Up on the Hill...........

What a day. It started at 5:30am Tuesday morning, with a breakfast meeting with the Connersville Community Delegation made up of John Pavy IUE-CWA president, Bill Goins IUE-CWA trustee, Ray Naseman Sr. H.R. Manager Visteon Systems LLC, Bill Groce IUE-CWA Delegate, Doug Howard EDG, and Mayor Max. Since each of the Senators and Congressmen were gracious enough to schedule us time on a very busy session day, we talked about our "game plan" for the day, and we each carefully went over our segment of the message we wanted to share with the Senators and Congressmen. We had limited time with each of them and their staff, so we wanted to be as prepared as possible.

Our first appointment was at 10:00am and we had a bit of a walk to the Russell Building on the hill from our Hotel. We first met with the Congressman Mike Pence's senior staffer's and within a few minutes was joined by Mr. Pence between other meetings. Next, we had some time between meetings, so we walked from Mr. Pence's office to Grand Central Station and grabbed a bite of lunch and again went over our game plan for the next meeting. We grabbed our gear and off to Senator Bayh's office again meeting first with senior staffer's and soon Mr. Bayh came in we again explained we were concerned about Visteon employees receiving TAA and TRA benefits. We were running late and it was a bit of a walk to Senator Lugar's office. This time however, we met Senator Lugar first, and then only briefly in his outer office.We were then ushered out to a makeshift conference room to meet with his senior staff members.

Unfortunately, Senator Lugar was called to another meeting and was unable to sit and discuss our concerns. However his staff was very impressive, they listened to our concerns and had already talked to the other senior staffer's from our previous meetings that day. They also had started gathering information about federal and state programs for displaced workers and had been briefed by the other offices. Needless to say, we were all pretty impressed by the fact that the different offices were communicating that closely in such a short time frame.

In all this, we came away from those meetings feeling that we had accomplished what we came to do. We also came away with the assurance that the Congressmen and Senators were aware of the situation in Connersville and Fayette County and were more then willing to offer their help in any way they could. I had follow-up emails waiting for me when I got home that evening with even more answers and some additionals resources that we will be investigating for Visteon workers.

Tomorrow (Friday) we are meeting to debrief and map out our follow-up strategy. I'll be adding more information to the blog after that meeting and give you all some views from the other members of the delegation. Right now though I'll say I feel like the meeting was very productive Connersville and Visteon employees and we will be getting help from D.C.

Waiting for my flight back home......

As I sit at NWA Gate #A-6 at the Ronald Reagan airport waiting for my flight home, I can't help but think about the days events. Sometimes it's hard to believe that I am the Mayor of my hometown, much less sitting at in Washington D. C., the capital of our nation, just having spent the day with Congressmen and Senators. I actually caught myself sitting here with a goofy smile on my face thinking, "is this a great country or what?"

Now I realize that being the Mayor of a rural Indiana town isn't the same thing as being the President of the United States, or the King of England but it sure feels like it as I sit here waiting for my flight back to a place I truly love, Connersville. I know that may sound hokey, but I realize it even more when I'm away.

Having been born in Connersville and raised by my grandparents, growing up in Offutt's Park, looking back it was a pretty great time in my life. Everybody who wanted a job had one, and they made decent money. At least enough money to raise their kids and make a better life for them then perhaps many of them had themselves as kids growing up. I could have never fathomed back then that someday I would actually be the "Mayor" of the City of Connersville. It's just something that a kid doesn't think about. We were all too busy playing kick ball, baseball and riding our bikes to think about where the city's trash went and who it was that cut the grass in the Offutt's Park playground that we played on everyday, much less who it was that managed the city's services. Even as a young father working at Roots, at the same time my wife and I trying to get our own business off the ground, I wasn't interested in local municipal politics. I was like most of the people in Connersville, I was to busy making a living and trying to raise a family as best I could.

Even after our business was well established, the only time I thought about local government was at election time. Did I personally know the individual running for City Council or Mayor? Who I thought was the best choice was based mostly upon my personal knowledge of the candidates or what I read in the evening paper. And now here I am, Mayor. As my kids used to say "who'd a thunk it?"


So here I sit in our nations capital with a couple of hours on my hands thinking about the upcoming city elections and all the things I need to do in preperation for the campaign. As I sit here with that goofy grin on my face waiting for my flight home, I realize I've already done the most important thing I could ever do to prove that I should be Mayor for the next 4 years. I have done what my grandparents taught me to do all those years ago. To be a person of character, to be honest and to always do the very best I can. As your Mayor I feel have done that.

In the final analysis, it will be the voters that will determine whether or not I keep the job you elected me to do alomst 4 years ago. And that is exactly as it should be. Whatever the outcome is I will always be proud of the fact that for a awhile I was the Mayor of Connersville, and to me that's something to be very proud of!

Mayor Ellison Appears on Inside INdiana TV Program

I was asked to appear this Sunday on WISH-TV on Inside INdiana with Gerry Dick. I was invited to talk about the impact of the Visteon plant closing and how the recent Indalex announcement may be a sign of better things to come in Connersville and Fayette County. With the Indalex announcement, the Agri-Energy park and several other announcement waiting to be finalized, Connersville may be seeing the beginning of a positive new era of business and jobs attraction for Connersville.

If you didn't catch the broadcast, a portion of the program can be seen on Inside INdiana Business official website by cutting and pasting this address into your web browser. http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/default.asp

We're Headed to Washington D.C.

A delegation of I.U.E union officials, Visteon Administration, EDG and Mayor Ellison are flying to Washington D.C Monday afternoon. We will have meetings Tuesday with Congressmen Dick Lugar, Mike Pence, Evan Bayh and Barron Hill. The purpose of the meeting is to request that all displaced workers from Visteon receive TAA (Trade Adjustment Allowance), TRA (trade readjustment allowance) and other benifits due to the recent announcment of Visteons decision to close the Connersville facility. While the announcment of Visteons closing is not directly related to NAFTA, it is a direct result of jobs leaving do to the lose of jobs to foreign pressures.

Under the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, workers whose employment is adversely affected by increased imports may apply for TAA. TAA includes a variety of benefits and reemployment services to help unemployed workers prepare for and obtain suitable employment. Workers may be eligible for training, a job search allowance, a relocation allowance, and other reemployment services. Additionally, trade readjustment allowances (TRA) may be payable to eligible workers following their exhaustion of unemployment benefits.

One positive note of encouragement is that all 4 Congressmen and their staff noted that this is the first time they can recall that representitives of all facets of a community including labor, government, company administration and Economic development officials, will be coming to meet with them in a unified coalition. This shows that by all of us working together for a common goal can we can achieve a greater impact and a more successful request for help here in our area.

We hope to come back to Connersville with good news not only for the 900 jobs that will be lost, but also for the scores of other displaced Visteon workers that lost their jobs other the past several years.

Better to remain silent.......

One of several famous quotes I often reflect upon is, "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, then to speak and remove all doubt". This famous quote has been attributed to several people, such as Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstien and even Groucho Marx. A recent "Letter to the Editor" brought this quote immediately to mind. It seems the writer was upset with just about everything and everybody. This is but one of a handful of recent letters leveled at the current city and county administrations, he even doesn't like the new swimming pool or the street lights on Park Road.

He even dredges up the wheel tax, wow that's a blast from the past! But since you are the one to bring it up, the WHEEL TAX is a county tax, for county roads voted in by the COUNTY COMMISSIONERS years ago. To my knowledge not for city streets, which is yet another perception you have that is wrong. For the record, I don't like paying it either, but I've moved on.

We're all doomed!!!! That's the message these folks like to spread, and to be honest at least one candidate for Mayor is singing this same tune. The trouble is, these folks just don't get it. They don't know the facts.

For example, the Miller Center was gifted (in large part) by the Miller family. And yes, before you blow a gasket, we do have some debt on the community building but the fact is, it is paid for by the REVENUE the Miller Center collects from rentals and functions there. As for the pool, are you kidding? You are kidding right? You only need to actually drive by the pool this summer to realize that it was a minor expense compared to the enjoyment the families of our community recieves by having a place for families to spend recreational time. The "high dollar loop" around town was actually started in the mid-1960's and has been substantially paid for by federal and state monies.

As for the "Mayor's pay raise" well, I don't have a vote on that one, nor ANY raises for elected officials. That responsibility falls upon the City Council to approve or disapprove. Had our "informed letter writer" taken the time to gather the facts, or to even watch the CTV3 broadcasted council meetings, I actually argued AGAINST the pay raise the council proposed. Again, fact over fiction.

Now let me see, where does that leave us, oh yes..... The Mayor's tantrum over taxes. Where do these fairy tales come from? I would suggest that if anyone has the ability to legitimately reduce their property taxes maybe you should go to the courthouse and complain too. My home was being taxed as a commercial property even after closing my business to become Mayor, I simply asked to be treated as a residential property since I had officially closed my business but the difference was no where near 55%. I'm sure we would all appreciate our taxes being reduced even a slight amount. I am sorry if this has somehow offended anyone.

Next, the SECRET MEETINGS. Wow, that all sounds really covert and very mysterious doesn't it. But the FACT of the matter is, in todays business world any companies considering locating in Connersville (or any city) DEMAND that we keep things out of the public view until they make all their arrangement and finalize all the details. Heck there is nothing I'd love more then to blab the news, but I have to abide by the companies wishes to keep my silence.......

Perhaps, just perhaps Connersville has nothing to offer you, but I am sure a majority of the 15,400 people that currently live here, stay because they see a future in our city, and not the bleak, dark, sky is falling around our ears that you espouse. Maybe the Silver lining is here, you just refuse to see it. Funny thing is, I've never seen you at a single meeting to help improve our community, nor have I ever had the pleasure of seeing you attend a City Council meeting to get the facts.

Sign, Sign Everywhere A Sign......!

Several people have stopped and asked me "where are all your political signs?". The answer is, I have them, I just choose to honor the agreement made by the previous Central Committee Chairmen and wait 30 days prior to the election. Besides, just like everyone else, I get tired of seeing all the signs out in everyone's yards and properties. 30 days should be more then enough time for people to count how many signs a candidate puts out. Also, a political old timer once told me years ago, "signs don't vote!". Still some people think that signs are an important part of the political process. So you'll be seeing those ELLISON for MAYOR signs out the first week of April.

By the way, if you would like to have one of my signs, just let me know and I'll put you on my list of people wanting to support my campaign.

More Great News!

The first of what I hope to be several announcments was made this week. Indalex announced they are investing 22 million dollars in Connersville and will hire 60+ NEW employees. The Governor was here and reiterated that several other jobs projects are pending and he is excited about the direction that Connersville is going. Pretty positive comments from the Governor I'd say. Especially considering some people in our community that are running for office are ready to bury our community and put a headstone underneath the City Limits sign at all the entrances to our community!

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited about what is happening in Connersville. The County Commissioners voted to approve the re-zone for the Agri-Energy Park and we might see dirt being moved at the site in the very near future.

Why live in Connersville??!!??

Over the weekend, I had an opportunity to speak a few moments with a sharp young professional that asked me a rather pointed question. It wasn't that I had not heard the question before, it was simply the way he phrased it that made me stop a second and ponder an answer. He started by saying, "you know Mayor, I know that both your son and daughter and their spouses live out of Connersville. They are like a lot of people that were born and raised in Connersville and decided not to return home after college." Then came the question I have been asked many times before. "I have a degree, my wife has a degree and I ask myself, why should we live in Connersville"?

I thought about the answer to that question the rest of the day. And I have to admit, there is no "one size fits all" answer. Everyone living in Connersville is here for reasons that are as unique as each individual. Some are here to be close to family and relatives. Some are here because it's a safe place to raise a family. Some are here because the have invested in a home, or perhaps started a business. Everyone of us are here because we have choosen to be here rather then somewhere else. No one forces us to stay, we stay because we choose too.

When the young man asked me the question, it was as if he was looking for a legitimate reason to be here rather then an answer to why he stayed here. I am sure my answer wasn't really sufficient, but being a polite fellow he smiled, we finished our conversation and he left with the item he came to barrow for a few days.

Connersville is a comfortable community. And the facts are, even with all its percieved problems such as high property taxes, high utilities and high home costs, we still rank one of the lowest in the state for utilities and home costs are still a good value. Oh, the doomsdayers like to quote that the forclosure rate is the highest in the state and that there are an unprecidented number of houses for sale. But the facts just don't bare that out. I recently talked to several realators and they are setting record home sales for January and February 2007.

Personally, I'm here because I love this community. My wife and I could live about anywhere, and we choose to stay here. I have family here, and I raised my kids in a safe enviornment and built a successful business here. When I think of home, Connersville is what I see in my minds eye.

Only you can say why you stay, and maybe we need to ask ourselves that very question, "why do I stay here"? I'll bet if we compare our little city to others there are lots of good reasons we stay here. And if it is worth staying here, perhaps its worth being positive about and fighting for to make it even better?

My First Entry!

Well today marks the first entry into a new era in electronic information, well at least for me. Even though I have been dabbling in computers and the internet since the early 1980's, I've never taken the time to create a "blog". I thought with so many people having access to the interent this would be yet another great way to get our message out. I hope this blog is another "Positive Tool" that can dispell some of the rumors and otherwise false information that seems to surface, particularly during a local election.

I've been receiving a lot of complaints at city hall regarding political signs. People are wondering why they have been put out so early. Unfortunately, city ordinance states that political signs can be used "60 days prior to the election date". However, it has been a gentleman's agreement between Central Committee chairs that we should wait until 30 days to reduce the publics frustrations of having to look at these signs for the full 60 days.

If it were up to me, they would be banned completely. I realize that many people feel signs are a necessary part of the campaign process, but I know you are as tired of looking at them as I am and they only make the city look like a giant flea market. At the very least, I think we should honor the agreement made years ago, and only put them out 30 days before the election.