Vanderburgh County Could Be Headed Toward Mounting Economic Hardship
By Karen Reising-Democratic Candidate for Vanderburgh County Council, District 1
Speaking at the Economic Club of Indiana, David Ricks, CEO of Eli Lilly & Co., added his voice to the number of researchers, labor officials, and educators who have been warning Indiana politicians for years of a looming crisis: Residents could face mounting economic hardship due to a mass departure of employers and the failure to compete with other states to attract new business.
Large employers like Eli Lilly are being repelled by Indiana’s lack of educational attainment, inadequate workforce training, and low wages. These companies depend on our government to provide educational opportunities and quality of life amenities to recruit and retain employees.
A state or local government that won’t prioritize these investments dooms itself to a downward spiral—a complex chain of events that drags the area’s economy down to new lows.
Here locally, the Vanderburgh County Council’s record on such critical funding has too often been inadequate. Responsible for taxing, budgeting, and spending, the County Council is the ultimate decision-maker regarding fiscal affairs; it sets the priorities for the allocation of county funds. So when the County Commissioners propose such initiatives as improving our roadways and sewers, increasing broadband access, expanding the county jail, or raising salaries for law enforcement and staff so they won’t look elsewhere for better-paying jobs, those projects can’t move forward unless the Council approves the funds.
And the fact is, over the decades and under the leadership of my opponent, the Council has consistently underfunded, delayed, or blocked programs essential to Vanderburgh County’s overall health. A recent study undertaken for the Vanderburgh County sheriff’s office estimated that over 70% of our jail population is dealing with mental health and/or substance abuse issues which accounts for our high recidivism rates. Aside from the recent boost in funding provided through the American Rescue Plan, our local treatment programs have been underfunded and understaffed for years, negatively impacting our county both socially and economically. Mental health and substance abuse issues tear families apart and weaken our workforce. Businesses need to be able to count on a robust, healthy, and sustainable talent pipeline to staff their operations; family members need to be able to count on each other. To strengthen our economy, we must first strengthen our families by adequately funding treatment programs designed to address these issues.
My opponent has been the Councilmember for District 1 for thirty-two years and no one has run against him in twelve years, which means that the voters of the west side of the county haven’t had a choice in who represents them. At a time of high levels of public mistrust in the government, we cannot afford to re-elect a politician who ignores important social and health needs, refuses to seek our input or feedback, and consistently delays and defers decisions that would address the problems we’re facing.
I grew up here in Evansville, and the values my family and community taught me have shaped my life. My parents modeled hard work and perseverance, with my dad and his brothers keeping their graphic arts business going for over forty-five years, and my mom spending decades as an R.N. caring for our neighbors at the McCurdy Nursing Home. I graduated from Memorial High School and earned a BA from Indiana University and an MA from Georgetown. I built my own twenty-seven-year career—first with a Washington, DC consulting firm and then with Lucent Technologies, developing new telecom markets in the Middle East. After 9/11, I worked with public safety agencies across the United States to improve their communications networks. My work took me all over the world, and my travels gave me a keen appreciation of our democracy here at home.
I will bring those values and the insights I’ve gained over my career to the County Council to ensure that we have an effective, efficient government that fights for what matters most to the citizens of Vanderburgh County, and the West Side in particular. As your Councilmember, I will prioritize practical solutions and sound fiscal policy while consistently seeking your input and feedback through regular public meetings. I will support investments in infrastructure to modernize roadways, expand broadband access, create jobs, and grow the economy. I’ll push for coordinated law enforcement, mental health, and addiction recovery programs to respond to the current spike in violent crime and support those neighbors struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues. And I’ll back residential and commercial solar development to help rein in our rapidly rising energy costs.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 8. I hope that every eligible voter will turn out to vote because, in a democracy, voters have the power; elected officials simply exercise that power on our behalf. The deadline to register to vote is October 11 and October 12 is the first day of early voting. To register to vote, confirm your registration status, or check deadlines, dates, and rules, visit www.indianavoters.in.gov.
If you live in Vanderburgh County Council District 1, you can vote for new ideas and vision backed by a wide breadth of experience—or you can vote for the same old way of doing things that have us poised to slip further behind. This year, you have a choice.
Sources
Eli Lilly CEO’s comments are foreboding for Indiana – The Daily Reporter – Greenfield Indiana (greenfieldreporter.com
FOOTNOTE: Â THE CITY-COUNTY OBSERVER POSTED THIS ARTICLE WITHOUT OPINION, BIAS, OR EDITING.
