Ligonier Mayoral Election

[Ligonite]

Patty,

You're kidding about bringing their own translator, right? Be realistic - a large number of residents of this community speak Spanish. These people live here, work here, and are trying to raise families here. Don't you feel a little responsible to be able to communicate in a basic way with them? I bet that if the tables were turned, and you were living in another (non-English-speaking) country with a large number of English-speaking people, you would appreciate a little consideration for your native language when it comes to essential communication.

As far as a census, informal data would be perfectly OK, and it would not cost a lot of money. You seem to be focused on the census as a way of getting more tax dollars - a noble goal but hardly the most important one. It's the distribution of people (i.e. demographics) from a census that is useful in making decisions. We have city employees who travel every inch of every block on a regular basis. Do some estimating based on various bits of information (water usage will tell you about how many people live in a home, for instance). Follow a school bus on any given day and count the number of kids going to each school - or use the school's data to get a headcount and estimate the number of children and households. It's not rocket science, but those numbers are far more useful than anything the federal government is generating. I think the city has spent far too much time and money in the past focused on some narrow special interests, and has overlooked some things that would benefit more people across the board.

How about answering (in this thread) the questions posed to Margarita in the other thread? And while we're at it, tell us the top two or three most pressing issues that need to be addressed in Ligonier. You don't have to say specifically what you would do, but at least call them out so we know where your priorities lie. That information would be helpful in informing voters like myself.

[matt_s]

I spent a year in a foreign country as an exchange student. Not once did I expect that the documents or the people that I had to interact with on official business (ID Card, registering for school, etc.) to conduct that business or have that documentation in a language other than the one native to that country.

You speak of being realistic, but would providing a translator for one group of people necessarily be discrimination against all of the other groups that you do not provide the service for? There are hundreds of different languages spoken and written in various locations around the globe. It is not realistic to assume that any community can provide a translator for them all.

I agree that it would be nice to have translators or people that are fluent in various languages available at government offices but that is a luxury and not a necessity.

[pattyfisel]

Greetings to all from Patty Fisel Republican Candidate for Mayor of Ligonier!
The "thread" Ligoner Mayoral Primary Election will be re-named - Republican Mayoral Candidate for Ligonier That's where all my replies will be posted.
I will monitor this thread but not reply here to avoid confusion. Let it be known, I have a lot of respect for Margarita and know she has a real commitment to Ligonier. I look forward to the challenge of running against her for the position of Mayor of Ligonier!! I also look forward to all that can be learned from the debate of this forum. Hopefully, many others will take the opportunity to voice their opinions. I'm going on vacation a couple days but will respond to any questions as soon as I return! God bless you as you enjoy this Memorial Holiday and remember all those who have and are serving to secure our freedom!!

[matt_s]

Would people mind if I merged the two threads together, or would you prefer to have separate threads for each candidate?

Just thought I'd ask.

[matt_s]

Hi folks, just a quick question from your friendly local neighborhood Forum Admin. Would ou object to merging the two mayoral threads into a single thread or would you prefer that they were kept seperate?

Just looking for input. Thanks in advnace.

[margaritawhite]

Fought70 and others, who have been waiting for my response, let me first apologize for the delays. Hopefully, most are aware of the Taste of Noble County Ethnic Festival that Celebrate Diversity Project hosted this past weekend. As the director of CDP, my responsibilities regarding the festival had to take a higher priority.

You asked how I felt about the current department heads, and who I would replace if elected. I am sorry but I will not answer a loaded question like that. As far as the department heads are concerned, as I said earlier in this forum I would evaluate every department and department head when elected.

As for the condition of our streets in Ligonier, I would like to see that the construction on Grand street completed. The next course of action would be to evaluate the streets, prioritize those in need of repair, and determine how budget dollars can be allocated to make the needed repairs.

I love the idea of the Riverwalk Project. I think that city funds when available should be used to revitalize city property like the river bank.

My stance on abortion, gay rights, marriage, and family: I am a God fearing woman and member of Trinity Assembly of God church. I read my Bible daily and try to base my life and beliefs on its teachings. Based on those principals, I do not believe in abortion and believe that God ordained marriage as a union between a man and a woman. However, it is not my place to judge. That is up to God himself.

As for family, I agree that our society has seen the family unit slipping away. Families are different today then they were 20 years ago. Many family units are broken. “Blended” families are common and many people live away from family members. As individuals we can not fix every broken home or heal every lonely person. However, we can proactively seek out those people and “invite” them into our families. How? Mentor a young person, welcome a neighborhood child, talk with an elderly neighbor, encourage grandparent relationships even when the child is not their “real” grandchild. As a parent, I pray and ask God to give me the wisdom that I need to no only lead my life, but help to teach my children the right way.

As for government, I pray for the leaders of our country every day because they need our prayers and the Bible tells us we need to pray for our leaders. Are there problems with big government? Of course there are. How is it changed…..one person at a time. Whether it is big government or local government does not matter. What matters are what we as individuals are doing to help. If more people would get out and vote and be more concerned with our government, economy, and things maybe things wouldn’t be this bad. Apathy is the real challenge.

You are correct in saying that small businesses are the backbone of our economy. If elected I would do what I can to help them be successful, but I would also work to bring big industry into our area. There is a place for both in our community.

Again I apologize for the delay in responding. For those that are concerned with the length of my responses, I will try to keep things short. However, I counted twelve questions in Fought 70 post that needed a response.

[margaritawhite]

Matt,
I do not mind if you put the two threads together.
Margarita

[Ligonite]

Chris et al,

The issue of language barriers is not nearly as profound as some folks here would paint them to be. I belong to a church that has a great number of Spanish-speaking members who are also residents of this community. I can tell you that we have found it far more effective to be open and welcoming to a different culture than to be off-putting and high-handed. In a community such as ours, it would seem to be nearly a requirement that someone in the city government be able to communicate bi-lingually. That does not mean that you hire a translator, but that you make it a job requirement for at least one person to be able to communicate with the Spanish-speaking residents of this community. For heaven's sake, we already do more than that in the public schools!

As far as defining "issues", I care less about people's attitudes and more about their ability to DO THE JOB. And part of the job is cutting through the platitudes and "purpose-driven" jargon that permeates far too much of our society. I wish a candidate would plainly say "we need to reduce our water and sewer rates" or "we need to increase spending on our streets by 25%" that to give me a lecture on "attitudes". I am convinced we can be a model community, but all of the idealistic talk in the world isn't going to correct the problems we are facing. We need to take a long, hard, fac****ased look at where we are and figure out how to move beyond to a better place.

Here's an example of the kind of fac****ased creativity that I expect from a city leader. Following the lead of other communities in other places, I propose that the city investigate setting up a revolving loan account using CEDIT funds to encourage businesses and homeowners to invest in our community. The account could be used to make low (or no) interest loans to small businesses that locate within the city. Keep the loan amount small enough so that if a business defaults, the city is not out much. You could do something similar for homeowers - make low (or no) interest loans for home improvements. Make it a requirement that the homeowner have lived here for at least 2 years prior to applying for the loan, and use some basic financial criteria for determining who qualifies and the maximum amount that could be borrowed.

I am convinced there are dozens of ideas like this one that are worth investigating. I'd like to hear the candidates propose things like this that can be debated. How on earth can anyone debate "negative attitudes"?

[matt_s]

I definitely think that it would be useful to have somebody on staff that is bi-lingual. I'm all for making government easier to interact with. I still have enough problems with some of the forms I have filled out over the years. I can't imagine how simple things like building permits and zoning/easement variances would be to somebody who doesn't speak english.

I just don't think I would be in favor of making language a policy by making it a job requirement. It would definitely be a good tie-breaker between equally qualified candidates.

From an economic development and community development angle, seed loans can be a very useful tool. I am a big fan if they are implemented properly. One thing to keep in mind though. They can be very labor intensive to process the applications and maintain the documentation and reporting required by the source of the funds. Sometimes to the point of necessitating a full time staff person to oversee, depending on the scope of the programs. When you measure the need and impact of this type of program please remember to fold in these costs and the impact of lost opportunities and capacities due to staff attention in new areas. This is something that I have seen communities trip over.

I wish the future mayor of Ligonier luck. I grew up in a fairly large city and have been living in smaller communities ever since college. I have found that I really enjoy the small community environment. I have even spent some time working for a city government. Community leadership can be a thankless job with an odd mix of risk and rewards. It is definitely not for everybody.

Those that are willing to step forward should be embraced by their communities. They are a resource and a treasure that the community should stand behind even if they don't always agree with everything that the leader proposes (this doesn't mean they should blindly and silently follow either). Community government requires an active participation of all of the stakeholders not just those that were elected to serve.

[pattyfisel]

Matt, Just got back from a short vacation. It is fine with me that we put the two threads together. I was hoping we could do that. I'm in the process of moving my Antique business back to the 212 S. Cavin St. location, but will do my best to keep up with every ones post questions. I really appreciate the opportunity to debate in this forum! Thanks for your input, I respect your views very much. patty

[pattyfisel]

Concerning Department Heads
As stated before, the Supreme Court has placed significant limitations on the power of incoming officials to make immediate changes in the personal working for municipalities. There are statutes which impose conditions on specific positions within a city. However, a Mayor can transfer or demote municipal employees. The Board of Works is responsible for hiring and firing. The Mayor as a member of the board has one vote, but also has the power of appointment in the other 2 voting members. As Mayor I would get to know each employee and department before making any changes. Is the Department head respected by their employees? How is their job performance? Are they team players? How does the taxpayer who pays them view their service? Do they practice good fiscal responsibility? Job replacement should only come after consultation with the City Attorney and prayerful consideration.

Regarding bad streets:
Good streets are expected of taxpaying citizens. Streets in good condition are
required for prompt responds time for police, fire and emergency vehicles. We should have a priority list. Many citizens want new streets and side walks but don't understand assessment comes with the deal. Property owners are required to pay half the cost of new curbs and sidewalks. Understanding the financial structure of every department is important. State and Federal laws can mandate projects that come with deadlines and NO FUNDING! That's why I feel it is so important for us (the Mayor, Department Heads and YOU-THE CITIZENS) to be involved in the law making process. These laws have a direct effect on your taxes and service. Good Department Heads should set their own priorities, and be responsible for the day to day operation of that department. Is there a priority list? Do we pave alleys first or repair/replace main streets? Are we exploring all options for funding? What are other cities doing to meet their problems? Are we looking to learn from their success and failure? The Mayor, Board of Works and City Council should all be aware of what is happening in EVERY department.

Do I approve of the River walk Project? Will I allow funding from the city for maintenance? Yes I do! Yes I would, if funding was available. The opportunity to receive a $200-300,000.00 Grant could be the turning point for all the effort made by Future Ligonier Alliance! This project fits perfect with the Discovery Express project and could make Ligonier a "destination" instead of a "drive-through" It can also open the door to many outdoor activities and new retail business we now lack. Having been involved in many other projects I believe this project will be funded through private donations and in-kind service. Volunteer labor reduces the cost of these types of projects greatly. Ligonier is fortunate in the fact we have many people who are willing to volunteer. They have the expertise to make this a successful project. When a community takes ownership through labor and funding, they will most likely take responsibility for maintenance.

Due to time issues I am choosing to reply to the rest of the questions in my next post. Thanks for listening and I look forward to your input.

[matt_s]

Ok, I have merged the two threads. If anybody notices anything missing or somehow changed please let me know.

[pattyfisel]

Matt, Thanks for doing this for us! Please disregard the question on merging the 2 threads from your e-mail concerning the cards! Hope everyone can benefit from this forum! patty

[pattyfisel]

Continue questions responds to fought70 from patty fisel

I am a lifetime member of Burr Oak Church (N.W. of Ligonier) Served on the Church Board and as a Sunday School teacher. I attended Bible Study Fellowship for 5 years (4 in Leadership). As a Christian raised in a Christian home, my faith is a very important part of who I am.

Reference Abortion:
I believe God created man and life begins at conception. To terminate any life for the sake of convenience goes against Biblical principle. I am Pro-Life.
Gay Rights:
God's Word is Truth and He ordained marriage between a man and women. Scripture addresses a relationship contrary to His plan as an abomination. I respect others right to choose their own life style. However God sets the rules and I believe it's our responsibility to obey them.

Family:
God's plan for the family was designed with a purpose. The foundation blocks include: Love of God and His Church - Marriage between a man and women - Love for one another - pro-creation - commitment - respect. The above issues threaten the family, but so do today's economic pressures and divided families. We need to make every effort to protect and build-up families.

Big Government:
If we all lived by the principles of 1 Timothy 5:8 we wouldn't need "big government" to take care of so many people. Big government is a result of citizens turning their responsibility over to others. We the citizens elect those who "grow big government".

Small business:
As a small business owner for over 20 years I am well aware how 'BIG" small business is. The economic value ranks higher than most people realize. In Ligonier we need to MARKET our small businesses as well as our city.
Growing small business adds tax revenue.

[pattyfisel]

With less than 3 months till the Nov. election I find the Election Poll very interesting. The most effective effort to receive votes according to the poll is:#1 Community Service #2 Debates & #3 Door to Door. I feel confident about my track record for #1 and hope we can set a time for #2. My question is: Where should it be held, what day of the week and what time should a debate be scheduled?
Going door to door takes a lot of time and it's really difficult to catch people at home. (Using the latest #s there are 4,500 citizens in the city of Ligonier. Of that # 1,624 are registered to vote. 301 persons voted in the primary election. Only those citizens living within the corporate city limits can vote.) I'm willing to go door to door but feel there may be a more creative way to garner votes. How about a "tailgate party in each district"? Do you have any ideas??? Thanks for your in-put. patty

[pattyfisel]

For the Marshmallow Festival I worked the Republican booth. We presented a "fun ballot" to help kids learn about the voting process. ( I helped with the Kid City booth in Kendallville and we borrowed the idea from there). The results were the same, as far as Mickey Mouse winning Mayor over Donald Duck. But, what lessons there are to be learned from these kids!!
One little girl was reluctant to vote because she didn't know "how to vote". I explained she simple needed to decide who would make a better Mayor - Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, and she could vote for only one. She study the choices, looked up, waited for eye contact and stated, "Well, I'm not voting for Donald because he's to grouchy!!"
Later, I ask a young boy if he would like to vote, he immediately responded, "Yes". When presented a ballot he explained he knew just what to do. He stated he was voting for Mickey because he was the smartest. When he hesitated a little on choosing a City Clerk/ Treasurer, I reminded him, "This person will be taking care of your tax money". His very quick response was, "Well! - I'd just as soon take care of my own money!!"
Another lesson learned: They only voted for who they knew!
In Ligonier's Primary election only 301 persons voted - out of 1,624 registered voters. In our election "for fun" 218 kids voted.
It was a fun time and I want to thank the many parents who "played along" helping to introduce their kids to the election process.
Hopefully, more people will vote on Nov. 6th!

[pattyfisel]

Just want to give everyone who checks out this thread an up date going into the Nov. 6th Election.
The latest City Council Budget meetings and other recent events have renewed my desire to win this campaign! I am more convinced than ever Ligonier needs a working Mayor, elected officials & employees who realize they work for the taxpayer. And it's the taxpayers dollars their spending!

Cutting budgets is never an easy process, but it seems some pre-planning would make it easier.
City financing is a huge problem and the reasons are many. Over-spending can be one, although it seems, most departments worked hard to eliminate waste.
Not taking advantage of passed grant opportunities is part of the problem. The prevailing idea that seeking grants will make my taxes go up is just not true. If Ligonier doesn't apply, the grant will just go to someone else.

Waste comes when a city lacks good planning. Spending tax dollars to replace or repair streets then tearing it up a short time later for new water and/or sewer lines, doesn't make sense.
Pro-active Planning and a Master Plan for infrastructure are needed.

How about some local representation on the State level??
Federal and State mandates without funding should be protested.

Remember: Political sign shouldn't go up until 30 days before an election !
(I don't care for them either. Mine will all be removed the next
day)
Deadline for voter registration is Oct. 8th
Thanks for checking in. If you can vote for me, please do! Patty Fisel

[Ligonite]

Yes, the election is getting closer. But I'm still not convinced that anyone has the backbone to do what is going to be necessary when it comes to city finances. Patty raises a good point about grants, and also about so-called "unfunded mandates". Unfortunately, most folks do not grasp the connection between them, and that's part of my concern.

Grants can be a good thing, but only if they do not bind you to making future expenses that are not covered by the grant itself. Take for example, the grant that paid for a school resource officer. These COPS grants usually cover the first 3 years, with the 4th and subsequent years paid for by the local government. Now if such a position had already been planned and budgeted, then the grant makes sense, because the local government had already been planning to take on the additional expense. But if it was not planned, then the money becomes a catalyst for accruing an ADDITIONAL expense that was not budgeted. And usually, the thinking goes like "We'll figure out how to pay for this when the time comes." By that time, the position has become so entrenched that it becomes virtually impossible to decide against it, even if there is no funding available for it. So we take the money from some other department (can you say "streets"?) and complain about how hard it is to balance our budgets. There are a lot of good ideas (and an SRO is one of them), but if you can't afford them, then they are not really "needs", but "wants".

It's this type of spending that leads to the so-called "unfunded mandates". The most recent of these is a thing called "full day kindergarten" or FDK. (I realize this is not a city issue, but it will illustrate the point). Remember that FDK is an option, not a requirement, and not everyone thinks FDK is a good idea. In any case, this year the state offers to pay a large amount for districts to implement FDK. Maybe they even offer to do so next year as well. So the school district, thinking it is getting a bargain, chooses to take the money and impement FDK. At some point, the state will stop providing this funding, the cost will go directly back to the school district (i.e. the local taxpayers), and everyone will howl about another "unfunded mandate".

IMHO, if you don't want "unfunded mandates", then stop taking the state (or federal) money for things which are not strictly necessary. Learn to pay locally for what you need locally, and limit the grants for things that you can do without if you don't get (or continue to get) the money. We should not be using grants to cover operational, recurring costs. It's analogous to a drug pusher offering a free trial - it sounds great at first, but once you get hooked, you can't live without that expenditure, and that's when you really start to pay.....

[pattyfisel]

Ligonite,
Should I take the bait - to convince you I have the backbone to do this job? For the challenge of it I'll try. But first let me say I believe you are right on concerning grants and so called "unfunded mandates".

Here then are events from my life that may convince you to give me a chance. Only because I'm offering myself as a public servant, do I feel obligated to share.

I was born in 1941 and my Father served in WWII from 1942-1944. I remember living through the depression. Even children learn a lot about money management during a depression. My family taught love of God, family & country. I have a brother & 3 sisters, I know how to share. Work ethics were taught at a very young age.
Necessity is the mother of invention. We made do with what we had and learned the difference between "need and greed" early on.

Tom & I married and had 3 children. Our 1st, a son, was born with cerebral palsy. I learned about "unfunded mandates" in the 1960's. Then, it was called "Special Education". It took years of letter writing and phone calls before a bill was passed to fund it. Thank God He gave us the courage to
not give up.

I passed the Indiana State Life Insurance test in a room of all men. (men do not intimidate me)
The salesmanship classes I attended taught me an important life skill -"PRESISTANCE PAYS"

In 1963 we lost our home and everything we owned in a fire. I learned the value of life and the insignificance of "material things". I also learned the importance of being humble. It's rewarding to give - it takes humility to receive.

5 yrs. of Bible Study Fellowship gave me 4 yrs. of solid leadership training.

Sorg Products closed and I lost my job of 20 yr. Besides losing half our income, there were no jobs in this area in the commercial art field.
I learned how to start over.

I've owned my own retail business for many years. I know how to budget.

Buying and restoring 2 building and a home has taught me lots of lessons in management.

Now you have to decide if the record of my 20 + years of service to this community, as listed before, plus the above qualifies me or not.

Respectfully submitted, patty fisel

[pattyfisel]

You're Invited to a Republican Sponsored "Meet the Candidates" to be held Tues. Oct 9th. This will be a question and answer session. Voter maps of the city will be available and other information. Time is 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Ligonier Sports and Rec. Center - 520 Union St.
All 3 Republican candidates will be present.

Voter wilI be electing candidates for just 3 offices to serve in 2008.
Patty Fisel (R) -- Margarita (Pena) White (D)
Norma Brady (R) --- Sue Patrick (D)
Glenn Longardner (R) --- Donna Funk (D)

Please join us! Election day is Nov. 6th