By Comparing Rochester and Gary, Freeman-Wilson lacks insight for Mayor of Gary

The major problem with Indiana politicians is that they routinely insist on revealing a lack of understanding about most issues.   

In elected public servants, it creates for disastrous public policy. Sadly, they are not being called to task.

A recent quote in an interview with a local media exemplifies this negative quality in Karen Freeman-Wilson as a Gary mayoral candidate.  This complete lack of knowledge, lack of understanding of the problems, and complete incompetence in thinking power is shown by the shallowness of her ideas and capabilities.

In this recent news story, Freeman-Wilson presented Rochester, N.Y., as a city after which Gary would emulate itself under her administration.  She said the two are similar because they both have suffered from a downturn in two major industries. Freeman-Wilson never indicates what these two industries are and I don't believe she knows.  She claims Rochester has responded to this situation, and Gary needs to as well like Rochester.

Where did she come up with this idea?  Rochester and Gary have so little in common that one wants to know what is she smoking?  Or is the reality in Gary in fact where no citizens care if their candidates or elected officials can present and sensible ideas.  The fact that Freeman-Wilson is being considered as a serious candidate would indicate that Gary would accept Bozo the Clown as a candidate.  For good or bad, neither Karen Freeman-Wilson or Bozo the Clown can hold a candle to Rudy Clay.

Let me tell you about Rochester — and, by the way, this is public information.Rochester has more than twice the population of Gary, with a median family income of $31,257. Its culture is closer to New England than to that of Gary. Rochester is the headquarters and home of a number of international businesses — Eastman Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, Paychex and Xerox — whereas Gary cannot get a mom-and-pop grocery store to stay open.

The number one industry in Rochester is higher education, whereas, in Gary and Northwest Indiana, higher education takes a back seat.  An example of higher education institutions in the Rochester area are the University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, Monroe Community College, the Eastman School of Music, Alfred University, State University of New York at Brockport and SUNY Geneseo.  Higher education is what one can say without question Karen Freeman-Wilson has no understanding of nor has she been able to understand the economic policy implications of any of her ideas.

Rochester has become the world capital of imaging. The University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics is ranked No. 1 in the country, and the Rochester Institute of Technology has one of the best imaging science departments in the nation.

In 2005, the University of Rochester became the largest employer in the area, surpassing Kodak.