By Arthur E. Foulkes
TERRE HAUTE — More than a dozen Wabash Valley political candidates sought support from union members at a candidates forum Monday night at the Wabash Valley Labor Temple in Terre Haute.
Democrats and Republicans asked a room of dozens of union members for their support on Election Day, Nov. 4.
Many Democratic candidates urged union members to vote against Gov. Mitch Daniels and several candidates spoke against Public Question One, which would eliminate township assessors in Indiana.
If assessors are eliminated, “they will start whittling” away other county offices, said Judy Anderson, a Vigo County commissioner running unopposed in the November election.
Several Democratic candidates also said they oppose “right-to-work” laws, which weaken mandatory union membership regulations in some states.
“We’re not going to let [right to work] happen,” said Democrat Clyde Kersey, who is seeking re-election to Indiana’s 43rd House legislative district. Kersey said he has voted against right-to-work legislation at least twice.
Kersey also said he opposes state privatization programs and said some money Indiana received from leasing an Indiana toll road was invested in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Kersey’s Republican opponent, Ryan Cummins, told union members he favors reducing government interference in “my life and everybody else’s life. Your money is your money and your life is your life,” Cummins said.
Other state representative candidates at the forum included Democratic incumbent Vern Tincher, D-Riley, and his Republican opponent Bob Heaton. Tincher and Heaton are running for the seat from Indiana’s 46th House District.
Tincher said he opposes right-to-work legislation and noted the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, which favors right-to-work laws, endorsed Heaton.
“I want to make sure Indiana is a good place to work,” Tincher said. “When you have right-to-work, you’re not going to have health and welfare and you’re not going to have a pension. That’s going to be gone,” he said.
Tincher also said he favors a bill that would punish employers who hire illegal immigrants in Indiana.
“It’s estimated there are 100,000 illegal immigrants in this state taking our jobs,” Tincher told the gathering. “You can go down the Children’s Museum [in Terre Haute] and see the illegal immigrants laying brick. We don’t have a single union bricklayer on that job,” he said.
Heaton agreed he is endorsed by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.
“The thing about the Indiana Chamber is that they are pro business. They want industry and what’s important is to get industry over here to western Indiana, jobs over here to western Indiana,” Heaton said. “That’s what people are talking about.”
Other speakers included candidates for Vigo County Council at large, including Democrats Bill Bryan and Ed Ping and Republicans Tim Hennessy and Angela Miller-Treadway.
Commissioner candidates Paul Mason, a Democrat, and Brad Anderson, a Republican, also spoke to the union members as did Republican candidate for Vigo County clerk, Bill Treadway.
Vigo County judge candidates Mike Rader and Dan Kelly also spoke, as did Indiana House candidates Nancy Michael and Rick Marshall. Vigo County Recorder Nancy Allsup and her Republican opponent, Bruce Royer, also spoke at the forum.
Rhea Marrie, an organizer with the Barack Obama presidential campaign, told the crowd Obama has received strong labor union support. “I’m so excited to be here in these last seven days” before the election, Marrie told the audience. “It is the organized labor movement that is making this happen,” she said. “I love you guys.”
Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.
