EDITORIAL: We endorse Tippy in GOP commissioner's race
When the left-leaning NWI Times endorses you, then you have either given up your conservative roots OR you have impressed people...and man, Jerry Tippy has impressed people! He has impressed me!!!
Jerry behind Mike Pence and next to Dr. Ron Johnson at Lake County. How many movers and shakers can you name?
Jerry and Joel Phelps talking to Greg Zoeller, among others...
When the election cycle began, I met Jerry Tippy and found him to be an agreeable fellow. Then as went to other events, I would see Jerry there and soon we probably both began looking for each othertif there was a Lake County event of consequence because Jerry was there. When the parades were marching, there was Jerry Tippy. When Summerfest was in full gear there was Jerry Tippy day after day. At rallies and banquets and fund raisers I would find Jerry Tippy. He had the radical idea that all government entities should have budgets and that they should be balanced. His years of business acumen taught him that common sense and transparency helps prevent graft and fraud.
Yes, Jerry Tippy was there with us at the Lake County Victory Center!
As we grew friendly, he shared his vision of transparent County government and agreed that having budgets and salaries posted online for all to see would be a refreshing change from the secrecy of Lake County Government. His first concern was making sure budgets would be balanced and that any huge projects like the Ethanol Plant would be vetted before voting. He discussed the need to have transparent bid processes. By the time September rolled around I was sure a County Board of all Jerry Tippys would fix a LOT of Lake County woes. But we can only vote for one Jerry Tippy for Lake County Commissioner rather than return Gerry Scheub to office YET AGAIN!
Jerry at one of several parades this year
We need a man who is opposed to a 1% County Sales Tax or Income Tax. Individual towns, cities and townships can handle their own business without growing government. Jerry Tippy is against the tax.proposals. While going to events all over the area, I only saw Jerry's opponent one time, when Gerry Scheub called the 4th of July "Dependence Day" while making an announcement in Cedar Lake at the lakefront. Freudian slip? Scheub does not seem to come out to the events that matter or he has learned to disguise himself pretty well. He doesn't seem to get out in public much in Lake County, not in the places I go anyway.The courts located him, however, and found Gerry Scheub in a matter of a conflict of interest:
Court removes Scheub from future quarry hearings
By Carrie Napoleon
Post-Tribune correspondent
September 30, 2012 12:02AM
Updated: November 1, 2012 6:37AM
Excerpt:
"FOWLER — Lake County Commissioner Gerry
Scheub, D-Crown Point, will have to recuse himself from any Lake County
Drainage Board proceedings for the Singleton Quarry, according to court
orders.
Benton County Circuit Court Judge Rex Kepner last
week issued an order agreeing with the VanKalker Family Limited
Partnership’s contention that Scheub was biased and prejudiced against
the proposed Singleton Quarry in southern Lake County in his pursuit of
an environmental impact analysis for the project and his opposition to
it. The judge selected arbitrator Rich McDevitt, a Merrillville lawyer
with the McDevitt Mediation Center, to sit in Scheub’s place..."
Gerry Scheub voted for a "budget" that may be as much as 13 million dollars in the red! He and other Democrats also dodged a controversial vote on a trash to ethanol plan that has been blowing up in their faces! Read about it for yourselves...MEETING ARTICLE.
Sure, the Democrats just HAPPEN to schedule a fundraiser that would conflict with the meeting to deal with the Powers Energy Snafu? So the vote would not happen until AFTER the election? I am shocked, SHOCKED! Then they could do as they pleased? Right now the idea of the trash-to-ethanol plan was not backed by actual research and demonstrations of working technology. Democrats don't want to pay the political price for their mistakes this year. They hope by next election you will forget all about it. DON'T!
Why have engineering jobs to be done in the County been outsourced to companies from outside County lines...like Indianapolis, for instance. What, are there no engineers or surveyors in Lake County? Going forward, any planning or drainage or architectural work needed in Lake County should go to Lake County firms first! For shame on the decisions of the past giving work to other companies in other counties while our unemployment remains high! For shame on nepotism being part of the hiring process rather than qualifications!
We need a responsible voice on the County Board to consider this entire Powers Energy initiative, as Earl Powers has not found financing to even build the facility, let alone demonstrated it would actually work! Jerry Tippy will be asking questions before casting a vote! If Lake County can turn trash into treasure, we need to make sure we find the right company with the right technology and the financial backing to do it! If smart money does NOT back Powers Energy, why should we? Jerry Tippy's 25 years in business are the experience we need right now, not a career politician like Gerry Scheub!
ABOUT JERRY TIPPY from Jerry Tippy...
About Me
This year, my wife Chris and I are celebrating 24 years of marriage, and our son Matt just completed his third year at Ohio State.
In 1993, I moved my steel fabrication business and my family to Schererville. Since that time we have enjoyed being involved in the community and calling Schererville home.
We are members of St. Michael Church, and Matt graduated from St. Mike’s in 2005. I spent years coaching baseball and soccer, being a scout leader, and eventually, taking the position of vice president of Schererville Baseball. In 2002, I took an interest in local government, and by 2005 earned an appointment to the Schererville Plan Commission. I wanted to make sure Schererville remained appealing to local businesses and a vibrant community for families. I ran for town councilman in 2007, won my race, and have been honored to serve the citizens of Schererville since 2008.
It has not been an easy time to be a councilman in Lake County. Budgets are very tight due to the loss of revenue caused by poor economic conditions and the frozen levy imposed on town government by the state legislature. I am proud to say that Schererville has not only survived, but thrived under these conditions. We approved a balanced budget every year since my election to the council. We made the hard decisions necessary and cut more than $1M from our budget to stay in balance. We reorganized to create efficiencies, cut unnecessary overtime, and created an incentive program that encouraged employees to save money.
At the same time, we were able to make many improvements in the town utilizing creative financing opportunities. We brought our waste water treatment plant into compliance with IDEM. We created a new Comprehensive Town Plan replacing the twenty-year old existing plan. Our Police Department achieved CALEA accreditation and started a new volunteer program (VIPS). We implemented a plan to upgrade and repair our park facilities including the construction of phase one of the Pennsy-Greeenway bike trail. These are just some of the highlights. Through hard work and creative use of tax dollars, more can be accomplished for less.
Professional Experience Community Involvement
Schererville Town Councilman (2008-present) Member of St. Michael’s Church (1993-present)
Schererville Town Council President (2010) Member of Schererville Lions Club
Schererville Plan Commission (2005-2007) Schererville Business Owner (1993-2002)
Business and Project Manager for over 25 years Schererville Baseball Board and Coach (2000-2002)
General Manager at Synergy Steel Structures Asst. Cubmaster – Pack 504 (1998-1999)
