Frost Illustrated pounds home Libertarians across Front Page

City election could prove unpredictable;
Libertarians might be the hole card
By Dan Jehl

We'll probably remember this year's local election for years. There have been a number of twists this year that make the upcoming Nov. 6 mayoral and City Council elections difficult to predict.

This year's election has had few periodic stints of normalcy. Almost weekly, something out of the ordinary has happened. Normally, incumbency would help get someone elected or the person's political party could most likely secure a win, but not this time. Incumbency could hurt someone's chances since there's an anti-incumbent mood among many voters who are upset over the smoking ban, or Harrison Square, or being blocked out of a big public hearing—or just because.

This year, it's hard to tell how much weight political party affiliation carries, with some Democrats sounding like Republicans and some Republicans sounding like Democrats and Libertarians—who fielded nearly a full slate of City Council candidates—sounding like Libertarians.

By now, independent polls on who's "leading" the races traditionally would be all over the papers. Not this time. Polls are being taken by the parties with results kept under wrap; and no one is putting any faith in the on-line polls being done by the papers and the TV news channels due to unreliable results caused by the Rep. Ron Paul effect of "poll-stacking" or "cyber-jamming," a new political phenomenon made possible by the Internet.

The key to who will win is in which groups will show up with the greatest numbers. Will it be the pro-Kelty, pro-Henry, pro-Libertarian, antiincumbent, anti-smoking ban or other candidate-specific groups? Whoever and whichever group shows up with strength in numbers will win.

Just consider these highlights—or lowlights depending on your point of view—which could impact voter turnout this year:

• Election year starting off with accusations that a Kelty billboard was too big.
• Citizen complaints that campaign signs were causing traffic problems on busy intersections.
• Former Notre Dame football coach Jerry Faust getting involved in local election politics by verifying that Kelty did practice and try out to be a Notre Dame punter.
• Presidential contenders speaking at the party convention in Fort Wayne of a third party, the Libertarian Party.
• Kelty winning the Republican primary for mayor in an unexpected upset.
• Democrat primary winner Henry firing his campaign manager before campaign ever gets started.
• Both Henry and Kelty being accused all summer by media of hiding out on the issues and having a low or no profile.
• A Democratic Council candidate changing his mind and dropping out of race.
• An anti-incumbent coalition fueled by the citywide smoking ban forming and endorsing a slate of candidates.
• The leader of the anti-smoking ban group being discovered previously guilty of voter fraud and leaving the city, apparently not coming back since.
• Kelty changing his initial campaign finance report to clarify and address questions of party leaders.
• Henry's top advisor—his father, Jerry Henry—offering his son the sage advice of running his own campaign and staying out of the competition's.
• Republican Party Chair Steve Shine working overtime to mend party factions and volunteering to get "dunked" for local charity after lingering bitterness over Kelty's upset of party favorite Nelson Peters in the primary election threatens Republican unity.
• The Allen County Elections Board investigating possible campaign finance reporting irregularities by Kelty and finding no wrongdoing with two Republicans topping one Democrat on the board in a 2-1 vote.
• Common Cause of Indiana getting involved by filing complaint with Allen County to investigate possible Kelty campaign finance irregularities.
• The Republican Allen County Prosecutor punting the case to out-of-county independent inquiry—Dan Sigler, the same special prosecutor who filed campaign violation charges against former Democrat Mayor Win Moses during the 1980s.
• A grand jury indicting Kelty on his campaign finance report, leading to Kelty being handcuffed and taken to jail in full view of cameras rolling.
• Conspiracy theories playing out in private opinion articles casting blame on either Steve Shine, the Republican Executive Committee, the Democrats or Democrat Election Board member Andy Downs for Kelty's situation.
• The Republican Party split over supporting Kelty for the mayor's race and the Executive Committee being abolished.
• Party faithful of both mayoral parties splitting ranks, with "Republican for Henry" and "Democrat for Kelty" signs appearing.
• Stop Crawford (the At-large city councilman who authored the smoking ban legislation) bumper stickers appearing.
• A political satire birthday cake receiving two weeks of press coverage nearly topping coverage of the war in Iraq.
• Popular and powerful Republican Congressman Mark Souder withdrawing his Kelty endorsement, resulting in Souder supporters being angry at him over endorsement withdrawal—given that many of same people supporting Kelty also put and kept Souder in office.
• Libertarians fielding nearly a full slate of City Council candidates, so that for the first time ever in history, voters have three partycandidate choices for eight of the nine council seats.

Interestingly, another unexpected factor that makes this election different is this campaign's clean and even friendly public tone-so far. Both mayoral candidates publicly have been speaking highly of each other's families. City Council candidate public forums also have a friendly tone. The forums have been marked by professional common courtesy and candidates voicing positions without interruption and potshots. No jeering or tasers either.

When the above events are taken together or even in bits and pieces, the city's 2007 election sets the bar at an unprecedented height for a really strange and unpredictable election year. Will the absence of "normalcy" in this election turn people off or help get out the vote? There are a whole lot more registered voters than in the election four years ago. As of October 24, there were 172,800 people registered to vote or 34,207 (24.6 percent increase) more than the 2003 election due to three annexations and a city population increase. But, of all these people, who will actually show up? It really is up to us. We do hire them, and fire politicians. We make a difference in the direction of our city. And, we can put our mark on it again by showing up on Nov. 6. As always, it's up to us.

Discrimination In Dallas

In Dallas, a Hip-Hop Plea: Pull Your Pants Up

Morning Edition, October 24, 2007 · Saggin' — young men wearing their pants with the waistband closer to their knees than their hips — has been around for years. But a growing number of adults are deciding they've had enough. In Dallas, an interesting mix of politicians, hip-hop artists and white businessmen are announcing a citywide campaign with a simple message: Pull Your Pants Up.

Deputy Mayor Dwaine Caraway's work life usually involves economic development, crime, housing-code enforcement and stray dogs. But the drumbeat of anger from South Dallas, the predominately black part of town, got so loud that Caraway decided to take a little detour into law enforcement work — fashion police.

"This is not just a teenage problem," Caraway says. "There are people sagging ... in their 30s. You know, where's your mind? You're not a teenager."

Caraway says that at first, saggin' was about showing your boxers. Then it was about showing more of your boxers. Then dirty boxers were cutting edge. And now there are guys walking around with no boxers on at all.

"You have some folks that don't even have on underwear, period," he says. "And who's to say what the generation that's looking at this generation will do after these guys?"

Two weeks ago, Caraway called a news conference and proposed a new saggin' ordinance. Unfortunately for Caraway, lawyers then called with some potentially bad constitutional news. So Caraway backed off a bit on the legal front, but he didn't give up.

"The No. 1 mission is very simple: pulling up your pants. That's all we want," Caraway says. "We don't want to throw folks in jail because they wear their pants low. So we're going to make it man's law and not city law."

And here is where fate stepped in to rescue the deputy mayor's crusade. In his barbershop in South Dallas, a rapper named Dewayne Brown saw Caraway on TV. Brown is called Dooney, and Dooney was suddenly very excited because he had been thinking about writing a new song. He already had a title: "Pull Your Pants Up."

After the 10 o'clock news was over, Dooney ran to his recording studio in the back of his barbershop and by 3 a.m., he had written an anthem — a hip-hop plea to America's youth.

Dooney says that most of the boys and young men who are saggin' don't know where it really comes from. But another word for saggin' is jailin'.

"They don't know why their pants are low ... They think it's a fad, or it's something to do or it's cool. And I say, 'Well, No ... it come from behind the bars.'"

Clear Channel has agreed to donate billboard space around town and Dooney designed a billboard showing him with his arms crossed, standing in front of downtown Dallas.

Dallas is not the first city to confront saggin'. Shreveport, La., Atlanta and Stratford, Conn., have discussed passing laws. But Dallas is taking a different approach, trying for the hearts and minds of its young people.

Song Links Saggy Pants to Being Gay

The Bryant Park Project, October 26, 2007 · A new campaign by the city of Dallas targets the hip-hop style of wearing your pants low enough that your boxers are showin — and part of your posterior, too.

The campaign has a signature song, "Pull Your Pants Up," by Dooney Da' Priest, that links so-called saggin' with being gay. After the BPP blogged NPR's original report on the public service announcement, listeners objected to lyrics they consider homophobic.

Andrew Jones commented on a line about living "on the down low" — common slang for a man who has secret sexual encounters with other men.''It's cute when homophobia is part of a citywide campaign," Jones wrote. "Shaming the youth by calling them gay, love that from the government."

An accompanying billboard says it's rude to be "walking around showin' your behind to other dudes." The song's refrain is "Be a real man — pull your pants up."

In an interview with a local television station, Dooney explained that saggin' comes from jail, where he argued that showing your boxers has a very particular meaning. "You're letting another man know that you're available," Dooney said.

Mark Anthony Neal, professor of black popular culture in the Department of African American Studies at Duke University, parses the lyrics and explains why they'll hit some young men hard.

Throw your two cents in on our blog. See the open thread, "Dallas Saggy Pants Song: Homophobic?"

Saggy Pants Songwriter Sort of Says He's Sorry

The Bryant Park Project, October 30, 2007 · Dooney Da' Priest's rap song "Pull Your Pants Up" is meant to shame young men in Dallas from wearing saggy britches. It's the signature tune of a Dallas city campaign against so-called saggin'.

After listeners pointed out the homophobia inherent in taunting men for looking like they live "on the down low," Da' Priest says he apologized to the gay community on his MySpace page. Da' Priest says that the song isn't an attack on gay people, and that he was "dealing with the N-word, too."

"Whether their sexual preference is to be a homosexual or being gay, that's their problem," Da' Priest says. "I'm the street, I'm the street priest, and I have real good Christian values on what I believe in, and I am against homosexuality. But this is not the reason why I wrote the song."

On our blog, an open thread: So what if Dooney Da' Priest believes being gay is wrong?

Frost Illustrated in its 24 OCTOBER 2007 Edition also covered this issue:
Black leaders: Sagging low has got to go!

By Gordon Jackson
Special to the NNPA
from the Dallas Examiner

DALLAS (NNPA)-From a city councilman to a school board trustee and a college president, a decision made by black community leaders to dramatically uplift fashion and get rid of a controversial image in their community has brought them both high praise and strong criticism. Undaunted, they strive forward to regain control of their slice of urban America.

Dallas District 4 City Councilman Dwaine Caraway officially declared war on "sagging," the highly discussed fashion statement expressed mostly by young black males, where they wear their pants well below their waistline, exposing a portion of their underwear, or in some occasions, their buttocks.

"We are in discussion as to how and what it is we need to do," Caraway said at an Oct. 4 City Hall press conference. "It is something where we will have to collaborate with the different authorities in the city."

Caraway will meet with representatives of DISD and all the various law enforcement agencies in hopes of implementing a strong anti-sagging policy and resolution by the beginning of 2008.

DISD trustee Ron Price, who challenged the City Council on the same issue last year, also says that sagging low has got to go. He is more so targeting young adults going into their early 30s that sag, who he said is setting a poor example for the younger generation.

"That's the issue, it's not the kids. It's the adults who are bad role models for the children. It's not a race issue, it's a issue of decency and respect," said Price, who led the implementation of school uniforms in DISD. "It has nothing to do with race or gender, it has to do with our society as a whole and that we are demanding excellence out of all our citizens of the United States."

Price has proposed the saggers be fined $50 for a form of indecent exposure. Caraway fights away his critics, who say that every young generation finds different ways to outlandishly express their individuality and that possibly using a city ordinance against them is a violation of an individual's freedom of expression.

"There are organizations that want to protect the fact that they have the right to show their dirty underwear," Caraway said. "Well, who's protecting the eyesight of the three-year-old girl that left to go to the playground, protecting her right of seeing something she did not want to see? Or of the 89-year old grandmother getting her medicine at Wal-Mart?

Critics have also noted that the problem with young black males, believed by many to already be targets of profiling by law enforcers, would be further perpetuated when looking for saggers.

"Rest all thoughts about incarceration, about arresting them and tying up police time," Caraway said. "We don't want to go and attach a criminal history behind a person wearing sagging pants. At the same token, we want to be as tough, respectful and educational as we possibly can so that we can ensure that folks get our message."

Sagging has been going on since about the early 1990s and has been mixed in as one of the negatives elements of the hip-hop/gangsta culture, along with misogynous and profanity-laced rap music. The issue is also being aggressively addressed in other large urban cities like Baltimore, Trenton and Shreveport. In Atlanta, City Councilman C.T. Martin also is spearheading a campaign. He flew into Dallas on Caraway's invitation.

"We're not trying to attack young people. We're trying to create a connectivity to them to say 'let's talk about this,'" Martin said. "We have a right to teach and nurture our young individuals to as to what it takes to be successful in society. It's not about profiling."

It's about business, said Caraway.

"If a young gentleman, sagging, were to come in seeking a job, would he have an opportunity to get the job?" he inquired.

Martin said it's also about responsibility, especially among the older generation to guide the younger generation in the right direction.

"All we want is what our elders throughout the tradition of family, all the way back to Abraham wanted. We decided that when nobody else would speak up, we will come forward and tackle an issue," Martin said. "It's about the code of the streets and public policy."

It's also about education, said Paul Quinn College President Michael Sorrell.

"We are taking back our students, our streets, our kids. We're not going to advocate our responsibility," Sorrell said. "It doesn't have to be positive or neat and tidy, sometimes leadership is messy."

Sorrell is executing his own policy on the Paul Quinn campus. This semester, he instituted a business casual dress code during regular business hours Monday through Thursday. No jeans, t-shirts or sneakers while students are attending classes. Sorrell is focused on the school teaching his students both the job skills and life skills it takes to make inroads in the workforce.

"We are going to teach our students every minute we're on our campus," Sorrell said. "We're in the business of taking back our community, sometimes you have to teach people how to dream."

Paul Quinn's dress policy caught the attention of educators and other organization across the country, including C-SPAN, the political and public affairs cable television network that provides 24 hours-a-day coverage of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Representatives of their C-SPAN Campaign 2008 Bus toured through Dallas and the Paul Quinn campus Tuesday to witness a debate on the dress code held by students.

"Our dress code has helped reduce discipline problems and develop responsibility," said senior and physical education major LaShonda Hunter, the lead debater. "When you walk into an interview, employers will be pleased with the professionalism of your appearance. It improves morals and values. It tells others that you are prepared to learn and work."

Kenneth Boston took helm on the opposing side.

"Just because I might have on jeans and a t-shirt, it doesn't take away from who I am intellectually," Boston said. "Some people work better relaxed and perform better when they're comfortable. If you have a student that doesn't necessarily agree with the dress code, that doesn't mean that they're going to leave just because of that.

"No matter how you dress, you can have high morals and values."

Brandon Clay, a freshman from Little Rock, also said he was influenced by friends.

"I had friends that did it and I did it because they did it," Clay said. "I always reserved the other side of dressing to make me feel better."

Both approve of Paul Quinn's dress policy.

"I think that in our community as blacks and individuals, we try to feel like a victim why we're in the position we're in and trying to make excuses," said Clay. "But one of the reasons why we're not moving forward is because of how you dress. I think they're making a great movement with this."

City Councilman Tennell Atkins remembered when his two now grown twin sons started sagging when they were teenagers.

"The first time I told them to pull their pants up," Atkins said. "The second time I pulled out my belt and I whipped [one's] butt. I did it because I love my kids."

Caraway gave an alarming vision of what could happen if the issue is not resolved now.

"Maybe the next generation may decide they want to wear no pants at all."

MY COMMENTS
When I get a copy of my editorial I will reprint it here but for now to give you the basic gist with a picture.

While I have no issue with a basic sag, as an issue of comfort and it can look down right sexy at times, which should not be restricted or legislated against. Because that is bad government and slaps in the realm of censorship and personal constitutional privacy privileges and rights. However when they sag below the buttocks, then it lends one to wonder "Why dont they just wear a kilt or a skirt to get the breeze that is so desired?", but alas it should still not be legislated or deemed something to be dealt with by community leaders. It needs to be dealt with by raising the self esteem and respect of the individual and group members by giving them a reason to present themselves in a more professional, less obtrusive manner, and that starts at home and in the workplace not in city hall or at the courthouse.

MRev. Kenneth White, Jnr.

Thanks to Michael Patterson
Publisher, Frost Illustrated
for sending me a copy of my editorial

Frost Illustrated gets it right on review of Candidates for City Council

Voters to choose who will play ball
on nine-member City Council team

By Dan Jehl

It's like choosing a major league baseball team. And, we, the voters, will soon choose who plays. The entire nine-member Fort Wayne City Council is up for reelection on Nov. 6, and it will be interesting. One local bar and restaurant has an outdoor sign already welcoming new council members and bidding farewell to present incumbents.

Although the public spotlight has focused on the two candidates for mayor, Tom Henry and Matt Kelty, the council plays a large role on many issues. From closeto- home issues like zoning variances and honoring the Scouts, to big issues like the smoking ban, Harrison Square, the city budget, and tax relief, the City Council is right there playing in the World Series weekly. And this year some of the Council decisions like the smoking ban has fueled an anti-incumbent voter mood. As always, who wins will depend on who shows up to vote.

The winners will receive exactly $21,414 annually beginning Jan. 1. Their job is to represent us. We hire them; we fire them. That's how representative democracy is supposed to work.

There are 26 candidates vying for the nine roster spots. That's nearly one for every 10,000 Fort Wayne citizens. Six slots are based on district or area and three slots are earmarked for at-large candidates. The candidates range in age from 22 to 70 and range in public experience from zero experience to 36 years. The candidates include full and part-time students and full and part-time plus retired employees. Their top priorities embrace improved neighborhoods, tax changes, less government, more affordable housing, reverse brain drain incentives, more green space, a river project and much more.

The 26 candidates include 21 men and five women. There are four African American male candidates, one African American female candidate, and one female Hispanic candidate.

The minority candidate percentages mirror the city's population, given that there are five minority candidates of 26, with minority groups comprising more than 25 percent of the city with 16 percent African Americans and eight percent Hispanics as the two largest according to the Census Bureau. But, the gender breakdown is way out of whack. Fort Wayne's estimated 2007 population is 129,044 females and 121,042 males. The current council has no female members.

Who are they? The candidates for this four-year term roster are presented by the six city council districts and then by the three at-large positions.

THE DISTRICT CANDIDATES

1st District:
Tom Smith vs. Kevin Boyd vs. Byron Peters

The 1st District is Fort Wayne's northeast area, consisting of an estimated 2,055 African American residents. Incumbent Republican business-owner Tom Smith-is running for his third term. His interests include more greenspace, trails and bikeways. He votes his constituents' wants on the issues and promotes the purchase of the OmniSource property for the North River project. Developing community resources is a top priority.

His Democrat opponent is pastor and insurance representative Kevin Boyd. His priority is economic development and instilling positive and constructive ideals into the public issue dialogue.

The Libertarian candidate is business- owner and executive Byron Peters. Many candidates are talking up the use of the rivers as a resource, and only Peters is bringing up ceasing sewage dumping into the rivers, which occurs now 100 days each year. He opposes any use of public dollars on out-of-town consultants.

2nd District:
Don Schmidt vs. Karen Goldner vs. Jonathon Bartels

The 2nd District, the north central area, has an estimated 2,214 African American residents, and has the fastest growing minority population district. The incumbent is 10-term seeker and current Council President Don Schmidt. A recently retired IPFW engineering faculty member, Schmidt favors city-county consolidation and limiting government and tax growth to the rate of inflation. His voting pattern shows fiscal restraint and resistance to government growth, as evidenced by voting behavior on city budgets and opposing proposals such as refurbishing the animal shelter, forming the Women's Bureau and creating a flood control district.

His Democrat opponent is business executive Karen Goldner and current member of the Redevelopment Commission . Goldner has 20 years of community development experience, including three as the City's director of Economic Development. She said her style would reflect fiscal prudence, an emphasi-Fort Wayne" initiative was the first of the non-incumbent Council candidates' new proposals.

The third candidate is Jonathon Bartels, representing the Libertarian party. Bartels said he would stress neighborhood and individual advocacy and also reigning in the government's role in public affairs.

3rd District:
Tom Didier vs. Debra McBride vs. Gloria Diaz

The 3rd District consists of the northwest area of Fort Wayne and an estimated 1,958 African Americans. Republican Tom Didier aspires to his second term. National Anthem- singer and businessman Didier stresses strong neighborhoods, business growth and city upkeep of its downtown and all around town to attract tourists, retain families and build communities.

Debra McBride, the Democrat contender, has very similar views and emphasizes overall economic development supported by her financial background as a business accounting director.

The Libertarian candidate is Gloria Diaz, who said she would advance new ideas to address the "brain drain," promote physical fitness and pursue less taxes and less government

4th District:
Chris Stewart vs. Mitch Harper

The 4th District is the city's southwest area with about 1,614 African American residents. This area will have a new representative since Dr. Tom Hayhurst is not running for reelection. This is the only contest with two, not three, candidates. Democrat Chris Stewart, a business owner and business executive, got a late start due to the withdrawal of the former Democratic candidate Charles Langley. Stewart said he would be active on economic issues, like the local business climate, job growth and personal income growth. He favors homeowner tax incentives to keep homes upgraded.

His contender is Republican Mitch Harper, a former 12-year state legislator, and youngest ever Indiana state legislator when first elected at age 22. Attorney Harper has interests in environmental issues, transportation, and running and supports the Port-to-Fort cross-state transportation initiative.

There was no Libertarian candidate listed for the 4th District.

5th District:
Timothy Pape vs. Ron Buskirk vs. Robert Fuller

The 5th District is the city's south central area with an estimated 8,216 African Americans and 4,300 Hispanics with minorities accounting for 29.9 percent of the district. Incumbent Democrat Timothy Pape seeks his third consecutive term. Attorney Pape is a proponent of ideas to attract highpaying jobs and to curb the decline in city residents' average income. Pape has demonstrated Council leadership and ability to make unpopular decisions which favor economic development in the long term.

Ron Buskirk, the Republican contender, is a certified healthcare compliance officer for St. Joseph's and Dupont hospitals. Buskirk is a 30-year Fort Wayne police officer. He said his priorities would be public safety issues, adequately equipping police and firefighters and reinventing community-oriented policing. Buskirk also said economic development to create more jobs for the community is a top priority.

Robert Fuller, the Libertarian candidate, a computer technician, promotes neighborhood and individual freedoms as paramount. He said his priority is to address economic struggles in the district. He cited the tax crunch on homeowners and renters, grocery stores and small businesses leaving the area and the City's lack of attention given to the increasing minority population's need for jobs, affordable housing and community resources as problems.

6th District:
Glynn Hines vs. Joe Smith vs. Robert Enders

The 6th District is the southeast area with just over 50 percent African American residents and a just under 10 percent Hispanic population. Glynn Hines is the Democrat Party candidate and is seeking his third consecutive council term. Hines, a leader of the Southeast Strategy, has had results. This district has seen resource development with the coming Police Training Academy, new major retail stores at or near Southtown Centre and the new Lifetime Sports Academy Facility at McMillan Park, which opened this past summer.

Joe Smith, the Republican contender is the national chairman of Pastors and Elders Council. Smith has 27 years at Dana Corporation and more than 30 years involved in city charitable and religious community organizations. He favors fiscal constraint by curbing or reducing property taxes and promotes community collaboration to get things done.

Robert Enders, the Libertarian candidate, a security officer and treasurer of the Allen County Libertarian Party, favors less government, less taxes and more attention to all city neighborhoods including downtown.

City Council At-Large:

There are nine candidates, one from each party, campaigning for each of the three at-large positions. Each voter can vote for three candidates in the At-large race. At-large candidates are citywide representatives. The three at-large seats were created years ago to ensure an odd number for council voting, to give citizens other kicks at the cat besides their district representative, and to provide "swing" council voters on issues where council members tend to vote by party allegiance or loyalty to the mayor.

The At-large candidates are:

John Shoaff

Democrat Shoaff is seeking his second term to go with his eight years on the Fort Wayne Park Board and 12 years as president of Headwaters Park Commission. Shoaff is very active on greenspace, North River project promoting and transportation issues. He favors coordinating traffic planning with community planning and developing more trails.

Denise Porter- Ross

Democrat Denise Porter- Ross has served as the city's Northeast Area Advocate for the past eight years. She has served on or with various community boards and organizations. She is known for her abilities to organize people and neighborhood groups and to advocate the peoples' interests. She has strengthened the city's Partnership program and has enhanced the importance of Community Development Action Plans.

William Larsen

Libertarian William Larsen is a mechanical engineer and promoter of less government. He questions whether there is a brain drain problem while others forge ideas to address the problem. He is almost the sole candidate raising the issue of the more than $200 million unfunded liability attributable to the police and fire pension fund and argues that the city should work down this debt.

Douglas Horner

Libertarian Douglas Horner is a medical transporter and part-time student. He favors less government and less public spending. On economic development, he contends government involvement usually means failed projects. On jobs, he stresses that jobs are created by private businesses and not by government.

Thomas Essex Jr.

Democrat Tom Essex is a Fort Wayne attorney. He has public experience as a twoterm Wayne Township Trustee and three years as a county prosecutor. Essex stresses public safety, including resurrection of community-oriented policing. He is the only candidate suggesting the pragmatic use of the city's 18 fire stations as possible satellite or substations. On the City Utilities surplus, he supports Tom Henry's idea of seeking citizen input; and on property taxes, Essex advocates an appropriate distribution of the multiple tax streams.

Dr. John Crawford:

Republican Dr. John Crawford is seeking his fourth term as an atlarge Council member. He is more than just the architect of the smoking ban. His interests entail city development both downtown and what he terms the "infield" or the downtown's surrounding areas. He was also architect of the Brain Drain Loan Repayment program, and espouses working down the city's debt even if it means using part of the City Utilities surplus. Due to the smoking ban, Crawford is the main target of the anti-incumbent movement. Even his detractors, however, concede he does his research and listens to his constituents before making up his mind.

Elizabeth Brown

Republican Elizabeth Brown has been active in civic affairs. She is one of the few non-incumbent candidates to propose a new initiative through her "Angel Fund" proposal to attract and retain young people by using part of the City Utilities surplus interest. She promotes development and use of green space by starting downtown and working outwards. Brown favors purchasing the land for the North River Project and developing a greenway consortium.

Marty Bender

Republican Marty Bender will have 33 years experience with the Fort Wayne Police Department on Jan. 1. He stresses working down all city debt, including the police and fire pension fund. He argues that the city must cut red tape to foster business growth. On property taxes, he advocates a modest increase in the sales tax with corresponding relief in the property tax. Bender sees the greenway trails as a good start and argues for cleaning up the rivers and developing them as a natural resource.

Michael Brightbill

Libertarian Michael Brightbill is in restaur a n t management and an IPFW student. He advocates city growth through the free-market economy . Brightbill favors less government interference in business and in people's lives, and states his top priority would be stopping the city's anti-business and anti-individual policies. He supports increased citizen involvement in public decision- making.

That's it. Now it's up to us. And, yes, it's big. Like the mayor, who lives in the public spotlight like it or not, the council too is a major player with a critical role in shaping the direction of the city. A good example is Renaissance Pointe, the premier housing development project of the year, which will provide 600 new or rehabbed housing units on formerly smoldering land. The mayor couldn't do it by himself. It took the citizens and it took the council to get it done.

It's time for the voters to choose. We hire them; we fire them. They work for us. Best of luck to all; and remember Colts-Patriots game Nov. 3, and then three days later, it's Nov. 6, Election Day-and we decide the winner of the game.

Copied From Frost Illustrated 2007-10-24