The Candidates' Debate by Pesty

               
                                             (Photo courtesy of M. Chinn)


April 1-IUS Campus.  The four  Democratic party candidates were gathered for a debate.   Incumbent Tom Galligan,  Current County Council President Kevin Vissing,  Former Mayor Rob Waiz (pronounced Waze if you please) and old hand newcomer Teresa Bottorff Perkins all dressed up and looking their 'executive best'.  Tom even had on a beautiful yellow silk tie.


The Master of ceremonies was Prof. Tom Wolf (an obvious popular figure who couldn't resist  lecturing a little).  The candidates fielded questions from Cary Stemle,  a perky Adam Dicky and  the cool and competent Nancy Palmquist.

If you came in hopes of seeing fireworks or personality clashes you would have been dissappointed.  Even Mayor Galligan, famous for his fiery temper,  maintained  a gentlemanly and positive decorum even when it appeared some barbs, first from Rob Waiz and later from  Kevin V  were launched his direction.   Many of the night's answers were predictable and not much of an aid to the attentive  pol watcher....but some issues were highlighted:

The Canal project:  Galligan and Vissing: For it.   Waiz: Against it.   Perkins:  For meeting the EPA mandate but envisioning the canal as a strictly economic development project that is not  properly on the table ...yet.
The canal project emerged later in the debate when posed as a question of whether  the election would be a de facto referendum on the Canal project and, by implication,  the Galligan administration.   To this there was uniform agreement. But, refreshingly and positively,  Galligan himself totally owned it....he stated that he hope it was a referendum on the canal project and claimed that the election would determine whether Jeffersonville would rise above mediocrity and become a 'great' destination or not.

Bridge Tolls were asked about.  All the candidates are in favor of the East End Bridge and  were 'willing to accept' a toll on it.   Vissing,  Galligan and Perkins were against a toll on a downtown bridge....Teresa adamantly so.  Only Rob Waiz, while being positive did not actually answer his position on tolls.
You have to hand it to Galligan.  He acknowledged his reputation as a 'get'r done guy'.  He also outlined his vision of taking Jeffersonville higher.  His imagination and dream is very attractive and while he is not an eloquent man, the passion of his vision carries the day and you can see ....if only  we could make his vision come true.   Magnificent!

But,  too,  as the debate wore on,  and  Waiz, Vissing and even Perkins with their talk of  fiscal responsiblity, cost cutting, budget constraints....it just becomes difficult indeed to sustain Tom's grand dream.
Then,  one looked over and saw Mike Moore there present in the audience. Silent. Watching and apparently enjoying himself with his wife. (Beautiful classy looking lady!)  And you kept thinking how these folks would fair  in the fall.   Nancy Palmquist underscored this lingering worry and brought it front and center with her question, "What makes you the best candidate to defeat our known Republican opponent in the Fall?"   Galligan had to fall back to, "My dream, my plan, my accomplishments."  Vissing simply restated his opening statement. Waiz likewise just explained he was a good mayor and would be a good mayor....dodging the question.   But Teresa Perkins,  a little gayly and slyly said, "Demographics.  I can beat him.  My gender is in my favor and, forgive me, (indicating her Primary Election opponents)  but I am not an incumbent politician.  Last Fall  showed it's not a good time to be an incumbent anything."    Straight answer that you may not like....but it was  a good straight answer.
**********************************************************************************Briefly:
----Waiz  criticized Galligan indirectly (for the most part) but who would have expected an attack from Kevin Vissing.
-----Waiz is earnest....but that VOICE! My god!  He sounded like a squeaky rabbit! At least  in this venue.
-----A bit of a kerfluffle at the beginning as a 'offer' was made and then hastily withdrawn. It seems Mike Moore's ex-wife had proposed to match contributions to Democratic candidates in donations she would make to April Abuse Awareness Month.  Her not so subtle slam at her ex.  IUS declined to participate in the 'offer'.
___Many Republicans were there, in fact,  to the shame of the Democratic party, it looked like  1/4 of those in attendance may have been Republicans.  You have to admire the Republican's  enthusiasm for the process.
___The professor managed to lecture the crowd on the correct nomenclature..."Its the DemocraTIC party....Not the DemoCRAT party!"

HERE IS THE DEBATE:
Part one:

YOUTUBE VIDEO"S COURTESY OF The Hard hitting journalist at the IUS Horizon