Thank you to the citizens of LaPorte County for electing me to the LaPorte County Council.
I will do my very best to exceed your expectations, and help improve our quality of life here in LaPorte County.
If you have any questions or suggestions for me, please don't hesitate to contact me:
County Council Member at LargeMatthew Bernacchi (D), Scott Ford (D), Cary Kirkham (R), Lois Sosinski (D), Geoffrey Sellers (R), Roger Wolf (R), Mark Lindborg (L)
Scott Ford has over twenty five years of experience in the private sector serving in positions of leadership in manufacturing and logistics. He understands the many concepts involved in local, county and regional economic development issues. Scott has indicated an understanding of tax abatement, TIF, a strong local infrastructure and strong economic tools. We believe that of all the County Council candidates, Scott Ford takes the strongest positions for pro growth and economic development for
I’m Scotty Ford and I’m running for La Porte County Council at Large. I’ll bring a conservative business approach to managing tax payer’s funds. For 25 years I’ve managed multi million budgets and made tough business decisions, and I’ll bring those skills to the County Council. I believe the biggest issues we face are securing new jobs and promoting investment in our county. The best way to lower our taxes is to aggressively pursue new industrial growth and investment. We must create opportunities for our young people by bringing quality companies to LP County.
I was lucky to grow up in LP, graduate from LP High School, play baseball for coach Schreiber, and then graduate from
Thank you,
Thanks again,
"Candidate Voice of the People" Article
La Porte Herald-Argus
April 28, 2008
Ford Hopes to Bring Bottom Line Business Perspective to the County Council
The new property tax law and circuit breaker will challenge the next county council in several areas. The loss of revenue at the local level will force reductions in staff and services. I believe that reducing expense and fixed costs is the only way to make up the revenue short falls. This is never easy because every county department provides critical services to the community. Each of these departments has a lobby of people who support their missions.
I'll bring a bottom line business perspective to the table. I've had to make these types of budgetary decisions many times in my business career. Reductions in staff may take place and many lives could be impacted. We have to measure every department's effectiveness to make good funding decisions. It's not a popularity contest when dealing with the health and safety of our citizens. We must be factual and objective when making hard decisions.
My 25 years of facilitating change, managing budgets, and measuring productivity are skills that are critical in making these decisions.
I believe the real solution to our revenue short fall is found in growth. We must grow our industrial base, employment base, and local population. Increased investment in our community is the key to our future. We must embrace growth and change, or be prepared to pay more taxes.
Bipartisan cooperation is the only way we can work through these issues. If you believe that cooperation, bringing new investment and job growth are critical to our future I ask for your support in the May 6 Democratic primary.
My website is http://scottyford.blogspot.com.
SCOTT FORD
Democratic Candidate for
"Candidate Voice of the People" Article
LaPorte Herald-Argus
March 27, 2008
Scott Ford: Let Me Put My Experience To Work For You
A county councilman is a guardian of the taxpayers' treasure. County law enforcement, juvenile, and jail consume over 50 percent of the total budget. Spiraling health-care costs will continue to consume large parts of our county budget. Federal and state governments continue to issue unfunded mandates. This forces us to manage our spending very aggressively. My business experience gives me the tools to make tough decisions.
Our roads, bridges, water, and other infrastructures in La Porte County need millions in improvements. La Porte County and our region are in economic transition. La Porte County sits right in the path of the second largest trade corridor in North America. Our world is changing. Global trade will double by 2020 and triple by 2060. We need new leadership who understands these facts and looks for opportunities where skeptics only see problems. We must take advantage of our strategic location.
My B.S. degree from Ball State and business experience give me solid financial skills. I'm the only candidate in either party who has over 25 years experience managing the supply chain for companies including IBM, Xerox, Georgia Pacific, Lipton, Pillsbury, and now Alcoa/Howmet. Let me put my education and business experience to work for you. I ask for your support. Please vote on May 6. My Web site is http://scottyford.blogspot.com.
SCOTT FORD
Democratic Candidate for La Porte County Council At-Large
"Candidate Voice of the People" Article
LaPorte Herald-Argus
March 13, 2008
Scott Ford: Best Lessons Learned in LaPorte Baseball
My business experience, education and background make me a well-qualified county council candidate. During the last 25 years I've worked with diverse groups of people, balanced multimillion-dollar budgets and created new jobs. My formal education includes a bachelor of science degree from Ball State University. But some of the most important lessons I've learned were while playing baseball for Coach Schreiber.
We learned through our baseball program that you take advantage of the opportunities that are presented and that you win by practicing solid fundamentals. These lessons also apply to government. We can't spend money we don't have, sometimes we must make hard choices that some people may not like, we must continuously improve our processes, and we must work hard to improve our future. We also learned how to be competitive and that winning doesn't take place without sacrifice for the team.
The most important thing I learned through La Porte Baseball was teamwork. We must stop fighting each other and focus on the real competition: the other communities that are securing jobs and investments while we play partisan politics with each other.
I believe La Porte County can compete in the global market for jobs and investment. If you believe that our best days are ahead, I ask for your support in the May 6 Democratic primary. My Web site is http://scottyford.blogspot.com/.
SCOTT FORD
Democratic Candidate for La Porte County Council At-Large
"Candidate Voice of the People" Article
LaPorte Herald-Argus
Feb. 27, 2008
Scott Ford: Aggressively Pursue Growth
Over the last four years I've had the opportunity to work on bringing new jobs and investment to our county by serving on the La Porte County Economic Development Commission and La Porte County Redevelopment Commission. We've seen progress especially in the coordination of La Porte, Michigan City and La Porte County efforts with one voice/one message development efforts. These changes are beginning to show results in new jobs and investment.
Are you satisfied with the current state of the local economy of our county? I'm not satisfied because homeowners are struggling to pay their taxes, many parents struggle with poverty level wages, and wage growth is stagnant for most working people.
We can't continue to put our heads in the sand and tell people that everything is going to be fine. Please ask yourself these questions. What opportunities will your kids have in La Porte County? Are you satisfied with your own employment opportunities? Is your small business making money or struggling? What would you do if your job was eliminated? We have to embrace change and aggressively pursue growth.
Leadership requires taking a position, setting aggressive goals and communicating a vision for the future. I've done this by taking a position on the proposed logistics development.
I believe that our county can meet economic challenges by being upfront and giving people information early in the process. The future direction of our county shouldn't be a surprise to any of our citizens.
The only promise that I'll make to La Porte County voters is that I'll be upfront, honest, and tell you the truth regardless of the political winds. If you believe that this is the way our county should work, I ask for your support in the May 6 Democratic primary. My Web site address is http://scottyford.blogspot.com.
SCOTT FORD
Democratic Candidate for La Porte County Council At-Large
La Porte
The News-Dispatch
2/5/2008
While some residents may be surprised by this, logistics expert Michael Gallis explained our appeal at his Dec. 6 lecture on global trade and logistics trends. We live in a global, knowledge based, integrated economy where economic regions (not individual communities) are connected to the global market place by transportation infrastructure. With the lack of a national transportation plan, it is left up to the regions to expand their infrastructure to meet future demands and stay competitive.
There will be a projected global increase in port activity of 186 percent over the next 20 years as Asian markets continue to grow. Chicago is the second largest industrial market in the United States and much of the resulting freight will come through La Porte County from growing eastern U.S. ports……Since La Porte County has a convergence of rail and interstate highway infrastructure it is being considered for logistics projects that accommodate freight and production needs of the 21st Century.
The newly announced $2 billion 3,850-acre CenterPoint Intermodal Center North and its predecessor (Elwood) are examples of how these factors can become great opportunities. Because it is on
Logistics development will occur in our region. We should proactively get the most benefit from it, or be left with what competing regions leave us. Due diligence still continues on the current multimodal concept. The La Porte County Logistics Task Force is correct to stay active. The developers are doing their homework - we should do ours and support logistics development.
Tim Gropp
Executive Director
Greater
John Regetz
Executive Director
Michigan City EDC
I am seeking the nomination for La Porte County Council At-Large during the 2008 Democratic Primary, and I would like to ask for your support. La Porte County is at an economic crossroads and needs knowledgeable, aggressive leadership on the County Council. My business management background, county wide economic development experience, elected office experience, and education make me a well qualified candidate to help lead La Porte County forward.
In my current position as Transport Services Manager, I manage a multi-million dollar business for Howmet/Alcoa in La Porte. I’m the only County Council candidate in either party that is an expert in intermodal, transportation, warehousing, and logistics. My 25 years of logistics management experience will greatly benefit the citizens of La Porte County when the County Council begins negotiations with the developers over future logistics projects. I have a B.S. Degree from Ball State University.
During the last four years I’ve been very active in county-wide economic development, serving on the La Porte County Economic Development Commission and the La Porte County Redevelopment Commission. Our commission’s biggest success has been to move La Porte, Michigan City, and La Porte County forward in a coordinated direction. We’re starting to speak to potential business with “One-voice/One-message”. This directed message--along with solid business processes--will continue to create new jobs for our citizens. I truly believe that “without a good paycheck nothing else matters.”
In 2006 the citizens of Center Township elected me to Center Township Board. The Center Township Board along with Trustee Greg Smith is moving Center Township forward. Finances are no longer handled in an “under the table” manner or for the benefit of one family. Visibility and “open book” practices of all transactions are the common practice now.
I believe in and practice open, fair, and honest government. We must open up the contract and purchasing processes to more competitive bidding, and focus on reducing costs to taxpayers. We must measure all county government services to make sure we are always improving costs and services to taxpayers of La Porte County. If we don’t effectively measure established processes, how can we set benchmarks and make improvements? Job growth and new business development will continue to be my main focus on the county council.
I’m committed to the Democratic Party and its principles. I was raised on a “steady diet” of Democratic politics, and I believe in the importance of standing up for the little guy and giving back to the community. If elected I promise you that I’ll never stop listening to you. I ask for your support and hope that you give me the opportunity to serve and help to make La Porte County a better place to live.
Democratically Yours,
Scotty Ford
