I am Greg Goodnight and today, I formally declare my candidacy for the office of Mayor. I ask for your support in my quest to help Kokomo invest in its people.

As Kelli said, I am a lifelong resident of Kokomo with a passion for this community. Make no mistake about it, this election is an important one. It is about the 48,000 residents of Kokomo and our future.

I have worked at our Haynes International for the past 18 years, where I served two terms as President of United Steelworker’s Local 2958. I am extremely proud to work for Haynes and to have represented the nearly 1200 members of our local union as their elected leader. As President, I had the challenge of addressing many kinds of labor and management problems. I negotiated contracts and agreements with multi-national and billion dollar companies. I am a creative problem-solver and have extensive experience working with people of opposing interests to reach a resolution that all can live with. My unique experience as a negotiator and problem-solver is a motivating factor in my candidacy, and will be a strength as Mayor.

Community service has always been a part of my life. I am a member of the Grace United Methodist Church, a service club, the Indiana Black Expo, and the Central Labor Council. I have participated in Relay for Life and the National Association for the Mentally Ill, as well as in fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy, The United Way, Huntington’s Disease, and Bona Vista.

I served on the city planning commission, and I am honored to have been elected by the citizens of Kokomo to the township Board in 1991, 1995, and 1999, and to have served on the Kokomo City Council from 2001 to the present. In 2005, I served as Vice-President of the Council and as chair of the finance committee. My service in these volunteer and elected positions has also motivated me to run for Mayor of Kokomo.

I have watched our community as factories close or downsize, sometimes eliminating or transferring good paying jobs out of Kokomo. I have direct experience in dealing with this problem, and was able to negotiate an agreement with Haynes International in 2004 that kept 800 good paying jobs in our community, while helping the company to work through bankruptcy and emerge in a good financial position. Because of our hard work, Haynes International is stronger than ever, and the future is brighter than ever. And all this was accomplished without one retiree having lost a pension or healthcare. And not one employee took a pay cut or lost the rights to their pension. I am grateful to the members of the Steelworkers Union who allowed that agreement to be reached. This experience too was a motivating factor in my decision to run for Mayor of Kokomo.

I am also a concerned parent. I want my children to get the best education possible here in Kokomo. I want Kokomo to have jobs with a future to offer, not only for my children, but for yours as well. This is another key reason why I am running for Mayor. I believe that we can do better, and in the next several weeks I will be discussing my Economic Development plan for this important area.

A DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP STYLE

During my 6 years of service on the City Council and under two different Mayors, Kokomo has faced a number of problems. I have worked toward solutions to these problems with both Democrats and Republicans. I believe that bipartisanship, moderation, and willingness to negotiate are all a necessary part of our democratic government.

In summary, one of my first priorities as your Mayor will be to restore trust, cooperation, and respect to the office of Mayor and to re-establish leadership and credibility.

Other candidates have previously discussed their views on “running Kokomo like a business.”

I disagree with this analogy, and, instead, agree with former President Harry Truman.

When asked if he was ready to leave behind all of the powers of the Presidency and return to Missouri to be “just another citizen,” and President Truman responded “You have it backwards. As the President, I was an employee of the people. When I go home, as one of the people, I become the boss again.”

As your Mayor, you, the 48,000 citizens of Kokomo will be the CEO. I will be your employee, a public servant.

As Mayor, I want to “invest in people” by listening to their needs, hearing what they say, and working cooperatively with local businesses, educators, and average citizens to meet our collective needs.

City employees:

As Mayor, I will ensure that each and every city employee deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, and to be recognized for their important contributions to the quality of life in our city. I do not mean merely through lip service, but through the direct action of myself and other city administrators. That is my commitment to you.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

After restoring trust, cooperation, and respect in city government, my most important task as Mayor will be to develop Kokomo’s economy in 3 ways.

First, we must work with businesses that are already here to insure that we retain the good paying jobs that already exist in Kokomo.

Second, we must work together to create more good paying jobs for residents - by taking the lead in combining our economic development efforts, and by learning from efforts in other successful cities.

Third, by developing a well-trained workforce We cannot succeed in job retention and creation without a progressive, positive, and well trained work force. We must break the cycle of allowing our citizens to fall through the cracks. We must “invest in people.” And I have a detailed plan to do just that.

I will not run Kokomo as a business. The goal of a business is to earn money and produce a profit for shareholders. The goal of city government is to provide the public with needed services , responsibly, safely, and at a fair cost. As Mayor, I want to improve the quality of life for all residents of Kokomo, and to accomplish that goal we must grow the local economy.

My experience and skills have prepared me to be a Mayor who will work to help the city heal from the divisive and bitter politics that have plagued us in recent years. I chose Bon Air Shelter Park to make my announcement, and not a party headquarters because I am making that announcement to all of the community, not one political party. I want to be a people’s Mayor.

I’m proud to be joined tonight by a diverse group of citizens, including Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. I am grateful to all of you.

Having spent my entire life in Kokomo, I feel that I have been truly blessed with opportunity. And, I feel that it is my obligation to give back to this community that has given so much to me. I feel a sense of responsibility for our collective future. My grandmother always said that we should not fail to plant the trees whose shade we will never sit under. I may never see the Kokomo of future generations, but I care deeply about that future and want to do all that I can to make it a bright one.

I have been encouraged and humbled by the phone calls, e-mails, contributions, personal and positive comments from friends, neighbors, co-workers, and ordinary citizens. Restoring credibility and economic vitality are not just things that we SHOULD do, these are the things that we MUST do for Kokomo.

As Democrats, we have a history locally of sometimes difficult elections. I am asking for your help and support, but also I am asking that we, collectively, do not engage in the divisive politics of the past, but the cooperative politics of the future. We want to win this election in the best way – not in the worst way.

Please help me to create a city where our government “invests in its people.” Help me to make the City of Firsts a city of the future. Thank you again for your continued support for me and for that positive future.