From: Mickey Kim
Columbus
Like many people I respect, I am dismayed The Republic has installed a “toll booth” on the Road to Democracy. However, I view the $25 I have to pay to encourage voters to go to the polls on May 7 (or earlier) and cast their ballot to re-elect Jim Lienhoop as mayor of Columbus as a worthwhile investment in the future of our community.
I believe Jim’s greatest foe in this election is complacency. Early turnout has been very light. Take nothing for granted. Voter should do their part and make the effort to get to the polls!
As a matter of full disclosure, I live in the county so am not eligible to vote in city elections. That said, I care deeply about Columbus and believe Jim has earned a second term as mayor.
Politicians who are full of bluster and talk a great game are a dime-a-dozen. When they step into the arena and actually have to lead, they’re exposed as “all hat, no cattle.” Jim is the opposite. He’s a humble servant who speaks softly and leads with wisdom, compassion and empathy. In fact, he is “no hat, all cattle.”
Jim is smart enough to know he can’t accomplish what needs to be done on his own, so he is all about coalition-building and collaboration. The “Columbus Way” of public-private partnership has helped make Columbus truly the best city of its size.
The most recent example is the redevelopment of FairOaks Mall, which I believe is the most significant and exciting project our community has undertaken since the redevelopment of The Commons just over a decade ago.
When FairOaks Mall opened in 1990, malls were thriving. Amazon eventually came along and changed the way people shop. Bricks and mortar retailers shuttered stores and eventually went out of business, creating dozens of “zombie” malls that are a never-ending blight on every community in which they are located.
This was the trajectory FairOaks was on as “anchor” and other tenants gradually and steadily departed.
Fortunately, Jim and other civic leaders had a very different vision for the future of a 35-acre property located in the heart of the city and directly across 25th Street from the Lincoln Park softball fields and the Hamilton Community Center & Ice Arena. Instead of a deteriorating, embarrassing eyesore, Columbus will have a year-round community recreational complex that will enhance the quality of life of residents for decades.
Jim knew the city couldn’t turn this vision into reality alone, so put the “Columbus Way” into action, partnering with Columbus Regional Health and Heritage Fund—The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County to purchase the property and secure its future.
When Jim announced his candidacy for his first term in 2014, he quoted a proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.” He needs residents’ help to continue walking the talk. Columbus has never been better, but our best days are ahead!
(Editor’s note: This letter is paid content.)
