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Opening Arguments

The 2nd and the 5th

The first two videos are for the City Council district races in which an incumbent faces a challenge from a newcomer, not that common in primaries.

In the 2nd District Republican race, longtime incumbent Don Schmidt (the longest-serving member of council) faces opposition from Donald Schaab (video here). Schaab served a term on the Fort Wayne Community Schools board and says he is running mostly because he got tired of there never being any competition in the primary. "I think the public deserves some kind of choice," he told us. On the five questions: 1. Both candidates like the Harrison Square project in general but not the baseball-diamond part. 2. Schmidt likes the more restrictive smoking ordinance, while Schaab likes the version in place now. 3. Schmidt thinks government restucturing should be studied but believes momentum has been lost; Schaab would concentrate on individual department mergers. 4. Schmidt thinks we should concentrate on finding uses for the OmniSource property,the Renaissance building and soon-to-be-left-behind Holiday Inn; Schaab wants to pay attention to infrastructure. 5. Schmidt thinks the best thing about Fort Wan\yne is its ambiance, neighborhoods and parks; Schaab likes the people, festivals and churches. (Mr. Schaab is very soft-spoken, and I neglected to compensate; you'll have to strain to hear him sometimes. My apologies.)

In the 5th District Democratic race, two-term incumbent Tim Pape is challenged by Douglas Boren, a military veteran who has been involved with many veterans' organizations (video here). He says he is running because the veterans' point of view isn't being represented. He seems especially energized by the anti-smoking ordinance, which will also apply to the private clubs to which he belongs. He also wonders if, with projects such as Harrison Square, we are trying to be Indianapolis, "something we are not," and says that, eventually, "every right becomes a privilege and then a tax." On the five questions: 1) Pape is enthusiastically for Harrison Squre, Boren against. 2. Pape favors the stronger anti-smoking ordinance, and Boren is against it. 3. Pape says government reorganization is urgently needed; Boren says it will never happen. 4. Pape says government needs to get wages up to where they were two decades ago in comparison with national averages; Boren says concentrate on the city budgeet. 5. Pape likes the fact that Fort Wayne is big enough to have amenities but small enough that he still always sees his old friends; Boren says our schools are the best.

Comments

Bob G.
Tue, 04/24/2007 - 6:43am

Doug Boren seems to have his finger on the pulse regarding the 5th district (unlike the "Timster" aka the INVISIBLE COUNCILMAN) plus, he doesn't want change for change sake (in every other part of the city like Timmy does).

And Mr. Boren might bring something sorely needed at the Council table, namely some Cajones (which we haven't had in this district since Dee Dee Hall)!

B.G.

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