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| Middletown Community News |
| Q & A With Middletown City Council Candidate Robert Thoroughman |
| Wednesday, August 05, 2009 8:34:38 AM - Middletown Ohio |
Picture Provided By: Mr. Thoroughman
Posted By: Randy Lewis
Tell us a little about yourself and what qualifies you to represent your ward?
I am 31 years old with a 2 year old son and a child on the way. I moved to MIddletown in 1993 with my mom and sis. As a young person we went through hardships and homelessness. I made up my mind to change my future. I went on to college and met my wife of nine years there also.My family and I moved to Minnesota from 2004 to 2008 to open a church. After our time there we desired to move back to Middletown to raise our kids. I have one living son and a daughter who was still born. I am expecting another child in Jan 2010.
I am a non paid pastor and a Director of a AGA, Inc. I serve as a youth leader with Butler County JRC.I have worked as a Reserve Deputy in Minnesota. My wife and I served with Big Brothers, Big Sisters. I also worked as a licensed Sex offender youth counselor in Minnesota. I feel that my life and experience has proved to help me better understand people and the troubles this life can bring.
We must rise above the ashes and overcome the obsticles of life.I have served my community in many aspects, in an effort to improve life for all. When elected I intend to donate part of my Council income to the Wic program of Butler and Warren county. I feel that leaders should put words to action and give back to the communities they serve. Let the leaders rise up and lead.
Where would you like to see the city in the next few years?
Growing and providing more jobs. I want to see this city safer and cleaner. I would like to utilize more community volunteers to help offset the rising budget concerns. I want to develope more Youth focused activities to help lower Juvenile crime. I want to develop what the city already has. Also, bring more business and jobs here for the people of this great city. I want to see the city avoid wastefull spending, such as spending money on things we do not own. Some plans I have to reach these goals are as follows:
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
1) Bring more jobs to Middletown by attracting diverse businesses.
2) Offer tax breaks when companies agree to stay for so many years.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
1) Strengthen our community by offering and providing programs and services that help build strong families and youth.
2) Protect our current assets (The parks, Health Dept., Community Center, etc.)
PUBLIC SAFETY
1. Clean up our streets by providing more police presence and building a solid volunteer base.
2. Work to repair the open line of communications between the community and Community leaders and Government.
What is your plan to replace the businesses that Middletown has lost:
Offer more tax incentives when businesses agree to stay for a set amount of time. I plan to start an aggresive advertising campaign to lure businesses to relocate to Middletown. Improve local streets and access points to provide better access to local businesses. Increase the diversity of businesses offered in our city to attract more consumers to our city. Thus, increasing the well being of our businesses.
How would you begin to repair and strengthen our relationships with the surrounding communities?
Improve communication with our neighbors. Join with them in a TEAM effort to improve the overall health and well being of our local economy.
What would you like to see happen with the downtown area?
Continue the Growth that has started. I want draw more business there. Also, we need to have police presence increase there. I feel we could place walking officers and or reserve officers in the area to improve business growth.
What are your thoughts on Middletown's Section 8 situation and what would you like to see happen?
We need to balance out the Housing situation. One, by not increasing our current section 8 housing. Then We need to look at other housing options such as ownership through land contract options. The best option is to help increase self sufficiency not leave people homeless. Though we face a major issue with the housing situation. I think if we join together and listen to our communty we can reach what is best for all.
Tell us how you would handle the city's budget concerns?
As a county employee, I understand greatly how the budgets can effect everyones life. I think we should look at pay scales and vacant positions. We should look at overall balance of positions and need. I think good things would be looking at options that least effect everyday life but cut lease needed expenses. Focus more on volunteers to help ease some burden on city. Not cut, but maintain.
In your opinion, what is the biggest problem that needs addressed in Middletown and how do we repair it?
Given the current economy, We need to make sure that we become more business friendly to everyone. In a time of economic struggles, we need to be willing to deal in order to draw business to our city. We need to develope and offer incentives to get and keep businesses here. Also, I think we should focus on drawing more event style business to our city. We are between two major cities and we could host concerts, etc. I feel the two MAJOR issues right now is: Spending and Communication. We need Jobs, but we also need a SAFE AND CLEAN place to live.
If elected I will join with my fellow citizens to build Middletown into the city it can be. We must join together and become one city again!
Robert Thoroughman
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| Add Your Own Comment! |
| 8/3/2009 10:16:26 AM | VietVet | | Mr. Thoroughman- how about letting the private sector determine the growth of the downtown area. The city has wasted enough money through the years with no results to develope the downtown. How about working WITH the Econ. Dev. dept. to bring new diversified jobs to town, with technology, research center, communication, fiber optic, and energy related jobs as a focus? How about a shift in the budget to allow the streets and infrastructure to be the number one focus instead of all the little worthless projects the city currrently wants to focus on? How about being small business friendly and adopting policies that help them grow instead of suppressing them as they do now? How about an open dialogue allowing the citizens to know what their leaders are doing- eliminate the secrecy. How about using Council to take back control of the city from an overbearing city manager, planning director, law director, and worthless Econ. Dev. dept.? How about not maintaining the current number of Section 8 but reducing it to more than half? We are not meant to be a welfare town. How about cutting some of the deadwood out of the city building? Just some thoughts for your campaign. Let's eliminate the incumbants in November! | | 8/3/2009 10:59:57 AM | Fixer | | If the City concentrated on the issues which improved the city for everyone, i.e. Infrastructure, Reducing Poverty, Redicuing Public Housing, Education, Crime, then private investors would take care of the Private Developement with investment dollars and jobs. But Middletown continues to ignore the above issues and does nothing to fix these problems hence no jobs, no developement from the private sector, and so it goes. | | 8/3/2009 5:50:52 PM | Not Impressed | | Wow, some of this looks like plagiarism at it's best. Maybe Mr. Thoroughman should consider using his own ideas, opposed to copying and pasting from other Q & A's. I'm interested in hearing his ideas, not council members and candidates that have already responded. No vote here. | | 8/3/2009 8:11:12 PM | Robert Thoroughman | Dear Not Impressed,
I assure you plagiarism is not the case. If you took time to read my replies you would know that. It hurts that you would say such a thing. Also, remember we were asked the same questions. Having the same topics, is not plagiarism. | | 8/3/2009 8:50:38 PM | Not Impressed | | You're right, having the same topics is not plagiarism. However, copying and pasting what someone said, and not quoting them is plagiarism. Just my observation. Btw, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. Blah | | 8/3/2009 9:50:53 PM | Robert Thoroughman | PLease let me know what you are refering too.
Thanks | | 8/4/2009 5:05:38 PM | Robert T | AFTER READEING OVER MY INTERVIEW, I SEEN WHERE I DID QUOTE MR SMITH ON ONE PART, I DID FORGET TO GIVE HIM CREDIT. SORRY AND KNOW THAT HE SAID:
"Protect our current assets (The parks, Health Dept., Community Center, etc.)" QUOTE BY MR.SMITH
ALL OTHER WAS MY OWN WORDS AND THOUGHTS. I TOO DO VALUE THESE ASSETS AND JOIN WITH HIM IN HOPES OF BRINGING GREAT THINGS TO THIS CITY.
THANKS ROBERT THOROUGHMAN
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