Indiana State Senate

As many of you know, I have considered a possible run for Indiana State Senate in my district. The current office holder is a poor politician and hopes to pick-up a caucus appointment to a much lesser position in Merrillville. That announcement and a thorough evaluation of the issues that will affect the state in 2007 and beyond made the opportunity very enticing.

But, I also have an important role to play within my own company, Synergy Homes. We are fighting right now, even tonight, on numerous fronts to try and build homes for working class families in Northwest Indiana. This fight is consuming. This fight is a losing war on many fronts right now. Cities and towns are balancing their poor planning abilities on new home buyers' backs by increasing permits and taps and impact fees in some cases more than 200%. I would project that 100 families will not be buying homes next year in Northwest Indiana in 2006 due to government largess.

In Porter County, we have a detestable county commissioner. The "omissioner" as I've politely named him, Mr. Bob Harper. He is an attorney who has build a practice around representing the dregs of society, and in some cases getting them out of jail. He has decided single-handedly to make Porter County a more expensive place to live. His "firing" and the subsequent "hiring" by election of a new commissioner that has a heart for the working class, a heart for job creation and entrepreneurial opportunity, is one of the most important projects in my career.

I am therefore removing my name from contention for state senate. I will await names and ideas about who will run, we sure don't need Bob Harper's plan commission attorney as our state senator, she is all about "slowing" us down! I am looking forward to meeting with a candidate that will run, win, and represent us the way Senator Heinold has in his first year.

Thanks to all that weighed in, I was honored to be considered.