LETTER TO EDITOR- REPUBLICAN COMMITTEEMAN SUPPORTS BRUCE UNGETHIEM

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seanselbypictureFellow Vanderburgh County Residents:

Speaking as a former candidate for public office and a precinct committeeman within the Republican Party, I wanted to weigh in on a critical race that affects all of us in Vanderburgh County. Considering my profession, many have asked for me to give my opinion in the commissioner race in light of Marsha Abell’s recent remark that ‘high-tech computer people don’t produce a dime’, so I felt compelled write a few lines to respond to those many requests. Of course, we all know that the technology field is in fact both productive and desirable for cities such as Evansville and it’s certainly bringing in ample tax revenue. But, it is also changing rapidly and still in its infancy, so it’s sometimes hard to understand all of the elements of it and how critical it now is to our infrastructure.

High-tech computer fields like those represented by my business integriCORE, are taught right here in Evansville at local colleges and universities like USI where I got my degree. They are critical to providing the necessary infrastructure for companies and organizations that I work with, for example, which specialize in all types of productive enterprise from small businesses to healthcare and educational institutions. These businesses and organizations also employ many hard-working taxpaying citizens who raise families and spend money here helping to make our community better. In fact, I recall seeing a recent survey that found a pluarality of the higher income fields nationwide are in the ‘high-tech’ categories and attracting them would absoulutely be a net positive for our community. I’m certain that despite what she said, Mrs. Abell must understand the underlying positive impact these types of businesses and this type of industry has on Evansville. Plus, she has to know that it would negatively impact businesses in those fields trying to relocate to Evansville if someone in government leadership were aversed to them being here.

To give an example, I was aware of a particular situation recently where a premiere high-tech provider of electronic and computer equipment, Newegg.com, recently shopped around Indiana because of our pro-business low-tax nature, but they ultimately settled on Indianapolis for a new facility. Had someone in Evansville who understood and was favorable to those needs been reaching out to Newegg.com, those 150 high-tech jobs starting at no less than $11.25/hour could have been added to the tax base here. Furthermore, we all know that our statewide ‘brain-drain’ problem can always use a correction.

As someone who had helped with previous campaigns of Marsha’s (still even having the campaign t-shirt), I am not sure if she realized her comment that “our community cannot survive on retired people” would affect so many. I just recently met someone who followed his retired parents here from California and he and his siblings are very productive citizens appreciative of our community, so the free market will certainly work these things out naturally over time. I’ve known others who have retired here because it is known as a great place to retire to and listed as a top destination for retirees. Plus, we all know that retired folks have paid in incredible amounts in taxes over their lives already and still do with property taxes regardless of their profession, not to mention purchases, which help local businesses to pay taxes locally.

So, considering the proximity of these controversial statements to the primary election, I was sure that Mrs. Abell would issue a retraction which was offered by the City County Observer like was done with the medical school location controversy. However, it appeared that another course was chosen when at a similar meeting where she was speaking they mandated recording devices be turned off completely to avoid further comments being recorded. All things considered, it became abundantly clear that we need a few changes in leadership because we need a consistent messenger and forward thinker interested in “good public policy”.  Now more than ever, we need someone who will take a more inclusive view of their fellow citizens they represent, regardless of their profession or status within the community. I wish nothing but the best to Marsha Abell personally as she and those in her family that I know are good people, but for the sake of Vanderburgh County another voice is needed at this time to better represent us.

So, as primary day approaches us quickly on this upcoming Tuesday, I believe we all should weigh these important factors before voting and consider Bruce Ungethiem as being worthy of your vote. More than a decade ago, Bruce and I were both concurrent volunteers in the John Hostettler campaign and as long as I’ve known him he has been a steadfast supporter a limited, transparent, and accountable government. This leaves no doubt to me and many others that he is clearly a committed Republican. We all got to know more about Bruce’s work ethic and principled stand with the CORE (Citizens Opposing Reorganization of Evansville) effort opposing the expansion of governmental power in fewer hands that would have inevitably happened if the city and county had been consolidated. Bruce has shown that he can gather people to work together on issues when 2 out of every 3 of the citizens in Vanderburgh County voted with him against consolidation. He even took it another step further in working with Governor Mike Pence who then signed the Government Modernization Act reducing the chances of consolidation happening in the future in Evansville and Vanderburgh County.

We are also extremely fortunate to have someone as a candidate in the race with a clear vision that has attracted numerous groups like the Fraternal Order of Police and Farm Bureau to fully endorse him. It is also great see such a committed family man with a history of putting his community first as a volunteer fireman running in the race. He will also bring to the table the many decades at an Evansville business like Mead Johnson and all the business experience that entails. It is clear that Bruce Ungethiem will take a reasonable approach to handling county government and his accolades in so many areas all make him an excellent candidate. I encourage my fellow voters to cast your vote for Bruce Ungethiem as I believe he will be someone who will do what his website says: he will listen to the people; he will do things right; and most importantly: he will do the right things.

Sincerely,

Sean Selby

Evansville, IN

Editors Footnote: This letter is posted by the CCO, Without opinion, bias or editing. The CCO invites any candidate or their supporters to submit a letter to the editor and we will publish.

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39 COMMENTS

    • Thank you, Mitch. It is wonderful that tonight’s results placing Bruce nearly 10 points ahead of Marsha helped remove any doubt that a majority of the good people of Vanderburgh County were with us.

  2. I’m impressed that the way Sean has made the point how he feel that Mrs. Abell let him down. To be honest I was going to vote for Marsha but after reading Mr. Selbys letter I shall be voting for Mr. Ungethiem.

    • Thanks, Mike. This meant quite a bit that you were moved by the letter to do so and I’m sure Mr. Ungethiem appreciated your important vote among the 3,434 that were cast for him.

  3. I’ve always thought Ungethiem was the candidate we needed to attract a wide array of bipartisan support for someone not in the machine. And with someone like Sean Shelby who is highly respected both in the Republican Party and private sector, it seems like Ungethiem is the perfect fit for the County Commission.

    Sean, with all this talk about how we HAVE to build the med school downtown because that’s what 21st century students want, isn’t a bit odd that Winnecke talked last campaign about a tech park along I-69 while the Hercules Motor Plant district sits and rots despite good rail access, good road access, good neighbor access, and good rail and road access to the airport and future slack water port?

    Shouldn’t we be building a tech park like Indy’s 16 Tech or Dayton’s Downtown Tech park?

    • Rails,

      You bring up some very valid objectives to help revitalized Evansville if infrastructure sits available. Hopefully, Commissioner-elect Ungethiem will look at some of these proposals that you suggest to see what will be best for the city and county, especially with engineering and management skills he has available. Perhaps he will even have ideas of how we can attract technology businesses to Evansville to provide another source of high-tech computer jobs using facilities like you mentioned.

  5. Thanks Sean for taking a positive stand for good government and good public policy.

    Marsha please pay special attention to the incoming votes from the rural section of the county election night. You shall see that farmers will get off their tractors and vote early. Marsha will learn election night that the early bird gets the worm. I’m glad to be a hard working rural conservative Republican farmer who demands honest government. Marsha Abell has let us down and needs to go. Also Wayne Parke needs to go with her.

    Please join me and vote for Bruce Ungethiem as our next County Commissioner.

    • Very well put, “country.” I am no Republican, by any stretch of the imagination, and it has been a long time since I had any family ties to agriculture. I was struck by the statement about farmers being too lazy to vote, though. I have never heard the phrase “lazy farmer” before. The two words don’t fit together. My grandparents literally worked themselves to death on their Western Kentucky farm.
      I voted for Mr. U and I have asked my children and grandchildren who remain here, as well as my friends and neighbors to do the same. It hasn’t been easy explaining to people who do not follow politics closely why it is in everyone’s best interest to get involved in a local Republican primary, but I’m doing my best.

    • County,

      Thank you for your very nice comment. Also, thanks go to you for taking a stand for honest government and doing what you did to help put Bruce over the top today. It is clear that you aware of some of the issues we have been facing within the Republican Party here locally and the results seem to indicate without question we need to be addressing many of them soon for the betterment of Evansville and Vanderburgh County.

  6. County but proud what an impressive post. I totally agree its time that Marsha and Wayne are sent packing. As a local farmer i’m still upset that Marsha and the Mayor tried to force consolidated City and County government on us. I also agree that Mrs. Abell better get ready to see the rural voters vote in large numbers for Mr. Ungethiem for City Commissioner. We also are still upset that she and the Mayor supported taking the Homestead Tax Credit behind close doors. Its time for change.

  7. Impressive letter to the CCO Editor. Looks like Mr. Parkes is having a major break in the ranks. Thanks to Mr. Shelby for standing up for what he believes in.

  8. It will be interesting to see the final tally between Bruce and Abell. Any bets the outcome will reflect the current CCO poll? If it does you can be sure the current machine will take that as a call to arms.

    • I don’t think the CCO poll is at all reflective of the final outcome in this election. The voters in this poll are far better informed than the average voter.
      I think this is going to be close, because of the last-minute-pulling-out-of-the-stops on the GOP’s part. It is amazing how much money is being sunk into a primary election, and it speaks volumes of the desperation those who have a strangle hold on the City and County feel. They are clearly beside themselves to keep their puppet on the stage. It appears to me to be the County version of the last Mayoral election. If a good man wins, he will endanger their profitable status-quo.
      I think Mr. Ungetheim will win, but I think it will be fairly close. I hope I’m wrong, because the wider his margin, the better it bodes for our future.
      The light early-voting turnout really does concern me, though. I think Mr. U will carry the majority of the early votes cast, but I expect Ms. Abell will get more of the votes cast on Tuesday.

  9. $11.25 an hour is not my idea of a good job, especially in the tech sector. I would hope we could attract better than that.

    • I wondered about that, too. Yesterday, when I was shopping at Aldi’s, they had up a flier seeking applications for cashiers and shift managers. Their starting pay is $11.00/hr, with benefits. Shift managers hire in at $14.95/hr, plus benefits.
      Evansville could use 150 new jobs, but $11.25/hr isn’t anything to brag about.

      • Is it better than a SNAP card, Medicaid, and the rest of the free things one can get if they know how to work the system without working?

        Part of the problem with low wage jobs is that handouts pay better than work. I don’t know what a grocery bagger should be paid, but I do know work is more valuable than sitting on your ass. If the handouts were reduced to say 50% of the minimum wage, that minimum wage would look a whole lot better that gaming the system.

        • I just continue to be amazed at the constant focus in the lower classes and the poor while the oligarchs, lie cheat, steal, swindle and rig the system to bilk the American people out of trillions yeah you read that correctly TRILLIONS.

          They’ve bilked us all for about $10-20T

          That’s $33,000 to $64,000 for every man, woman and child in the entire US and you guys???? You cheer them on while they do it.!!???

          Now Chairman Rinse and Eddi Munster want to strip away the last vestiges of SS, Medicare and middle class benefits and there you are supporting them every step of the way Ummmmm Yummy satan sanwhiches from the Republican party thank you so much Chairman Rinse! Oh here let me help you I always like my satan sandwiches extra tangy sauce.

          We showed those libs and the poor people huh? No soup for you!!

          ==============================
          Unfreakin…believable SMH

      • So raising the minimum wage would not to anything for these jobs expect turn them into a near minimum wage worker instead of someone making 50% above the minimum. It is jobs like these which by local standards are okay by as you say “nothing to brag about” which will be screwed by raising the minimum.

    • If you really want hilarious look at the flyer from 2012 with Abell endorsing consolidated government and contrast that with her recent flyer swearing to oppose all future annexation or consolidation attempts. Marsha is Winnecke’s puppet and even reverses herself to try to appease the county voters whom she clearly tried her best to screw last time around.

    • And right on cue that multi-election losing Lon Walthers was person #1 to share it. Quit kissing rear and go back to what you stood for Lon!!!!

    • It seems like all their fb site does is promote Phyllip Davis’ little hotel-med school glory group. So much for conservative values. I can see why the party bosses love Davis. All he does is glorify their pet projects.

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