Dear Editor,
After reading a candidate for mayor’s opinion (Letter to the Editor) that incoming, high-paying jobs – which many cities and towns across the state would love to have – is actually hurting our citizens and small businesses, I had to laugh.
How shortsighted can a politician be? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that communities that continue to attract new headquarters and corporate employers are doing the right thing by its residents – and – its small businesses. Seems like a very narrow perspective to believe otherwise.
Residents win in a number of ways. Thanks to higher commercial tax revenues – the most recent number I heard was 39 percent of Carmel’s taxes come from commercial properties – residential property owners in Carmel (you know, the mom and pops with kids and expenses) … they continue to pay some of the lowest taxes in the State of Indiana. Carmel residents also benefit by having more job opportunities now and in the future for themselves and their children.
Meanwhile, small businesses are far from “struggling to survive” in Carmel. Talk about being out of touch with what’s really going on here. Carmel small businesses are thriving, thanks to the number of new companies and jobs that have come to town in just the past five years. More workers relocated, more local homes sold, more groceries shopped, more local restaurants visited, more local shopping … the ripple effect is strong.
It only took a quick Google search to learn that this is called the “multiplier effect” and according to one of the nation’s premier economists – Enrico Moretti, who wrote The New Geography of Jobs – each high-tech or “innovation” job will on average create five additional jobs – from professional roles such as doctors, lawyers, real estate agents and bankers; to non-professional jobs in the service industry. That means a very diverse work force benefits with each new innovation job created in Carmel.
Do all businesses survive? Do all business owners successfully manage expenses and have viable business plans that sustain profitability? No, clearly not. But can you blame the vision it’s taken to clearly “elevate” the opportunities within this community? I believe not.
The investments that smart cities like Carmel make to attract and secure these high-wage jobs will easily pay off in the long run for residents and those “struggling to survive” small businesses. This is why Carmel continues to welcome new entrepreneurs and small businesses just about every week. If things were as bad as what this candidate says, we truly would be in big trouble.
But … we’re not. Investment continues to come in and more small businesses continue to be attracted to our local economy.
That’s why I believe Mayor Jim Brainard’s a better fit than a misguided candidate.
Thank you,
Joshua E. Carr
Carmel
Classic Alan Sutherlin “man on the streets” hit piece. Alan is Mayor Brainard’s long time fixer if you don’t recognize the name. Attack and smear politics is his specialty! The current mayor’s policies have led to an unprecedented level of debt, a downgrading of the city of Carmel’s credit rating, a shuffling of businesses around Carmel out of existing locations into shiny new ones or poached from Indianapolis. Add to these shining accomplishments a performing arts center that does not perform as advertised, we built it and they did not come, Arts & Design galleries and businesses that are propped up by rent subsidies, and yet still they fail and or leave, a failure to plan for the ongoing cost of maintaining all these shiny new baubles which results in skimping on maintaining neighborhood infrastructure and the crown jewel would be policies that hurt small business which is the livelihood of any thriving community in favor of tax breaks for outsiders which further diminishes their economic impact because they don’t pay their fair share! The answer to all this from the mayor’s campaign is a hit piece by an unknown with, probably, very little actual knowledge of how a municipality functions financially beyond what Alan has told him, or more probably wrote for him.
I’ve know Fred Glyn, the un-named challenger(again a classic hit piece-don’t give the other guy any name recognition) for a number of years. He is thoughtful, knowledgeable and the picture of a servant leader as opposed to a career politician. After 24 years of one man rule wouldn’t it be refreshing to have new leadership at the helm. God alone help Carmel if they were to find that Mayor Brainard did for Carmel what Richard Daly did for Chicago. Keep taxes artificially low and borrow millions (billions) that will leave several future generation paying it off while they try to address neglected infrastructure. Politics should be service to others not service for self. Carmel is overdue for a change!
Whenever I read a letter-to-the-editor or opinion piece, I always research the author in order or identify an motives. This is what I was able to find about Joshua E. Carr on Linked-In:
CarmelFest Development Chair, Rotary Club of Carmel (2012-present)
Board Member, Carmel International Arts Festival (2018-present)
Executive Board Secretary, Carmel Chamber of Commerce (2010-2014)
While I appreciate Mr. Carr’s commitment to service, these entries explain why a loyalty to the current mayor and negative view of a challenger might exist.
Folks, as campaign season ramps up, please remember to do your due diligence when reading opinion pieces like this!
Wow the mayor must be afraid to have so many of his employees keep writing these “opinion” pieces. Joshua E. Carr seems pretty vested in the mayor keeping his job and putting us another billion dollars in debt.
Nice work Angela. Less work I had to do. I always check backgrounds too.
So Joshua being a community volunteer negates his opinion? The opposite is the truth. He is obviously vested in the community and has helped make Carmel a great place to live. Being a Chamber of Commerce board member also means he is close to what is important for small businesses (you know the members of the Chamber) in Carmel. Joshua has served Carmel and done more for Carmel than Fred Glynn has ever attempted. Fred has done nothing for this community other than earn a paycheck on the tax payer dime. When a fellow County Councilman suggested cutting the County Council’s salary in half, it was a non-starter for Fred. BTW, Joshua’s service has been unpaid and as a volunteer. His motive is that he enjoys the leadership in Carmel. Fred would send Carmel back to the stone ages…. a vain person who got hair plugs to prepare for his run for Mayor, whose only experience is as a mortgage lender and a few years on the County Council. Fred also has a criminal record. He does not meet the expectations that Carmel residents have for Mayor.
Angela, you are running for Judge. It is not becoming of you to attack a community volunteer for his letter to the editor.