> SOUTHERN INDIANA — Jeffersonville woman urges vote for Curran



  Kelley Curran is running for Jeffersonville City Council District 1 and has my support. Kelley cares deeply about our city and would be a true breath of fresh air to the council.

She has always been willing to use truth and assertiveness to stand up for others and help them have their voices heard. I believe she will represent District 1 with dedication and compassion.

Kelley has the necessary educational background with degrees in political science and journalism as well as a complete knowledge of how government is supposed to work and how to improve communication between the city and the residents. She plans to create a better process for city decision-making that will include input from the Jeffersonville residents who are affected by the issue.

Kelley has been an outspoken critic of city actions that did not take residents’ concerns into account. She will work hard to make sure that all citizens are treated with respect and she will act with their consent. Please vote for Curran for city council District 1.

 — Alice Butler, Jeffersonville



Reader says he’s backing Messer



I’m a life-long Democrat. I even ran for office this spring in the Democratic Party’s primary. But I will not be voting for my party’s nominee for mayor of New Albany.

Instead, I will work to persuade my friends — Democrat, Republican or independent — to vote for Jack Messer, the independent candidate for mayor.

I back Jack because I’m convinced he is the only one running who is determined to change the culture of secrecy and insider dealing that has held our city back. Jack, perhaps for different reasons, rejected the party establishment and chose to run as a candidate for all the people. I’m certain that's the kind of mayor he’ll be, too.

This year’s Democratic candidate, Jeff Gahan, has shown me that he is unable to understand that as a public servant, he works for us under laws that we the people of this city, state and country have established. I’ve closely observed his performance in office for eight years and see no indication that any change is in the offing.

Gahan fought vigorously to maintain inequality in our council districts, saying the law doesn’t matter and no one could make him conform to the law. He has been a leading proponent of maintaining an unfair sewer rate schedule despite the fact that state law mandates otherwise, risking the loss of this city-owned asset. Gahan also sponsored an appropriation that diverted $200,000 in taxpayer funds to compensate private individuals for losses they incurred from a rainstorm, despite the fact that the city had no legal liability or other obligation to do so.

And in his most recent and blatant act of disregard for the interests of New Albanians, he torpedoed the merger of city and county emergency communications operations — a move that would have saved taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

Messer, on the other hand, has been a voice of reason and a highly approachable at-large council member during the same eight years Gahan has held office. Jack is for electoral fairness. He is for equity in utility billing. He won’t support giveaways of taxpayer money. And he was the leading proponent for merging emergency communications.

Jack will listen to all the people, not just the same old gang that has run things downtown. Unlike Gahan, he believes city money is our money and not a private piggy bank for political insiders.

Messer’s the man we need to take this city forward.

— Randy Smith, New Albany



League of Women Voters lays out mission



The South Central Indiana League of Women Voters has been established during the summer to assist in the common good for Clark, Floyd and Harrison counties. The goal of the League of Women Voters is to empower citizens to shape better communities worldwide.

What does the League of Women Voters do for the common good? The answer varies by area, but the group is a nonpartisan political membership organization which acts after study and member agreement to achieve solutions in the public interest on key community issues at all government levels, builds citizen participation in the democratic process and engages communities in promoting positive solutions to public policy issues through education and advocacy.

The League of Women Voters Education Fund is also a nonpartisan public policy educational organization that builds citizen participation in the democratic process, studies key community issues at all governmental levels in an unbiased manner and enables people to seek positive solutions to public policy issues through education and conflict management.

We believe in respect for individuals and the value of diversity. We encourage the empowerment of the grassroots, both within the league and in communities. We intend to act with trust, integrity and professionalism. We will operate in an open and effective manner to meet the needs of those we serve.

The South Central Indiana League of Women Voters will maintain a strictly nonpartisan stance and encourage citizens get registered to vote and become informed about candidates and issues.

What will you do today for the common good? Join us for our monthly meetings. To receive information about the South Central League of Women Voters, email us at teresaperkins323@sbcglobal.net or JMeyer2005@gmail.com.

— Teresa Bottorff Perkins, president of the South Central Indiana League of Women Voters