Mack for Mayor

Alrighty, Welcome Back for Part two.

The analysis, this is what I call a Venn diagram. It's a very simple one.

I'm using only two circles to compare the job of mayor and my beliefs as a candidate.

You can see right there in the section where the two topics overlap.

This overlap shows you where I believe the successful management of the city lives,

it's where I'll place my focus and honestly, I think it plays to my strength.

Um,

I believe the goal here is to balance the needs and beliefs of the constituents,

uh, and myself and the job

requirements of the position.

My platform is transition, transformation and training and teamwork.

I hope to gain your agreement.

I'm also hoping to give you a very clear understanding of how I view the job of mayor,

the characteristics that I think will make a good mayor and some of the

special and unique qualities that we have

here in michigan city that require competence,

cross cultural communication and a vision for our future that

can be shared and participated in by all your,

not just customers,

your constituents. Now, let's jump in

the job. Here is michigan city mayor.

You've seen it done before, some do it better, some do it worse.

Depending on your point of view.

Uh, the needs of every city changes with the times and our changes are coming fast.

I'll briefly discuss our current challenges,

our current strengths and some of the skill sets that are

necessary if the goal here is to maximize michigan city.

Now, housing is a huge problem, affordable housing is scarce,

high end housing is in demand and our rental situation,

housing is especially especially problematic.

Uh There was a huge study done on housing in laporte county.

Uh and the ironic thing is that even in smaller

towns uh they have very similar problems as we do.

Uh they're basically hasn't been investment in housing in 2030 years

uh from a state or organized way. Um safety is always an issue

um in a medium to large cities like like we have and I use that term

perception because I believe much of our problems uh come from a lack of focus on

developing healthy Children. We farm it out or blame the public schools

and not me.

The city itself must do better in its people, development performance,

both in words and in funding

our poverty rates also tie into these safety issues,

scarcity and huge income disparities are many times would lead to

social and societal dysfunction if you like me as the leader uh

and a strong and unified Democratic Party.

I can promise you that our budgets will reflect our

values and our attempts to build better communities directly.

I'm not gonna point to anyone or anything in

particular when I mentioned communication in our government,

but I challenge you as democratic voters in 2023 to go

to our alcohol tv youtube pages and skim through some meetings,

City council meetings, county council meetings, local boards, commissions,

anything you want to look at,

check them out see which ones represent your

vision of what good government should be.

What are the Democratic Party ideas that you value most?

It's all about having a shared Democratic Party vision

is what I'm attempting to create right here.

A strong and unified michigan city,

Democratic Party vision and mission to address our long standing needs.

We have many strengths here in michigan city,

All the stuff you always here and you're

going to continue to hear from every politician.

Uh, we've got a good location, We've got great water,

we've got good transportation access, especially with the south shore's coming.

Uh, we've got natural resources all over the place and from my perspective,

our schools are huge strength.

I'm a huge fan of public school systems uh,

and a true believer in the good that our

public schools have accomplished even to this day,

I won't get on a rant here,

but I could easily with the Children that and the manner in

which I've been involved in the school system for so many years.

Our summertime recreational menu has always been legendary.

People have been coming here from far and wide to

enjoy our community in the summer for decades and decades.

I believe that our year round recreational

potential is totally untapped and unexplored.

We have so much opportunity in that area.

But one characteristic that I do treasure is our diversity.

I credit this environment along with my family and schooling with helping me

gain the confidence that I could perform on any level with any group

and in any part of this country?

Here's an example of a true visionary in this community that passed away too soon.

Her name was Kimberly Canner.

I met this young lady when I ran for

city council the first time I was beyond impressed.

One of the many outstanding people that have

been produced right here in michigan city.

She was a lawyer and an advocate for all of michigan city.

My daughter worked a summer internship with her at her law

firm and she credits that experience for where she is today.

Here's an article written by Jessica O'brien for the news dispatch in 2016

where she describes what we can be and should be in my opinion,

working on as our next uh export business,

she writes,

I believe michigan city is the exact type of city with the exact demographics.

That could be a model city in the United States. Even here in northwestern indiana,

she said,

I believe if our community wanted to be a model community for how to

appropriately integrate all aspects of the community as far as race is concerned.

I believe michigan city could be a light in the world

and that is so true. She, I got a few stories that I could talk about her on. So

let me get back going here.

So based on these assumptions of strengths and challenges

and you can add some of your own uh,

what are the qualities that you would like to see in

the leader of the Democratic party here in michigan city?

What personal characteristics are really important to you?

What Democratic party principles do you think are non negotiable?

I'll give you a second to think about it.

Alright, time's up.

So the question is what skills will be necessary

to lead the Democratic party to victory in november

for me

based on what I've outlined,

I think the following things are crucial if we're gonna maximize

michigan city and revitalize our Democratic party here in michigan city.

For me personally at age 60 I think active listening is the most important if we are to

transition our government and our city effectively transition technologically

transition to a more focused people development and transition generationally

active listening is especially especially critical when you reach a

certain age like I have and you've accumulated so many real

life experiences and real life memories that almost anything anybody

says could be related to a story or an example.

You see it all the time though, not just an older folks either.

Um,

sometimes they call it listening with the intent to respond or defend or

argue as opposed to really trying to understand what the person means,

anybody know people like that.

It's kind of transitions also into why we need

a mayor that can easily communicate across racial gender,

socio, economic and generational divides,

a leader with strong Democratic party values and beliefs.

It's you the Democratic Party voter must who must

take that into consideration and make that determination,

do your evaluation and not as a customer,

you are a constituent voting in the Democratic party primary.

The ability to identify and prioritize is also going to be vital.

We have so many competing interests here in

michigan city and everywhere else for that matter.

We can't really rely on, we've always done it that way or we used to do it that way.

Our economic landscape has changed drastically regarding income, disparity,

job quality and the difficulties involved in

raising families right here in michigan city,

which candidate is closer to your list of government spending priorities,

closer to your values and most importantly, your vision,

you're not a customer

and lastly,

the ability to bring a sense of belonging, whom do you have?

Who do you believe has a desire to create a

strong and unified Democratic Party here in michigan city,

who will be our best ambassador, who motivates you, Who do you believe?

What type of democrat moves us forward? Conservative on fiscal issues.

Conservative on social issues.

You make these decisions and you go out there and vote

Now beliefs can be a touchy subject, but in politics,

it's basically what it's all about, it's a huge reason.

We have such a divide in our country right now.

Our Democratic Party has gone through huge change in the last 40 or so years.

So I, so I feel strongly on this one.

I'm just not a big fan of huge amounts of money going to billboards and

magazines and expensive marketing groups or campaigns

for that matter in today's information age,

the vast amount of people, vacationers,

even prospective residents probably already know and have

opinions on michigan city and its people.

I do not believe that large investors, chief executives,

marketing departments or even store branch managers want glitz

and which advertising campaigns from their city officials,

I believe they want a safe place to invest.

They want a safe return on their investments.

They want to be able to safely and confidently open and close the shop without fear.

They want to hear what we are doing to develop our people.

They want to see us addressing our shortcomings and not just with the police,

they want us to focus on our people and our place, that's how they will make a profit.

These are the things I believe in as a voter,

you practice your active listening skills when hearing us talk,

you come to some conclusions, You go look at some old tape on alcohol tv and then vote,

you vote for michigan city and for its future direction.

Next up is doing more with what we have.

I believe our government should be much

more robust and encouraging to all individuals,

private groups and boards that are actually doing

some of the hard work of developing people.

Education and literacy is 100% difference maker in this day

and age and I'm not talking about advanced degrees.

I mean the ability to read and write at grade level while

in school there's a huge connection

between graduation rates and prison populations.

Our city needs to focus much more on what we're producing every year.

If elected, I will take all of these strong beliefs into office and I'll act on

these are the reputations that I hope to develop and if you already, if you know me,

you already know

you don't know me. This is what we're doing this for.

These are a few issues and votes in my session

of the council that I was on the losing side.

I would make these same votes on each of these issues

1000 times over there,

all public record and they're all available to watch on alcohol tv.

And my way of thinking, your values are shown in your budgets and in your votes.

This is what you'll get if you elect me as your nominee to the Democratic Party.

And the next part coming up next is Part three.

The platform.

I'll see you just a bit

Mack for Mayor

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