The Indiana Democratic Party’s American Rescue Plan tour, a statewide campaign to help deliver news about the COVID-19 relief package, made a stop in Terre Haute Friday for an inaugural Eighth District Mayors luncheon.
Ready to put the pandemic firmly in the rearview mirror, John Gregg, former Indiana House Speaker, Tonya Pfaff, State Representative from District 43, and Myla Eldridge, Indiana Democratic Party Vice Chair, shared tips on being more confident in talking to others about the plan and about defending the Democratic Party in general.
They specified just how the plan provides a contribution to all of Indiana’s 92 counties — including Vigo County, which received $20.7 million, county schools were given $30.4 million and the City of Terre Haute was provided $38.2 million.
Gregg made special note of how not one Indiana Republican elected official voted to support the Rescue plan despite the law delivering $5.8 billion in relief to the state, Indiana’s schools receiving $2 billion in aid, and more than $250 million being used to expand broadband Internet access across Indiana.
He said the mayors need to remind people that the money from the American Rescue Plan isn’t a federal government give away, but is taxpayer money that is coming back into our communities. He said each state is basically getting a 30 percent increase for programs that benefit individuals, schools, broadband and infrastructure.
“Indiana has 11,000 bridges to maintain and we still have one in seven people who don’t have access to broadband Internet,” said Gregg. “Indiana has over a half-million veterans and there’s got to be more money spent on VA hospitals.”
Gregg said that more attention needs to be paid to organized labor as it is responsible for safety in the workplace, getting workers a living wage, pensions and vacations they deserve.
“We need to brand ourselves and identify ourselves as the party of the people and go on the offensive when we hear all the negative comments that identify Democrats as socialists, as abortionists, as anti-gun,” Gregg said. “When people say that Democrats are socialists, we need to ask them what they really mean and remind them that Social Security and Medicare are really socialist programs.”
Eldridge echoed that sentiment.
“It’s been a tough year to be a Democrat with all of the rhetoric going around. But we’re here to share the good news that Democrats deliver shots, checks and jobs for Hoosiers,” she said. “The pandemic exposed how low our working wages are, so we need to raise them so that people will want to go back to work instead of just collecting free benefits.”
Sullivan Mayor Clint Lamb said, “There’s no such thing as a Democrat or Republican pothole or snowplow. We’re all just trying to make our communities better. We’ve got a lot great leaders taking care of people and that’s what the Democrat Party was founded on.”
Bicknell Mayor Thomas Estabrook said people expect local government to do something to solve the problems that they face everyday. “We’ve got to find local solutions to local problems and get away from the polarization,” he said.
Eighth District Chairwoman Thomasina Marsili said no other district in the state has 11 Democrat mayors.
Gregg wrapped up the luncheon by saying that things aren’t going to change overnight, but that they will change.
“Whether you’re sailing against the wind or with it, we’ve got to keep navigating the course.” he said.
Joe Donnelly, former U.S. Senator, stopped by the Tribune-Star prior to speaking later in the evening to the public at the International Union of Operating Engineers.
He said his message is we all have reason for great hope that the COVID-19 pandemic is getting behind us, and he’s excited to be back in Terre Haute.
“Some doubted President Joe Biden would ... reach his goal of having 100 million people vaccinated in 100 days, but the fact is that there’s been over 200 million people vaccinated,” he said. “People need to feel safe again. It’s not the first time the country has asked it’s people to get vaccinated for their own health and the safety of their neighbors. Remember polio? It’s gone now.”
He said now it’s time to focus on the next step, which is the American Jobs Plan.
“It’s time to focus like a laser to get our country to a place where working families have multiple job opportunities, a strong economy and everybody is healthy,” said Donnelly.
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