Press release from the Jack Morris for Indiana Senate campaign:
Jack Morris publicly challenges Tom Wyss’s to local debates
Democratic State Senate Candidate, District 15, Jack Morris issued a challenge to incumbent Senator Tom Wyss to come home to Fort Wayne from his frequent trips out of state. Morris challenged Wyss to explain his voting record, allowing for informed voters, and to discuss in detail his vision for the future of NE Indiana. Jack sent a debate request letter over 3 months ago, which, along with calls to Tom’s office by voters, has gone ignored. When asked why he was “ignoring” Morris’s debate request, Wyss stated in the Journal Gazette that Morris was doing push polls regarding Wyss’s $22,000 in taxpayer-funded travel. Morris responded by saying:
“We have not been doing push polls. Push polls are a dirty campaign trick. I have pledged to run a campaign free of personal attacks and free of campaign strategies such as push polls. Tom’s false accusation effectively discounted our clean campaign pledge. To be clear, I stand by my pledge. My staff, and most importantly, the voters, have every right to question how taxpayer dollars are spent, and how legislatures spend their time, which is also paid for by taxpayer dollars.”
Morris also highlighted a few of Wyss’s votes that he opposes, in hopes of holding Wyss accountable for what Morris describes as “misplaced priorities favoring special interests over the constituents of Fort Wayne.”
“Just recently, my opponent attempted to display his concern for illegal immigration by flying to Mexico to inspect its borders. I applaud his efforts, but am confused as to why he was there, as he was just ONE OF ELEVEN senators to vote AGAINST a bill that would begin to address immigration reform by cracking down on businesses that hire illegal immigrants. Senator Wyss billed taxpayers nearly $22,000 for 33 out of state trips and travel expenses in just two years from 2007 to 2009. His recent trip to Mexico suggests that taxpayers are not getting a fair return on tax-dollars.”
“Rather than taking time to debate me at the request of myself and voters, Wyss spent last weekend at a race in Delaware. His love for sports is also evident in his record, as he has received over $8,000 worth of sporting events tickets from lobbyists. The taxpayers are entitled to question his priorities. Moreover, in the 2009 budget, Wyss voted on a budget bill that included a provision to divert $8 million per year to the Marion County Professional Sports and Development Area. With education being cut by $300 million, this is an indicator of Tom’s misplaced priorities.”
In midst of Wall Street Bailouts and Financial Crisis, Wyss cast the lone vote against financial institution and market reform.
Wyss also cast the only vote against bringing Indiana in concurrence with federal law governing mortgage lenders, which mandates residential mortgage loan creditors and originators to comply with requirements of the federal Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008. According to Morris, “with the real-estate industry being a major donor to Tom Wyss, we must question his motives.”
Finally, Morris has pledged, “I will not accept gifts from lobbyists. Having seen the exorbitant amount of free sporting tickets, and the votes that conflict with the interests of our middle class due to his major contributors agenda, it is obvious that these gifts have not affected legislation positively. My goal, if elected, is to change Indiana politics from caring about lobbyists to caring about the citizens of NE Indiana.”
Morris believes that democracy works similar to the free market; fairness exists when there is competition and sufficient information available for voters. By ducking the issues and ignoring calls for accountability, Wyss has discouraged competition and is depriving voters of sufficient information to make an informed decision. “Therefore, we call on Senator Wyss, ONE MORE TIME, to come home to Fort Wayne to discuss the issues and defend his record of 25 years.”
httpsv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9lgz6Hcg7I
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