Why Mack for Mayor? Simply put, I love Jasper and want to see it become a city run for and by the people. I have a passion to ensure all citizens of Jasper are treated with respect and honor and allowed a voice in decisions that will affect all the people. I am the only true “We the People” mayoral candidate.
I firmly believe I am the best choice for mayor because of my ‘city background’, work ethic, leadership, foresight, initiative, education, work and business experience, and my devotion to, and passion for, being the best person to lead government of the City of Jasper. I will serve all people equally, from the very well to do to the poor. I am a common man, and believe the great majority of Jasper residents feel they are also. I know many well to do people that have been fortunate in life financially whom are not elitist, but also common people.
Having come from a poor family, I began purchasing my own clothes in grade school after getting a job at the Dubois County Courthouse at the age of 10 to 11. I grew up knowing the value of a dollar and the importance of saving for the future. In my adult life I worked hard to better my standing both financially and as a person. I worked myself into management and made very good wages in my 32 years at Kimball.
I am a frugal person and have been able to amass financial security through the acquisition of hard investment assets. For many years in my life, due to my devotion to building my ‘nest egg’ (there has been talk for decades about social security running out of money to pay retirees) so that I need not depend on governmental help in my ‘golden years’, I saved or invested 50% of my earnings every week by spending my hard earned money primarily on necessities. Far and few between were any expenditures for the extravagant.
I jokingly tell everyone “I’m the son of a poor black sharecropper.” which is a paraphrasing of a Steve Martin line in “The Jerk” comedy. I was born very poor on the southwest side of town, one of the poorer sections of Jasper, about three blocks from another section of town, still remembered by people of my generation as ‘Frog town’. These folks also remember the other poor sections of town called the ‘Apple Orchard’ which is in the industrial around the factories on Mill and Vine Streets (JOFCO, Wood Product Co.; etc.) and the ‘Little Kentucky’ side of town over the 3rd St. Patoka bridge and out to the Schnitzelbank are an beyond.
I am a lifelong resident of the City of Jasper and a true Jasper city boy who had never ridden a bus to school in my life. When I was a kid, one could walk to anywhere in town. Most of my time was spent in downtown Jasper. I also played and explored all of the area around the Patoka bridge and what is now the Riverwalk area.
I walked from my house to the pool, all the ball fields, bowling alley, grocery stores, restaurants, and the most northern retail store, The Downtown, at 14th and north Main Streets. I actually did walk to the far ends of the city limits in all directions and beyond. The area where all the businesses line the highway from the ‘Y’ to the Skate Palace was nothing but corn fields and hills. We used the once existing hill where Family Video is now to sled ride in the winter.
Why Mack for Mayor? I am your simply your best choice for mayor. Unlike the other candidates, I have first-hand knowledge of the history of Jasper since being born here in 1955. Terry Seitz grew up in Haysville and went to Dubois High School. Seitz did not move to Jasper until the age of 21. He has been proclaimed ‘the chosen one’ by the local Republican party.
John Burger grew up outside the city limits of Jasper and has been a career politician in county politics. Since losing the last county race Burger was in, he has now turned his political aspirations to city government. John Burger’s business is located outside of the city limits of Jasper. Do we want a mayor that avoids paying city taxes?
As far as I can recall, Jasper has never had a mayor not born and raised in Jasper. With the choices the people have for mayor of Jasper, not is the time to break that trend. It would be different if persons of better caliber that Terry Seitz and John Burger were running.
I want to be your mayor and the people’s mayor.
Respectfully,
‘Mack’ (Jeffrey Mack) Steffen
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