DEMOCRATS DESCRIBE DIFFERENCES.  SAY KEY TO GOVERNMENT FUNDING IS PRESERVING AND DEVELOPING COUNTY’S UNIQUE ECONOMIC STRENGTHS, NOT SIMPLISTIC TAX RHETORIC

Differing with their Republican opponents, Monroe County’s three Democratic candidates for County Council today outlined their philosophies behind economic development and how that development can deliver badly-needed revenue, while controlling expenditures, to county government.

“Pledging to keep taxes low, without framing or understanding the context of taxation, isn’t a platform.  It’s pandering,” said Democrat Warren Henegar.  “Democrat or Republican, the county council is severely limited in its ability to lay new taxes or raise existing ones.  Funding government adequately requires much more than platitudes, it requires leadership and vision.”

The Democrats cited statistics from the IU Kelly School of Business and the Indiana Department of Commerce showing that, for the past thirty years, Monroe County, and particularly the city of Bloomington, have led Indiana in economic development -- with rates of population, job, and business growth exceeding nearly all other Indiana counties.

“But lately, the jobs that are being created are not necessarily good-paying ones,” said Democrat Michael Woods, citing Monroe County’s high poverty rate. “We need to adopt a formula that works and make sure that we practice the kind of stewardship that translates into economic growth – real economic growth that will fund our most important public costs.  We can’t afford more minimum-wage jobs that don’t fund, but do increase, those public costs.”

“That means looking at our strengths and capitalizing on them” continued Woods.  “It means that we encourage the right kinds of development through the judicious use of appropriate tools such as tax abatements, well-defined public/private partnerships, and maintaining an attractive and marketable quality of life.”

Democrat Sophia Travis cited Monroe County’s unique position with regard to its cultural and natural amenities as a driving force behind its economic vitality.  “Studies confirm that places which place a priority on fostering culture and the arts, and places that protect their natural environment, their natural capital, are also places that prosper economically” she said.

“It’s no coincidence that Monroe County is regarded nationally both as a great place to work, and a great place for business, but that it’s also renowned for its physical beauty and cultural amenities.  We need to keep in place the policies that protect our arts and environment because those policies also protect our economy.  That’s how we generate the funds necessary to effectively deliver public services,” Travis concluded.

Henegar noted that a policy of blindly cutting taxes with no regard for expenditures has resulted in a stagnant national economy reeling under record deficits -- a debt passed onto succeeding generations.  “Are we really talking about implementing, at the local level, the same policies which have resulted in disaster at the national level?” he asked.

Henegar continued, “With the Republicans in power on the County Council, we’ve seen fiscal crisis after fiscal crisis after fiscal crisis, just as we’ve seen nationally.  It’s time to sweep the party of peace and prosperity back onto the council to safeguard our county’s economic well-being.”