In my first diary on DKos, I talked about having been asked to consider running for a seat on my town's council. I wrote that diary only a few days after the topic had first been broached, and so I was still quite early in the thinking process. Since that time, I've consulted with family, friends, and others in the local Democratic Party. I've been attending council meetings as often as I can, and I've been doing research into the economic conditions of the town and county in which I live. On May 19, I filed with the county clerk.
My name is Michael Shanabarger, and I am a candidate for town council in the Town of Churubusco, State of Indiana.
Follow me below the fold, if you are so inclined.
Last year, after two years of preparation, the Town published a comprehensive plan for economic development, population growth, land use, and so on. When reviewing that plan, I read economic and demographics data for the area that I admit I had never known on an intellectual level in the past, only from general perception and experience. Churubusco (often referred to locally as just "Busco") grew in population by nearly eight percent between 2000 and 2010 - from around 1600 people in 2000 to 1800 by the 2010 census. Unfortunately, during those years, poverty and unemployment also increased, no doubt exacerbated by the Great Recession.
According to the Whitley County Economic Development Corporation, as of 2013 a little over half of the town's residents had not advanced their education beyond high school. I don't mean to disparage those individuals. We all know there are numerous reasons that a person may not pursue a college degree (lack of academic success in high school, financial difficulties, family responsibilities, and so on). But we also know that it can be an obstacle in obtaining well-paying jobs to provide for themselves and their families.
During my time of consideration, I came across news articles and reports that pointed out a certain segment of jobs that actually grew during the Great Recession. These are jobs referred to as "middle-skill" - jobs that require more education than high school, but less than college. The predominant characteristic of these types of jobs is the need to be proficient with computers and software, particularly office productivity software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and so on. I know that it surprises no one here how important computer and technology skills are in the modern economy; it can mean earning 18% more if you have these skills, according to this report.
If elected to the town council, I want to establish a jobs training program to ensure that my town's residents are able to obtain these sorts of skills. This is important in order for people to secure their economic futures for themselves and their families. It is also important in order for the town to be able to recruit new business to the area, and thus reach our economic growth goals. In the past few years, not many new businesses have opened in town - examples include a hardware store that is now closing, two dollar stores, and a small restaurant that has seen some success. The goal is to have more jobs that pay good salaries above minimum wage and that provide for year-round employment.
Churubusco is a small community, so I do not have a full website. I do have a Facebook page - please visit it here if you would like. In the previous diary that I linked above, a commenter suggested that some people here might be willing to offer some small donations for my campaign. That is not the goal of this diary, but if you are inclined to do so, I am using Rally.org to manage donations.
Thank you and wish me luck!