Gregg urges action

John Gregg wants Indiana Democrats to keep their focus turned to November’s election.
With a speech centered on communication and education, the former Democratic candidate for governor spoke at Jay County Democrats’ 2014 Jefferson-Jackson Dinner on Friday evening at Jay County Fairgrounds.
Gregg wouldn’t give a definitive answer on whether he’ll run for governor again in 2016, explaining that it’s this year’s election that is crucial for his party.
“I’ve been keeping busy. I’ve been making the rounds,” said Gregg. “Right now there’s an election, I’m trying to help all these people in 2014.”
In a state controlled by the Republican Party — with majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate — Gregg told those in attendance that now is the time to be vocal and visible to the community to lessen the Republicans’ stronghold, to ask people to look “beyond the party label.” A crucial part of that strategy is the use of social media as well as one-on-one interaction.
“If we call people, if we Facebook, if we tweet … snap a picture tonight, post where you were, talk about this guy’s race, ask people to look at his Facebook page. Do this stuff,” said Gregg. “We need this county ticket. That’s how we start building this county up, but we got to get them to the polls.”
While Gregg praised Jay County Democrats for their level of commitment — having a stake in multiple contested races this year, including recorder, auditor, prosecutor, commissioner and county council — he also commented on larger issues of the state.
Gregg said citizens need to be aware of the disproportional control that’s taking place in Indianapolis with Republicans expanding their power, including Gov. Mike Pence’s assertion over the Department of Education.
Pence and the State Board of Education have clashed with Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz on a variety of issues, including the creation of the Center for Education and Career Innovation.
Gregg sees the CECI as a backhanded endeavor to control a Democrat-held position.
“What does our governor do? He decides he’s going to neuter that office. … That’s a slap in the face of the democratic process,” said Gregg. “The voters put her there, and they put her there by the majority of the vote, something the governor didn’t do.”
Shon Byrum, a Democratic candidate for District 33 State Representative and a history teacher, talked later in the evening about his disappointment with the situation.
“When all three of these pistons (jobs, education and economic development) are hitting, communities grow and they thrive, but when one is struggling, the rest are struggling,” said Byrum. “Right now, education is under attack, just like labor is under attack.”
To combat these kinds of actions, Gregg wants to see more Democrats at the Statehouse. Republicans hold two-thirds of the House seats, explained Gregg, which means the party can take action without the presence of any Democrat representatives.
“We need Democrats down there looking over their shoulder,” said Gregg. “We need two more Democrats in the House to even stop the Republicans from conducting business when the Democrats aren’t on the floor.”
The Democrats have a chance in this election to make a difference in people’s lives, said Gregg. He expects it will be a lower turnout because the election is focused primarily on local seats, but he emphasized that now is the time to get out into the community and build enthusiasm for the party.
“We’re voting this time for us. … We can do this. It’s going to be tough,” said Gregg. “Let’s get this ticket elected.”