O.K. I will start this one LOL


I just read the article with Mike McElroy and his vision of being Mayor.  I really don't disagree with anything he said but I do question why he now feels its important after spending his time on council with no action.  I am not convinced that anything will change under his leadership other than I would speculate his passing of the liquor comish. will go to someone close to him.  I just don't have the confidence Mr. McElroy would do anything any different than what has been done on the council which in my opinion has been go with the Chamber flow.  For myself I want someone who will demand action from members of the council not someone who just wants a shorter meeting about what?  stuff that's not going to get done anyway?  I really think that was a poorly thought out statement.  I would like to know what has been discussed that's never going to happen currently.  People may not like Mr. Daniels because of the Change Decatur stuff  but I think he understands the importance of JOB CREATION.  I don't think we have had any transparency within our system for several years and I don't have faith that with McElroy as Mayor anything can change.  Unless JOBS are created nothing can or will move forward unless taxes are raised again which could completely devastate the allure of the city. 

Well now that I know what direction I am leaning towards for the Mayor I need to examine the council persons ideas.  So far I like the way  Mr. Caulkins is handling the neighborhood issues and I respect the fact that he demands more action and less lip service.  I will continue to listen and look forward to the forum tonight at the Civic Center.

Not to sound too flippant, but Mike McElroy is bound by reality, and Steve Daniels isn't. A big part of Daniel's “Decatur is not growth-friendly” line is based on his assertion that Decatur's aggregate tax rate is incredibly high...That may be true, but if he really wanted to do something about it, he'd be better off running for the County Board, or Decatur Township Board, or the School Board. If his goal is reducing aggregate taxes. Running for Mayor, or even city council in the City of Decatur should be fairly far down the list of offices to hold.

Doug, I agree with you on McElroy.  Matthew, don't have a heart attack, but I'm leaning towards Daniels too.  I don't see anything changing under McElroy.  What is his vision for the community?  What new ideas has he proposed?  I haven't heard anything constructive out of him, or any of the Chamber candidates yet, for that matter.  Poopooing everyone else's ideas isn't terribly impressive, when you have no ideas of your own to counter them with.  Most meetings, McElroy sits rubbing his head and looks bored or agitated.   Well some meetings are boring and others agitating, but that comes with the job.  He just doesn't seem like a very energetic person.   I'm sure he's a nice person and I have nothing against him personally, but what has he done as a council member that impressive?  He might be "bound by reality" but he's also bound by "same ol' same ol'".

Kris

Kris! I'm fribulating! But I'm glad we're talking about it. Without a doubt, McElroy needs to have a good night tonight. As a council member, he's responsive to the public, and he takes his duty seriously. It's not dramatic, but he does his homework on council items before issues appear on the calendar. By the time an issue appears, he's ready for “closing arguments”, and to cast his vote....No fanfare, no press release, no cameras required! It's no secret - he does not mask his irritation with the "grandstander's" very well...When your elected to do check your ego at the door and do the people's work, can you blame him? I can't. This is what I think after watching him in action for these past few years.

I've worn this quote out, but it fits. Mario Cuomo once said, "You campaign in poetry, and you govern in prose". McElroy is not a poet, and Daniels is nothing but one.

Are you going tonight, Kris?  Maybe we can finally meet in person!

So the "reality" is not having any plan to bring in business and to start training our small childeren to stay and suffer in the lack of jobs thats needed to raise a family?  I don't buy into that.  If you can show me one issue that Mr. McElroy has addressed and changed as a council member I may be persuaded to change my mind but till then got to go with the long shot.  Maybe tonight I can hear some Ideas Mr. McElroy has on Job Growth and be persuaded to lean the other way.   I know its hard to bring new business into this area but I will not vote for someone who is already defeated and will wait and take what ever comes along.  In his article he talks about long council meetings because they talk about stuff that will never happen I would like to know just what are those things?  He talks of the budget but he didn't have any problems spending it while on council.  If I remember right Caulkins was the only one who threw up flags on the over cost of building the brick road. I know they were past the point of no return but the only person it bothered was Caulkins and for that I would trust him with my tax dollars more than anyone else on the present council. I think the city should also pay back the citizens for spending road funds for the water park that never happened.  This is where I think you (Matt) would be extremely good. I don't think you would of put the cart before the horse which is what I think happened here.   

Maybe I don't have enough facts but for what I know right now its time for a different style leadership.  Think of it as a 2 year study which is much shorter than the Water problem studies and will be shorter than the new police station studies because without Jobs we don't need either.  In the end a City Mgr. will make the decisions it should be the Councils job to tell them what the people want at least thats how I thought it worked.

A question I have is how come when we had Firestone, Cash Valve, Zexel, and Burks Pumps water was never an issue now that we don't have the extra industry jobs its a must have?  Who really wants the new lake the City or certain Developers?

Matthew,  I don't know if I'll get a chance to go tonight or not.  My husband is always out trying to get new business after work, and I'm home with the kids.  My youngest is getting over pneumonia too.  He added a few more gray hairs to my head, as I rushed him to the hospital last week.  He's doing much better now though. 

Is the forum going to be on the radio?  I hope so, if I can't make it.

I hear ya on McElroy.  I think he's a no-nonsense kind of guy.  He's not dramatic.  He's not a showboat.  I think he has a level head and would keep the meetings focused and in order.  If he wows me tonight, I could change my mind.  I'd just like to hear some ideas from the Chamber side.  b.t.w.:  I hate labeling candidates like that.  At any rate, I don't know what he's thinking about Decatur.  I don't know what he wants to do. 

Doug, I like your comparison to a "two year study".  LOL  I was kind of thinking along the same terms.  I wish all of our elected officials only served for two years.  A lot of city councils are set up that way. 

Well, you've hit on what I consider Daniel's best strategy: Campaigning on the “Two year test-drive” platform. Reluctant as I am to say it, and as much of a mistake I personally think it would be, if he wants to get elected, that's the direction he should take. Lol – Now if I'm lucky he or some pf his “not-affiliated-with-Change-Decatur” handlers will read this, decide that since I said it, it must be 100% wrong, and they'll do exactly the opposite...

 

As far as Caulkins goes, what has he accomplished? Demonstrating time and time again he doesn't understand TIF's? The “brick road” comes from the “must-be-spent-on-downtown-and west-main/Old-Towne-fund”, not the general fund? He's not been able to do anything about the nonexistent road to the water park (Frankly, Shad Edwards has been pursuing that issue more doggedly than anyone else). Caulkins spent thousands and thousands of dollars in “expenses” like paid lunches and trips to Japan that provide nothing of tangible value to this community. He expects us taxpayers to pay his personal legal bills when as a council member he blunders into conflicts of interest. Then as we saw just last night, he's happy to stiff one of our regular contractors that underestimated a job by a few thousand dollars. Congratulations! The message sent last night was loud and clear: Contractors and consultants who want to avoid being stiffed by the Decatur City Council better pad their bids. It's a naive way for the council to conduct business, but hey, if that's the way they want to do it, it's certainly up to them. From the consultant/bidder's point of view, they'll put slightly different language in the contracts, change their numbers a little, and they'll still make money. That's the reality of it. Huzzah.

 

Caulkins has rushed into massive mis-votes that if hadn't been caught and corrected would've cost us all millions of dollars. As a matter of character, he argues and votes against construction projects, then elbows out supporters very groundbreaking ceremonies - to be sure to get his picture in the news paper (“I was against it before I was for it”?).

 

Look, being “the people's watchdog” is fine, but surely the same rules should apply to everyone. As I've watched over the years, I've noticed Caulkins has a tendency to applying one set of rules to himself and those on his buddy list when there are no cameras around, another set of rules to those who are not on his buddy list when there are no cameras around, and a third set of rules when anyone is around and the cameras are on.

 

You may like the guy, and you may think he does a good job. If you do, by all means vote for him – as long as you spend one of your two remaining votes writing in that Matthew Jackson guy! (Yes, shameless self-promotion...Just write my name on the line, then fill in the oval)

 

As for me, I think we can do better, and I while I don't know who I will be voting for, I do know it won't be for Caulkins....He's had his test drive.

 

 

OK, well, I'm off to the Civic Center. They've asked the candidate to get there at 5pm to get ready....

Ahhhh Matt this is you, man; behind the computer. well said.



Like I said earlier to Mr. Daniels  I don't care who likes who, who's in with who, or who wants to be a who ~ I am picking the candidates  I feel are the most hungry for the change that moves this city forward the fastest.  Right now I have plenty to think about, tonight was awesome!  This town truly has opportunity even in these hard times with a new top notch out of the box type thinker for a CM.   It will all work out have faith!


Thanks to all the candidates.  You showed great pride tonight leading by example, showing true Democracy.



See ya April 7th

Yeah, I think it's safe to say I'm a “prose” guy, 'cause I'm sure no poet!!!

There is nothing wrong with that Matt.

Hey Matthew,

I'm shocked absolutely shocked to hear you are not voting for Dan!!   :-)

Sue

Ps - wish I could have seen the one tonight - it was our neighborhood meeting - so I couldn't go.  Hopefully someone recorded it and maybe will post online...  I was hoping the H&R would cause I'd sure like to see it.

Sue

You guys should of held your meeting  at the Civic Center.  That would of been impressive to see the groups following all of the election.

Good idea Doug maybe we will do that next time...

Sue