LOCATION:    FRANKFORT INDIANA

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Deconstructing Frankfort
looking ahead for 2008 and beyond

PART 1

As I sit here tonight, and try to feel what I am going to type, I thought maybe it would be a good time to get my thoughts together, and talk about the city I was born and raised in, and where we are going as a whole.  

I wish I could do this in a short essay, but with me, generally that just isn't possible.     So this will be part 1 of a series, that will keep going, throughout the year, when I get the urge to speak here.

I want to talk honestly and openly about my perceptions, and hopefully, I can word things in such a way where I will leave little, if any doubt, about some things I would like to see in this city moving forward.

Since I am talking perceptions, and not perhaps, viable realities, it is important to realize that everything that comes from me, comes only from my lifelong influences, environment, and circumstances, along with my own 2 eyes and senses.     I welcome criticism, as long as it is respectful and constructive.   

I do not claim to be an expert on any issue, I claim no special knowledge, and I only bring my thoughts forward, to possibly stimulate discussion, and to bring another viewpoint to the card table.

As I watched the 2008 Republican Presidential Debates from Florida last night, a candidate whom I, normally, heavily disagree with, made one of the strongest and most powerful quips of the night in response to Tim Russert.

Mike Huckabee said that America is always talking about what it "can't do".

The statement resonated with me immediately, because I live in this place everyday.

It's called Frankfort Indiana, and you have probably heard of this community.

Frankfort, for a long time, has had a "can't do" attitude on things.    (from a perception standpoint)

There is a lot of pessimism in this little town.   There is a lot of mud slinging.     There is a lot of finger pointing.     But, the fact of the matter, is that people are not motivated to change, because there is no INCENTIVE to change.

This word, "incentive", I think is important to focus on moving forward.    

We must understand the nature of the this word.

I am very concrete on the position, that if you want "change", then you have to "move" human beings.    In my view, THEY are the agents of change, but you must consider that THEY, must be motivated, in one direction or another, to create a desired or shared outcome.

We want action.     Not words.    Right?

If you consider that human beings need some type of "benefit", or "incentive" to get moving, then you begin to understand the thought process that will remove us from our quagmire.

We have a problem in this town.      You can even call it a spiritual problem, if you will.

When the word "problem" is thrown around, most people get a negative view.     The first step in this process is to realize that a "problem", is a door to an opportunity.

There is a fundamental maxim, that I sometimes forget, but try to employ when and wherever possible.

That is to "seek first to understand, before you seek to be understood".

This, is my analysis of Frankfort Indiana at this very moment.

We hear many people screaming, but both parties often scream so loud, that they zero each other COMPLETELY OUT in the process.      It's like sticking your fingers in your ears, and shouting at the top of your lungs, that you cannot hear the other person, as they mirror your responsiveness, and shout the same thing.

 The people in this town, to my knowledge, are not happy, nor giddy, about any "changes" taking place right now in this community.     No one is pumping their fists in the air, getting excited, or feeling like they are a part of anything.   I think we have a fragmented community, divided over petty things such as race, income, and imposed social standards.     

Excitement is not running wild in the air, the people in Frankfort don't seem stimulated, and I posit that is because they are not motivated.

They need INCENTIVE to change, and this is the job, that lies with our leaders, and is the first purpose of the series I am creating here.   

Before I go into that, I do want to reflect on the 3 people that ran for mayor in 2007.  

I followed the 2007 Mayor Election in this town, and even did interviews prior to the election with all 3 candidates.        

- You can view  interviews here -

I must admit, I was not unimpressed with the 3 men running.    All 3 of them had distinct qualities.    In Chuck Toney, I saw a tough guy, with a big heart.     With Chris Pippenger, he represented something fresh and new, and claimed he was not a politician, but just an ordinary guy.      Don Stock is clean, dapper, and he can talk a good game.     He is a business man, and he is sharp and cunning.      He seems like a "can do" guy, and he is a Chicago Cubs fan I hear, so he can't be that bad.    :)     

Qualities exist in all 3.     I try to look at the good in people.    But words are the tools used to get INTO politics, but once you are IN politics, it is the "action", not the words, that must do ALL of your talking.

I found my encounters with the 3 in 2007, quite interesting, when I performed my interviews with them.

I talked at length with Chuck Toney on the phone, even though I was dirt sick with the cold, and he is a very interesting, and smart gentleman, and he was very kind to withstand my coffing and gagging in his ear numerous times.     

THANKS CHUCK!    :)

I think Chuck ran a good campaign, and overall he I think he is a good person.      If he would have got the nod for mayor, I can say I wouldn't have had any problem with that at all.     He seems like a guy willing to listen, and I think he has the balls for the job.

Don Stock was very professional, and I did the interview with him through email, as I was very busy at the time.     I wrongly berated him because he sent me back a word document that was blank, but he set me straight quickly, as he replied in shock that he had spent 2 hours on the interview I sent him.     I found out that it was a problem on my end, and sent an apology.      Whoops!    Sorry again Don!     (My public apology)

I really think, Don is, most likely, the most intelligent of the 3 candidates, and that is no disrespect to the others, yet, there just seems to be something I can't put my finger on with the guy.     I guess I truly don't know if he is a man of the people, or a man of the government, to sum things up the best I can.      I can't go any further, because anything I have heard is merely speculation, and hearsay, so I cannot form a conclusive judgement without facts.    

 That might be a question for another time, because his era, for at least 4 years, is now over.

And that brings me to our current mayor, Chris Pippenger.

I was very, very excited about him winning the election as an independent, because I thought he might have the INDEPENDENT fortitude, to push Frankfort forward in a new direction.      I talked to this guy on the phone, and I will tell you, hands down, I do like the guy.

I voted for him, and even with some recent mud slung his way, I still have some hope.     But I also have fears.    It may be fears of my own doing.      It might be MY FAULT, for picturing this guy as an independent maverick, fresh blood, a guy who was going to get Frankfort going again.

I perceive currently that he seems to be surrounded by the old guard, and I hope they don't influence the good gentleman away from his base and principles.      I voted for an Independent, and I want Chris to be a critical minded, "independent" thinking mayor.      This might currently be the case, and it is my sincere hope that it is.

I think there is tremendous potential in this town for great change.    

I think it is critical that our leaders embrace the power of the internet, and the power of the press, and communicate with their citizens in a more open, and direct, fashion.     

DO NOT FEAR CRITICISM,  dear government, because it will help you to grow, and you can tackle big issues, one by one, with open communication, meaningful dialogue, and a little bit of elbow grease, but above all, openness and honesty.  

To finish out here, as long as I have been in Frankfort, and all through grade school, and high school, and my work in the factories here in town, and throughout the years of my satellite business, there seems to be a silent agreement by many of the people here.

Frankfort..........................sucks.

I hate to say that.    I have great hope for this town.     But the question must be asked, why many of my friends, that are my age, in my age group, are not living in the town they were born in?

I beg the question!

Why the rampant excitement to leave, and using names like "Frank-Tucky" to describe this town?

All my friends ever talked about, along with their friends, and their friends, is how bad Frankfort sucks.     It's true.  

Myself, and others, were always clamoring to go to Lafayette, or go to Indianapolis, or party at Purdue, or go to the mall, or anywhere,  BUT HERE.    This town was boring, had no night life, and many people are very standoffish with one another in this town.      

I think it is sad that we don't have a town that people have a ton of pride in.     But you cannot ASK for pride, you cannot SHOVE PRIDE down people's throats.    It's not a catchy advertising slogan.      You have to make them FEEL it.    

And this is where I think our leader's are lacking.    In the area of creating FEELING.     They need to create feeling, they need to embody purpose, and they need to be proposing real change, because there is a large consensus out there that the town SUCKS.       

Drive around this town right now, and it looks like a pit.     Empty houses litter the land scape.     Wages in this town are basically non-existant if you want a comfortable standard of living.     The square looks like a dump.    It has no color.   It has no feeling.    It has no abundant activity.     It's rundown.    There is no parking.    It needs a redo.

The TPA park was once a place of great pride.     But it is not moving forward with the future, and many citizens don't seem to be willing to blend with the latinos in the landscape.      It no longer inspires feeling, except for at Christmas time, and during the 4th of July fireworks.       Progress is not a dirty word.

Many small businesses in this town are struggling.     The government is not communicating with them much, or even letting them know how vital they are to a small economy such as this.      Large business spaces, and buildings,  lie empty, as they accumulate rust from nobody using them.

And of course we have the issue of illegal immigration, which seems to really get people's blood boiling.

It will be interesting to see how Chris deals with these issues.

I am very interested in Chris's ability to LEAD.

No one cares what you know, or who you are, or what you stand for, if they don't know you care.

THIS is what makes a real leader.     Not the sad excuses in Washington that we believe to be leaders.

I ask that our new mayor please be open with the people, and I ask him not to hide behind mistakes, but to look at them as opportunities for growth.       The disagreements will come, but welcome them with open arms.     It is an opportunity to learn.   The citizens beckon.

This is my opinion on step 1, of a very long, and intensive process.

January 26th 2007

Jon White

The Frankfort Post

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