THE LIBRARY

Independently, I am again the first candidate for mayor of Jasper to publicly announce my position and opposition on another contentious issue.  This would be building a new library on South Newton Street.  I would expect, and hope, the Republican and Democrat on the mayor's ticket will continue to take my lead on this important issue facing the City of Jasper, as they did on the biomass issue.  I will write more in-depth about the candidate's present biomass positions in my next blog.

We do not need a new library for the wishes of the few, and we do not need additional taxes on all our citizens, businesses, and industries. I believe we can renovate or re-construct the library at present location whether it be one, two, or three stories or more high; and with plenty of additional parking.  Please vote with me in voting 'NO' to the new library on the November referendum.

It is projected to 6.3 million to build the present proposed library.  It was stated by a member of the library board that the projected cost of renovating or rebuilding at the present site would be more costly. Jasper has nothing to gain at this time in regards to building the S. Newton Street but prestige.  Prestige does not pay the city's bills.

The City of Jasper is not in good shape financially.  I was in attendance at the final city budget meeting when a million dollars in budget cuts were attempted.  During the session, the parks and recreation manager stated Jasper would probably need a new pool in 4 years. 

Among other interesting expenditures, I found the city acquired 2 new Dodge Chargers last year (from what I understand, delivery has been made on 1 of these) and approved 2 new Chargers to be purchased this year.  The mayor's salary was increased to $66,000.00 by a lame duck mayor and our city's leaders.  We are buying new equipment for the street, utilities, and parks departments.  There are restrooms for 'Central Green Park', and more new sidewalks to be put in on the Strassenfest parade path for us one day watchers.

 When will the spending end?  It would end with me.  First, I would take a 50% cut in the mayor's salary.  I cannot imagine anyone gaining financially from becoming mayor of Jasper.  Why only half you may ask...simply, I plan to give whomever is the full-time manager of my store an appropriate salary commensurate (50%) with about half of the salary of Jasper's mayor.  One minus a half minus a half is zero.  The good Lord willing, my business will be successful enough for my present, what I consider humble, standard of living to be maintained.

When will the spending will end?   It would end with me.  I will also reduce the number of city owned vehicles that will be allowed to be treated as personal property for some city employees. I would also expect to drive my personal car as mayor. I would use it on only trips outside the city limits. Why only outside the city limits you may ask...simply, my wish is for a trade-off of a gas guzzling city owned mayor's car for what would be a four-seater golf cart type of vehicle running on natural gas or electrical power. This is an example of my honesty to sometimes a fault. I do believe, however; the in-city use of said vehicle would only save our citizenry money.

Where is the city going to come up with the funds to remain financially solvent?  City leaders are attempting to push through the contract with Twisted Oaks, expecting them to save the day.  They may not.  The stakes are so high that the city leaders can't afford to gamble with the harmony of the people of Jasper, along with gambling what little faith the citizens may still have in them as our city leaders.

Next blog:  Updated, or lack of updates in regard to the biomass issue.  What is my and the other candidates positions now, a month later?

Always Respectfully,

Mack

Busy, Busy, Busy for You!

As with facebook, it has been also been 10 days since posting to my blog. Gaining the knowledge to be the best prepared and informed candidate for mayor has been, and will continue to be my highest priority.  Today I will write two blog postings.  In this post I will include the text to an advertisement I ran in yesterday's Herald.  It will run on Monday and Tuesday also.   

Before the somewhat lengthly, but important ad included below, I want to thank all of my supporters, friends, and members of the public who have shared their concerns, opinions, and ideas with me.  They know I will listen to the people of Jasper and serve thier best interest, not by the decisions I make, but by the decisions our citizens make.  I truly want to be know as the people's mayor.

Here is the text to my ad running in The Herald:

“Mack” (Jeffrey Mack) Steffen

The Uncommon Candidate for the Common Man wants you to know…

• If elected mayor, I will hit the ground running with an intimate understanding of the day to day operations of the city. I hit the ground running as a young kid and teen, working at the Dubois County Courthouse, buying my own clothes and other things not considered necessities. I hit the ground running in my late teens and worked my way into management and obtained two A.S. degrees from VUJC. I hit the ground running when I opened the largest, best, and fairest full service coin and precious metals shop in southern Indiana. I have hit the ground in running as the people’s representative for mayor of Jasper.

 • I will be prepared to hit the ground running as your mayor by gaining extensive knowledge of the day to day operation of the city by sitting down and talking with all city officials. I have already begun scheduling meetings with all the city managers, department heads, city employees, appointed officials, and city and county organizations. I will also be touring all of our city facilities for this exacting knowledge.

• I believe it is important that as your representative, I will be able to tell you I will have a better understanding of running the city government than the other candidates. Most importantly, your voices will be heard, and the majority will always decide the major issues facing the great city of Jasper.

• I have asked the local university and several civic organizations in Jasper to step forward and mediate debates between the candidates. Thus far, responses have not been positive. Reasons given to date from these organizations have been that they don’t see any benefit for their club in doing it, they do not have time because other activities are more important, and/or they do not want to become politically involved.

• I plead to the sense of civic duty to the citizens of Jasper that one of the many civic organizations or clubs will do their duty to the people of the Jasper and mediate debates among the candidates.

• I vow as your mayor to uphold our Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and Constitution, which begins “We the People”. It will be, ‘You the People’ to exercise your choice to elect the person who will represent your interests in all things.

• I believe you know where I and one of the other candidates stand on the biomass issue. I will be the first to publicly announce at this time we do not need a new library and I will be voting ‘NO’ on the referendum for it in November.

Website: www.mackformayor.com - Phone: 482-7025 (available 24/7) - Email: mackformayor@psci.net

Paid for by Mack for Mayor Committee, “Mack” (Jeffrey Mack) Steffen, Treasurer

Biomass Interview

Hope you don't, or haven't already missed my interview by WTVW, channel 7 in Evansville.  It airs this evening at 6P or 6:30P (7 or 7:30 Jasper time).  Please let me know what your thoughts are.  Call me anytime at 812.482.7025 or you can email me at mackformayor@psci.net

Mack

ConstiuWhats?

I would like to address an email received from Terry Seitz regarding a request from Chris Breedlove for the mayoral candidates to publicly stand together in solidarity to express our ‘stated opposition’ to the present power plant proposal.  You will find emails originating from myself, Mr. Seitz, and Chris Breedlove below.

To establish the background for this writing, I publicly stated my opposition in an ad in The Herald which began running on June 25.  Terry Seitz wrote a ‘position paper’ on June 26 and had it posted on his website.  Mr. Seitz also stated his opposition publicly as was reported by the news media on June 28 and again on June 29. 

John Burger appeared to also state his opposition; however, after reading again Mr. Burger’s statements as reported in The Herald on June 29, I have realized Mr. Burger is still trying to please both sides and actually did not make a personal statement of opposition.  I am disappointed in myself for not reading between the lines in my initial read of the article. 

John Burger has deferred the judgment to the people of Jasper, which he should do, given the citizens have their questions answered and are presented all the facts.  Should we not ask Mr. Burger for a simple yes or no answer to the question of whether he is opposed to the current proposed contract?

As you read the email from Terry Seitz below, please ask yourself why he has no interest in participating in any joint public announcement or event on the power plant project?  Seitz writes that he has stated his position and indicates he will only discuss it with ‘leaders’ and constituents individually.  Terry Seitz needs to understand a Republican primary win does not a constituent make.  I believe Mr. Seitz does not realize a constituent is a person who authorizes another to act in his or her behalf, as a voter in a district represented by an elected official would be.

Mr. Seitz is not an elected official and the citizens that did not vote for him in the primary are not his constituents.  Those that did vote for him in the primary are yet to be his constituents.  I would like for Mr. Seitz to let us know who the leaders are that he discusses this matter with.  I speak with leaders daily about the biomass issues, as well as other city issues.  Who are these leaders?  They are ‘We the People’.

Mack Steffen

The emails:

__________________________________________________________________________
From: Mack Steffen [mailto:mackformayor@psci.net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 5:36 PM
To: 'chris breedlove'
Cc: 'Rick Stradtner'; 'burgerturkeyfarms@insightbb.com'; 'Terry'
Subject: RE: Jasper IN Biomass

Rick and Chris,

I do believe it is important that we candidates say what we mean and mean what we say.   I would be glad to participate in any public announcement, whether it be John and I, or simply myself stating my position.   I will continue to discuss it with the people and our leaders, publicly or individually.

Respectfully,

Mack Steffen

__________________________________________________________________________

From: Terry [mailto:terry@intercommgroup.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 12:10 AM
To: chris breedlove
Cc: Rick Stradtner; burgerturkeyfarms@insightbb.com; Mack Steffen
Subject: Re: Jasper IN Biomass

Rick and Chris...

I have no interest in participating in any joint public announcement or event on the power plant project. I have stated my position and will continue to discuss it with leaders and constituents individually.

With regards,

Terry

Sent from my iPhone

__________________________________________________________________________
On Jul 12, 2011, at 9:40 PM, chris breedlove <pastorbreedlove@gmail.com> wrote:

Rick,

Is it possible for you to bring the three Jasper mayoral candidates together for a joint press conference stating their common stance against Twisted Oak.  I think that the voting tax paying public would like to know that all three of the mayoral candidates are opposed to Twisted Oak's proposal.  The three mayoral candidates could also simply ask that the current Jasper city leadership give a more reasonable allotment of time so that concerned citizens can look through the pending agreement between Jasper and Twisted Oak once it is released before any public forum.  Citizens are honestly fearful that the Mayor and certain city leadership are going to attempt to rush an agreement through in July or early August leaving little time for citizens to be a part of any discussion or thorough review concerning the agreement.

~Chris 

I Want to Be the People's Mayor Ad Going in The Herald on 07/09/2011

Say It Isn't So - Fireworks

I happened to come across the memo below written by John Blair.  I was drawn to read this memo because of the first word, “Fireworks”. 

I can only say now that I have read it, I know those who fought for America’s freedom were in incredible life-threatening situations.  I’m certain  the  gun smoke was so thick one couldn’t see or breathe at times as they battled governmental taxation, oppression and control by the British. 

We celebrate our independence by remembering those who dedicated their lives to the establishment of our country.  Our custom of celebrating our independence happens to include fireworks.

Now that you have read this, I need to say for the record, I am not making any disparaging references to any of the unfortunate individuals affected or could be affected whom were mentioned in Mr. Blair’s letter.

I’m just saying no fireworks during the fourth of July is like Christmas without devotion to one’s faith.  We, the people, cannot afford to continue to give up our freedom and liberties.

Mack Steffen

http://www.mackformayor.com/

*********************************************************

From: John Blair; Valley Watch
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 3:57 PM
To: Cumberland Committee List
Subject: Deadly particulates reach historic levels in Evansville July 4

Fireworks throughout the community caused levels of fine particles to rise to historic levels in Evansville last night. At 9 PM, levels reached 153.92 (more than 4X the standard) at the monitor located on Buena Vista Ave. a level I have never seen recorded since the data was placed online in the 1990s.

Fine particles were projected to be bad due to normal activity for most of the weekend but instrument problems knocked the State's internet monitoring program down for both Sunday and Monday when fireworks cut visibility to near zero in many places in the Evansville community.

Thus, there will be no indication of any ambient air pollution violation since most of the data from these two horrible days may remain unknown. Fine particles are known to cause heart attacks, stroke, asthma and cancer for sensitive populations including children.

Botched data on days with high levels of pollution is not an uncommon occurrence. In fact, numerous days  are missing from Evansville data that is used by EPA to determine if an area meets the health based National Ambient Air Quality Standards for fine particles. Just recently, the comment period closed on the most recent effort by the State to have Evansville comply with the standards. Valley Watch filed comments on that proposal objecting to a "re-designation" from nonattainment to attainment because of "data gaps" we identified that occurred on some days when pollution was high everywhere around us but our monitors mysteriously did not function properly.

In any case, the level reached in Evansville last night could have been deadly for people and not only those that suffer from chronic respiratory ailments. It seems to us that some kind of warning should have been issued outlining the health risks that accompany the setting of fireworks, especially when the problem already exists even if the fireworks are not being fired.

Currently Evansville and much of SW Indiana remain in violation of the annual fine particle standard. It is unknown what EPA will decide on the re-designation. THe annual standard which is supposed to be revised downward in the near future is 15µg/m3. And the twenty four hour standard is 35µg/m3. 

John Blair

"...Stand Together and Publically Request..."

My title this evening is an excerpt from emails from Chris Breedlove in which among other things, he asked all three candidates to stand together on the biomass issue.  My response is included in the following text.
 
It is now up to John Burger and Terry Seitz to agree to stand united. 
Please read on for the above title in context...

*****************************************************************************
From: Chris Breedlove
Sent: Saturday, July 02, 2011 3:17 PM
To: Mack Steffen
Subject: Re: Biomass forum

Thanks Mack... I'll see what I can do ASAP.

**********************************************************************
Dear Christopher,

In turn, thanks for your response to my email.  I am completely

agreeable to standing together with John and Terry to politically ask
there be no vote on the present biomass until after the election of
the new mayor and city council.  My position is to still hold a
referendum.  At the last joint meeting of the USB and city council,
our city attorney stated there was no statute requiring a referendum
vote on this matter.  However, the statute does not imply or state
that the City of Jasper cannot put it to a referendum vote.

I believe John Burger pointed this out in one of his statements to the

media.  If the what I have just stated as 'assumed facts' are valid as
stated by John, the referendum need not be binding on the city (I have
not personally vetted the statue for my interpretation, nor John's).  
I realize 'assumed facts' is an oxymoron, but I have used it for lack
of more accurate phrasing at this time.  Any referendum on this
proposed contract approval will, at the very least, give all opponents
and proponents to indicate their personal preference.
 
There is a logical reason why the city is trying to rush the biomass
contract through prior to the end of the year.  I have not
definitively put my finger on it; however, I believe the reasoning
must be stated by the city.  It would help tremendously to understand
the why the city is attempting to rush this through.  I still hold the
belief that it is a deal or walk proposition.

If you would be so kind to set-up a press conference and a possibly a

resolution for the mayoral candidates to sign to the effect that we
stand in solidarity against any vote on the biomass prior to city
elections in November, it would be greatly appreciated.  Please let me
know if Terry and John are receptive to your idea.  You may count on
me to be involved and supportive of this united stand.
As an attempt at using my sense of humor and attempt to leave everyone
with a smile, Christopher, I hope you are not emailing while driving!

Respectfully,

Mack

Jeffrey Mack Steffen
mackformayor@psci.net

http://www.mackformayor.com/

http://mackformayor.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MACK-for-Mayor/
812.482.7025

**********************************************************************
From: Chris Breedlove
Sent: Saturday, July 02, 2011 10:13 AM

If the current mayor rushes the occurrence of any forum without consideration of giving citizens ample time for review, or even sitting a date that is mutually desirable, then his insincere intentions will be revealed;  the current mayor wants to ram through an agreement in July and early august irregardless of the will and participation of citizens, or the expressed desire of all three mayoral candidates.

I recommend that all three mayoral candidates stand together and publicly request that any vote on biomass happen only after the election of the new mayor and city council. 

Please read below the message I sent to Alan Johnson; it reveals the reasonable concerns currently disregarded by city leadership:

*******************************************************************************

To: Alan Johnson

From: Chris Breedlove

Thank you for being willing to moderate discussions between the city and citizens.  I have always found you to be professional and fair on such occasions.

There are several concerns with the vague guidance provided by the mayor and Wayne concerning the forum on biomass.  Rock Emmert may or not be available to meet with you on Friday; I am currently out of town and will be on out of town on Friday as well.  As I mentioned Tuesday, concerned citizens (Mrs. Habig and Rock and others) are meeting with House Rep. Todd Young concerning this same topic.

It appears that Wayne and the mayor are set on a forum and vote on the matter occurring in July.  The mayor alluded to a tentative date that may or may not still be in effect; this is an example of a failure of mayoral leadership to be transparent to and considerate of citizens.

To discuss any forum before any decision is premature.

Too many citizens will be unavailable in July, and with such a short notice of time, several concerned citizens will have been intentionally excluded and ignored by city leadership.

Just as the city desires more time to conduct "due diligence,"

citizens deserve ample time to review any pending lease agreement and terms between the city of Jasper and Jasper Clean Energy Center before any series of forums.  A few weeks notice of a rushed single forum is not adequate time for citizens to fully participate and be prepared.

Reasonable and sensitive consideration by the moderator and city leadership is requested on this point.

Moreover citizens are still awaiting a "community in conversation"

with Jasper Clean Energy Center.  Citizens reasonably expect that Jay Catasein and the JCEC board be at any series of public forums.

Citizens also ask for disclosure of DCADC minutes of when the DCADC publicly endorsed the JCEC proposal through the Herald.  We understand that yourself, the mayor and some members of the USB are a part of the DCADC.  We are asking for unedited DCADC minutes where the DCADC public position concerning the JCEC proposal was discussed.   We would like to know who voted in favor of that recommendation and who abstained, and the full minutes that reveal that DCADC decision to go public.  We are simply asking for goodwill transparency in this matter and we are making no accusations.

Any series of forums needs to ensure maximum participation of all involved and reasonable time to review items.  We expect that as a fair moderator that you too will insist on the same things mentioned above.

Out of respect for the hundreds of concerned citizens I have included them in this email.  Please pardon my text and mistakes, as i have sent this email from my phone using one thumb....

Thank you again Alan.

Chris Breedlove

******************************************************************************
On Friday, June 24, 2011,  <AJohnson@vinu.edu> wrote:

Chris,

The City has asked me to moderate another public forum on the biomass

issues and they will hold a meeting on Tuesday to establish the date,
location and format. I don't believe they will be inviting public
comments at that session.

After I have an initial discussion with the City officials to set the

objectives and parameters I will contact you to arrange a meeting with
some of the opposition leadership to clarify our roles and
expectations. My goal is to lead a civil discussion to ensure that the
issues of concern are clearly and succinctly communicated and heard.

I'll be in touch.

Dr. Alan Johnson, Dean

Vincennes University, Jasper Campus
850 College Avenue, Jasper, IN 47546
812/482-3030      Fax: 812/481-5960