Issues
Opportunities for Success
Jobs/Economic Development
We've made progress during the past two years, but too many Hoosiers are still without jobs, and families are
still struggling. State government must do all that it can to create a business-friendly environment to
attract and keep good jobs.
Indiana is known as the crossroads of America. Railways and highways intersect our state, and with the international airport, give us the ability to move goods across the country and the world. We need to combine that ability with policies that strengthen the manufacturing businesses that make up our industrial core. State government must help local manufacturers compete and succeed on a global scale. Indiana is emerging as a leader in "green" products and jobs, and we will continue to create an environment to attract these jobs for the 21st century.
We must make sure that our workforce is well-trained and ready for these jobs. Hoosiers are hard-working and motivated, and we need to have programs in place to help them re-train for new challenges, and adapt their skills to the marketplace.
We must continue to invest in research and new technologies to ensure our long-term security and prosperity.
Education
The education reforms we put in place during the 2011 legislative session have started us on the right
track. We must continue to provide resources to schools and teachers to help every child
succeed. Expanding choices and options will allow parents, working with teachers and administrators,
to ensure the best education for our children. Our public schools must educate all students to meet the
highest expectations. We need to do this to guarantee students the opportunities for success in the future,
and also to meet the expectations of parents who will be employed by the businesses who choose to locate in
Indiana.
We also must track educational spending more accurately. We are spending millions of dollars on programs without the ability to track the effectiveness of those programs. We need to ensure that our dollars are spent in a way that actually accomplishes the goal of effectively teaching children the skills they require.
Neighborhoods
District 99 is made up of widely diverse neighborhoods. The best way to identify the needs of each
neighborhood is to talk with the people who live there, and get involved with the associations in each
area. When I ran for this seat in 2010, I visited nearly every neighborhood association meeting
throughout the many different parts of the district. I was stunned and disappointed to learn that my
opponent, a 20-year incumbent, had never visited any of these meetings. You cannot accurately address
the concerns and needs of your constituents, if you don't spend any time talking to the people you are elected
to represent. I look forward to meeting each of you in the newly redrawn district 99. Let's work
together to strengthen our neighborhoods.
