but together, we must first begin to communicate.
Together we can Succeed, but together, we must first begin to work.
I have continually said “this will be a campaign of shared ideas working towards a common vision.”
I am now saying, “As your Porter County Councilman, I will lead on the idea that everyone’s input matters as we move forward together and work towards that common vision.”
Let me begin to leave you with a quote from Teddy Roosevelt “The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.”
As a Local 4 Union Official, I have had the opportunity to negotiate a contract. And anyone else who has every sat through some sort of negotiation, knows the most important part of resolving an issue and moving forward is to be at the table; to have a seat, to communicate…to have a voice.
When we walk away from the table or never even sit down or never open our minds, who wins? No one, nobody…that’s who wins.
When I am elected, as your Porter County Councilman, I will be at the table working to solve the challenges we face today, tomorrow, and beyond.
I will communicate with my constituents, other elected officials, and business and community leaders.
I will work together with others towards a common vision for future generations.
I will be your voice of reason on the Porter County Council.
So I say YES, Together…We will Succeed!
Thank you all again for coming tonight and God Bless.
