This week the Recorder spoke with 10 candidates for at-large seats on the Indianapolis City-County Council. They were asked about their thoughts on bringing more jobs to the city and strengthening its economy.
Democrats
Zach Adamson – “Economic development is one of the most important components to the revitalization of our economy. However, a critical element of that development, the neighborhood commercial corridors, has for generations been forgotten.
“Creating thriving commercial developments along already established corridors of neighborhoods is critical. Many of thesecorridors are currently lined with empty and boarded up businesses. These were businesses that once served the community where they are located and provided employment for local residents.
“We must also review our mass transportation options. What good is creating jobs if the workers cannot, in a reasonable manner, transport themselves to these jobs?”
John Barth – “The mayor has spent time traveling internationally and spending a lot of money, but not really getting any significant results in terms of creating jobs. I’d like to see us focus our attention on supporting small businesses and local entrepreneurs who can expand the jobs they have. The majority of jobs created, over 80 percent, are in small businesses.
I have proposed that we empower a team of city employees in each township to have a neighborhood liaison, or economic development person, working in the community and consulting on a day to day basis with small businesses and helping them access the funds and the resources they need to expand, including how they can best partner with minority and women owned business enterprises.”
Pamela Hickman – “Indianapolis has lost 30,000 jobs, and it’s not us Democrats saying that, but the National Bureau of Labor Statistics. We have to create an environment here that will get people to come and open up businesses.
“There are lots of things people consider when looking to relocate, but this city has two things that are keeping some of them away: poor public transportation, and the lack of a real smoking ban. Many large companies, especially from the West Coast, look at our city and can’t believe we don’t have a smoking ban. We put up bike lanes and gardens to sell ourselves as a healthy city, but we also need that public smoking ban. We also have to review the fees and regulations that make it difficult for some people to start a business.”
Leroy Robinson – “Our Democratic team, which includes small business owners, is going to focus on small business ownership, and helping to create opportunities for minorities, women and veteran entrepreneurs who want to create their own businesses. Another priority is developing jobs skills and training. We can look in the paper everyday and see that there are plenty of jobs out there, but we are not able to match enough people with those jobs.
We have to look at training people and getting them back in school to learn trades and the skills they need to get the jobs that are out there. We should help our local residents develop skills so that the jobs can go to them, not to people out of the state.”
Libertarians
Reid Roberts Miller – “I would propose two things initially. First, I would work towards a business-training program for people who want to work but cannot find employment. Note that I did not say ‘job’ training. I think that it is not enough to give people a skill or trade, you must give them business training, so they can add to our business climate in Indianapolis. Second, I would privatize work that is currently being done by the city, so that our new business trainees can begin to apply their new businesses to the real world. By doing this, we put people in a position to act on new ideas for business in the future.”
Bill Levin – “As your cannabis lobbyist with Re-Legalize Indiana PAC and as your city council candidate ‘at large,’ I would like to see cannabis legalized for over 21 purchase like liquor. I know that when this happens we save our state $150 million per year on cannabis only prison costs. We can save another $50 million in drug rehab classes for cannabis only arrests.
“We will benefit the state $4.55 billion the first year to the general fund. This number was arrived by adding our consumption rate of 25 tons of product we consume every week now, times the Indiana cannabis tax stamp price of $3.50 per gram.
“Then our people will be allowed to grow up to 99 cannabis plants in a safe locked inspected grow room for 1 year at any one time. There would be a $174-$250 inspection fee then a $1,000 permit from the county.
“This will build a safe base for the economy to grow and blossom. Putting the money back into the streets and people’s hands. There would be no out of state companies allowed to come in. All our cannabis would be grown in Indiana for Indiana, by Hoosiers. No more imports of poor quality products.”
Republicans
Jacqueline Cissell – “We all know that the national economy has spread down to the cities. We are suffering from the outgrowth of a bloated government and an overspending government. As far as the city is concerned, we are making sure we are preparing young people and those who have been out of work for quite some time to become entrepreneurs if it is possible. Until the major companies begin to start hiring again we have to take what we know and use what we’ve got. I’m also an advocate of education and we should continue to make sure children are prepared for the workforce, that’s going to help us when companies begin hiring again.”
Michael “Mike” Kalscheur – “It really comes down to two things: the city has to aggressively go after jobs by recruiting for them and that things need to be streamlined to give business owners consistency. You need a team of individuals that understands economic development, business owners and what they’re looking for in a city, workforce and tax environment. The other part is all about having a balanced budget because if you do, you know what the tax rate is going to be. If you know what that is, companies are going to be much more willing to look at a city and say ‘hey, this is a place that I know is run well and will benefit my needs.'”
Barbara Malone – “I wish I could say that government, the mayor or the council could do more to bringthe types of jobs which can sustain decent quality of life for individuals. Generally what counselors can do is help eliminate barriers to economic growth. Some of the means by which you can do that, expand or attract new businesses, is to have some economic tools in our toolbox.
“Indianapolis is prime for new businesses coming or existing businesses expanding. However our schools must be prepared to teach our children to be able to compete within the global economy. One integral part of the city being able to compete for new employers is the expansion and modernization of our public transportation system.
“With all factors equal, Indianapolis competes very well in bringing new employers to the city, but I can’t help but think that our lagging public transportation system is a key factor for a lot of employers when deciding to relocate to Indianapolis and the surrounding counties.”
Angel Rivera – “The path to jobs and economic success requires a continued investment in our infrastructure. It requires a continued expansion of quality school choices and a commitment to safe neighborhoods. We have made more progress in the last four years towards this mission than the city has seen in a really long time. We must continue this.”
