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News-Sentinel.com Your Town. Your Voice.
Opening Arguments

Democratic at-large race

This is the race for  which we had most of our no-shows -- only three of the seven candidates came for endorsement interviews. Don't Democrats like us? I think the three who came are probably the cream of the crop. Incumbent John Shoaff bucked his party and the administration on Harrison Square. Denise Porter-Ross is a neighborhood advocate and involved in Fort Wayne's All-America City bid. Tom Essex is a lawyer who took over the Wayne Township Trustee's office in troubled times. (See the video here) Also in the race is Melvin Billingsley, a pastor and one-time County Council member with pretty good name recognition; Richard Cline, who has run for a number of offices (we've never endorsed him, which may be why he skipped us this time); and two people I'm unfamiliar with, Michael Reef and Eddie Arrington.

On the five questions, Shoaff is against Harrison Square, and Porter-Ross and Essex like it. Shoaff is for the tougher smoking ban, Porter-Ross would be "willing to revisit it," and Essex thinks there should be exceptions for people who made the effort to comply with the current ordinance. All three favor studying government reorganization to one degree or another. On city government priorities, Shoaff lists downtown development, Porter-Ross favors reaching out to people, and Essex identifies public safety. The "best of Fort Wayne"? Shoaff: Our small town-big city mix. Porter-Ross: Community  oriented government. Essex: We're a thriving and growing city.

Comments

roach
Thu, 04/26/2007 - 12:46pm

Tom Essex was arrested for DUI/OWI, and leaving the scene of an accident, a few years back. remember? yet nobody is bringing this up, and so I guess he gets a free pass? If it was roach, it would be splashed across page 1 for all the world to recall.

dont drink and drive. and .08 is the law. now.

Michael Reef
Thu, 04/26/2007 - 5:12pm

I understand that I'm new to this in this city election race. I would like to say though I ran for Decatur City Council and was a coordiator for Adams County when Melina Fox ran for the 6th district in 2002. I like to be giving a chance here to be heard by others before they judge me.

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