We received this from Dave this morning:
The election for the Party Chair person is on March 7, 2009. This election
will be crucial in shaping the Porter County Republican party in the coming
years. The Porter County Republican party needs to grow in membership and
enthusiasm and it is this challenge that I am willing to undertake.
For those of you who do not know me, I am an attorney practicing in
Valparaiso. I am married with two daughters and two sons. Our family stays
very active and involved in all aspects of our community - - from school
events, youth sports, church activities, and support of local non-profit
organizations. My involvement with the Porter County Republican party began
by assisting with campaigns by handing out door hangers and flyers. I then
was asked to assist Matt Murphy with his successful campaign to be elected
to the County Council. The following year I ran for the City Council
At-Large for Valparaiso.
Since that campaign, I have been the Center Township Chairman, and have
been very active in running the Elephant Ear Stand at Popcorn Festival, Fair Booth,
Voter Registration drives, Lincoln Day Dinner, and assisting in several different
campaigns over the last few years. I was also appointed to be on the Utility Board by
Mayor Costas. All of these experiences have provided me with a perspective on the
importance of having a strong, well organized county political organization to support
its party candidates so that they are better able to run successful
campaigns.
The combination of these experiences and my family's understanding of the
importance of community involvement are the factors I would draw on to
enhance Porter County's Republican Party. Improvements can be achieved by
increasing participation at the precinct committee level, organizing
regional party meetings that focus on issues that affect each part of our
County, encouraging more unified input and support from all of the
Republican groups and clubs within our County, and expanding the direction
of the party outward beyond the Central Committee to include more party
members so that each and every member feels that they can contribute to and
be a part of the entire Party's movement. The Republican Party is not the
Chairman alone and cannot succeed without tapping the resources within our
own party. Participation will be encouraged by not only attending meetings,
but by expanding the technology of the party which is an important element
of including a younger generation that relies almost solely on electronic
communication.
One last suggestion that will also become part of the evolution and growth
of the party is that the Porter County Republican party needs to
re-establish its identity as the party of conservatism, small government,
balanced budget, innovation, and lower taxes. It seems that the Party lost
this identity, and as a result, the public no longer has a clear
understanding of what our party stands for. With consistent theme, the
public will be reassured that our candidates are the right candidates for
local political positions.
I hope you made it through this entire letter and I ask for your support to
endorse my candidacy for Porter County Republican Chair person and I
encourage you to support my team of Valarie Kubacki for Vice Chairman, Ken
Williams for Treasurer, and Donna Levi for Secretary. These are the people
that I will be leaning on for support and advice along with your ideas and
suggestions as we move forward.
David M. Bengs
Attorney
