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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowMy wife and I moved to Indianapolis in 1979 when I started work for Eli Lilly and Co. We love this city. We raised our children here. It has been and will remain home for us.
In the years we’ve lived here, we’ve witnessed remarkable positive change led by mayors of both political parties. Our city has moved from “Indy No Place” to a vibrant community that’s a destination for many in surrounding communities and states.
But in the last eight years, that progress has stalled out. It feels like we’re losing ground.
Crime—both petty and serious—is on the rise. Do you feel safe walking downtown compared to eight years ago? I don’t, and I live downtown.
Downtown still hasn’t recovered from the riots in 2020. While all the talk might be about Bottleworks on Massachusetts Avenue, a stroll down Washington Street shows mainly empty storefronts and panhandlers.
Our roads are in a terrible state, and it’s not just the spring thaw. It’s right now.
And economic development? Hardly a day goes by that we don’t hear about a new employer coming to Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville, Greenwood or Plainfield. What about Indianapolis? We need those jobs too. It’s no coincidence that poverty remains stubbornly high in our city.
It is time for a change, pure and simple. We are starved for leadership in this city. And leadership starts at the top.
I believe Jefferson Shreve can bring that leadership. He is a successful business owner with government experience as a former city-county councilor. I’ve come to know him as a decent and honorable man, constructive in his thinking, inclusive in his instincts and moderate in his politics.
This isn’t about Democrat or Republican; it’s about leadership. It’s about moving our city forward—for everyone’s benefit. It’s about restoring pride in our community and regenerating the excitement we’ve felt over the decades as we’ve worked together as Hoosiers for the betterment of all our citizens.
On Nov. 7, I urge you to vote for change and vote for Jefferson Shreve. It’s time to set our city back on the right track.
–John Lechleiter
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