Dear Richmond,

I’d like to share my final thoughts after the election.  I must be truthful in stating, I am disappointed in not winning the Mayor’s race.  This disappointment covers a wide range of emotions.  I also must add, I honestly respect the voice of the voters in re-electing Sally for another four years.  I knew the risks and decided to test what the people wanted.  I was not able to overcome the popularity Sally has developed over many years in politics.

I felt the need to see if Richmond was ready to get behind a platform centered on our youth.  I understand people were looking for more.  I am not sorry for making this attempt, but I feel bad about the many supporters throughout this campaign.  I wish I could have done better for you.

I also understand the many negative comments towards me and my campaign.  I’ve learned that’s just part of it in the world of politics.  I did consider jumping in and also competing with negative information, but decided not to.

I feel I’ve learned a lot and intend on staying involved in the party.  I’m very disappointed of the voter turn out and stated several times of the hope of Richmond overcoming its apathy.  How do we get more people to care?  I believe it is by giving them something to cheer about.  Both parties must now come together and develop reasons for people to start cheering and getting involved.

I am very thankful for the opportunity to run and the many friendships developed along the way.  I wish Richmond the best the next four years under Sally.  Regardless of the rumors, my wife and I intend on staying in Richmond and living on South 14th Street.  We look forward to remodeling this large home and restoring its beauty.  I also hope to find a role in continuing to work with our youth.  I look forward to watching my grandchildren grow.  I have a great family that will make it easy to get through this election loss.

A positive is also the fact that the people involved, are very passionate and loyal to the side they support, and that is what competition is all about.

I have no ill feelings toward the pal-Item or anyone that did not support our campaign.  As I started out saying, the voters have spoken, so my supporters and I should accept that and make Richmond better, together.

We debated several issues.  I hope a couple would still be considered by Sally’s administration.  One would be the H.S. Voc Ed building in the middle of an Industrial Park.  Another would be naming something in Lamar Lundy’s memory (such as N 12th St.).  Also looking into bringing a Water Theme Park to Richmond.

I will end by again stating my priorities
1)  My Lord & Savior
2)  My Family
3)  My Friends

These three never change, number 4 always changes, depending on timing and life goals.

Thank you Richmond,

Ronnell Allen City Clerk Candidate	Sharon Sheets City Council  District 2	R. Bruce Wissel City Council  District 3
J. Clayton Miller City Council  District 4	Bing Welch City Council  District 5	Larry Parker City Council  District 6
Bob Goodwin City Council  At Large	Diana Pappin City Council  At Large	Phil Quinn City Council  At Large View Website

Richmond voters, It’s Time! The future of Richmond will be decided over the next few days. There are significant issues that the current Mayor and I differ on. I am asking you to vote for the best person to lead Richmond into the future. I’ve listed a few issues that I want you to consider.



Will I keep my word? If I am involved in a legal contract with the Richmond City Employees, I will keep my word! I will not attempt to change a contract after the fact. I will know ahead of time if I can do what is being negotiated before a decision is made.
NO EXCUSES!!



I will put facts on the table for everyone to see. I will not allow a long term employee like Jerry Wright to lose his job without full disclosure.
NO EXCUSES!!




If our golf course is losing money, I will look at the options to stop wasting tax dollars. If leasing our golf courses to a private business can benefit Richmond’s budget, I will consider the option. I will not be content that we “are headed in the right direction” and do nothing!
NO EXCUSES!!




I am already on the record about this issue. Take home cars must be seriously reviewed for all city employees. I have already proposed that the Mayor turn in her City paid take home car. Leadership starts at the top! Our current mayor thinks things are fine. I disagree! A take home car for the mayor is not needed.
NO EXCUSES!!




I cannot believe our Mayor supports Richmond police cars on I-70 instead of having them on the streets of Richmond. I want to take drugs off the streets of Richmond. Federal Law Enforcement and/or State Police should stop drugs being transported on I-70, not the Richmond Police Department.
NO EXCUSES!!




I am not satisfied with Richmond being the 2nd or 3rd best site for new business and industry. I want to compete for new jobs 1st! Our future depends on it! We must compete and win!
NO EXCUSES!!




Richmond’s youth must come first or there is no future in Richmond. I want kids to graduate from High School and College and return to Richmond. We need jobs for them to stay and we must compete for our kids.
NO EXCUSES!!


Let’s make this simple! Are you satisfied? If you are satisfied with the way things are in Richmond, Indiana then you should vote for the current Mayor. Why, because our City Government will be the same for the next 4 years. If you are tired of excuses, like I am, then I ask you to vote for Rick Thalls for Mayor and for a better Richmond.



Thank You,

Who should have a take home car provided by the City of Richmond? That is a very important question.

There are legitimate reasons for issuing take home cars based upon “negotiated contracts” and emergency response requirements. The criteria of justifying a take home car must be reviewed, updated and enforced.

Our current Mayor has indicated that this is already in place and is occurring now! I’m not sure what that means so let me put my position on the table so it’s easy for all to understand.

The first City Take Home Car to go if I am elected Mayor, will be the Mayor’s take home car. How can I require other city employees to give up a take home car when I cannot find a good reason for the Mayor to have one.

I believe a city owned vehicle should be available to the Mayor to conduct Richmond City Business during the working day!

If I am your Mayor, I will drive my own car to and from work and use a city vehicle only for city business. It just makes sense to me for Richmond to have a few “pool cars” available for city officials to use for city business.

Wayne County Government provides “pool cars” for non-emergency county employees to use for county business. That seems to work fine. The County Commissioners do not have take home cars. I don’t see the county suffering because the Commissioners do not have take home cars.

Leadership and Image start at the top. You have my word that the very first take home car to go if I am elected Mayor, will be the Mayor’s take home car.

All others will be reviewed after that!!!

I'd like to explain my concerns about the present condition of our Industrial sites we have available. The comment written by Sally stated, "to view Really Cool Foods as only an accomplishment for Cambridge City, is really shortsightedness at its best." She added, "Richmond can not live in isolation."

My point is, Richmond will live in isolation if it does not develop sites for industry that at least can compete with Liberty and Cambridge. We are the largest city in the area and are losing out to the smaller communities around us. I stated the EDC is doing the best it can with the sites currently developed. Richmond workers may only have to travel a few miles to work at Really Cool Foods, but many Henry County workers are just as close and may beat out many Richmond hopefuls. Shortsightedness might actually be not realizing how important it is for Richmond to have competitive sites so we no longer have to live in isolation.

To be satisfied with our lack of competing with any community is shortsightedness. The attitude of Cambridge already having prepared sites, so Richmond does not need something as good or better, is shortsightedness at its best.

Richmond needs a mayor with the passion to compete with anything to provide opportunities for its citizens. Any company looking to settle in this area, needs to see Richmond as the leader and not the one in the county that needs to catch up with Cambridge on what it can offer.

I am happy for our Wayne County and Union County neighbors for their success in attracting great companies. I'm saying it's time for Richmond to compete at even a higher level so our neighbors can be happy for us.

Common sense tells me we must improve the way we think about competing. Two companies have recently looked to our area to do business. They decided Cambridge and Liberty had more to offer than Richmond. Not realizing Richmond must be more competitive, is shortsightedness.

The tax benefits for our city alone should explain why companies need to be within our city limits. I hope I've explained the importance of Richmond going after all positive industry it possibly can for our citizens in need of good jobs. I hope this also helps the citizens of Richmond see who is being shortsighted here. I want to compete at a level higher than Cambridge or Liberty. Sally thinks it's fine Cambridge got something we need.

Now Richmond must decide which type of thinking is best for us.

For a few years I’ve had an idea for a youth program. This program would focus on our youth during after school hours, during the school year. Last year the committee called “Operation Graduation” decided to endorse the program and see if there was interest for its implementation. I had named the program “Graduate Together”.

The “Operation Graduation” committee was formed as a result of the 54% graduation rate that was announced. Rae Woolpy took the lead in organizing this committee.

Graduate Together would focus on the Middle School grades. The program would operate Monday through Thursday, after school to approximately 8 p.m. Participating students would be picked up at their schools by bus and transported to the site being used that particular day. This program would be at no cost to the parent.

The program would stress the values needed to be successful to learn, such as Respect, Honesty, Integrity, Responsibility and Dedication. Each evening all students would complete their homework and receive tutoring. Volunteer adults and high school students could be the tutors. High school students would also be setting the example by doing their homework and helping at the same time.


The program would make use of different sites. Possible locations could include IUE, Ivy Tech, Earlham, Reid Hospital, local churches, businesses or any location to set a good learning environment or influence.

The program would include many activities and guest speakers. A full time educator and police officer would be on site. The goal would be to build a foundation for the involved youth to be successful and graduate together. When the middle school students move to the high school they could stay involved by becoming tutors along side adult volunteer mentors.

Over the years the hope would be to grow and develop multiple sites with structured programs.

There are challenges to overcome. We would need to feed the students. Schools to provide transportation to the sites, field trips and then take each student home. Forming adult volunteer groups and paying for select positions.

The program would provide opportunities to stress importance of staying in school and graduating. Students could be exposed to many business professionals and other successful adults, all stressing the importance of an education. This program would continue to push the students toward graduating. Students would have an identity with the program. Adults would monitor success in school. Involved students would learn of the interest others have for them to graduate.

Many ideas are yet to be developed by those willing to be involved. There are no other programs in this area that provide the transportation to the site and returns each student to their home, feeds them, provides full time educator and police officer, and has multiple sites for educational variety. Also add the possibilities of guest speakers, counselors, pastors, and unlimited professionals in our area. All working together to graduate our youth.

Be ready to help.

I would like to take the opportunity to discuss my feelings, opinions and ideas about our youth. The most important thing we must do as a community is CHANGE THE DIRECTION many of our youth are headed. The problem is getting enough adults together to agree on the right methods to use in helping our youth. I have been to hundreds of meetings identifying what is wrong with our youth. Most end up stating it’s the parents fault and we must do something with the parents. I do believe in holding parents accountable in situations that need obvious intervention, but how can you make parents be good loving parents if they don’t want to be? I believe we must start looking for solutions in spite of some parents. If we do not, we will continue to lose more and more of our youth.

We need more programs where our youth can be exposed to caring adults. These caring adults can be the first line of defense for youth in need of positive role models. All adults should share in the blame to the outrageous behavior we tolerate from many of out youth. Adults need to teach the proper meaning of respect and in some cases, enforce the meaning of respect. In our present time, too many adults actually fear our youth and ignore the behavior. The gangster-thug mentality of violence has gone too far.

Our youth in Richmond need help. We do have gangs in Richmond recruiting and initiating by beating in new members. These life styles of violence occur daily in Richmond and many times find their way into our schools. It is not the schools fault, but is the fault of the entire community of Richmond. As a community we must take back the control of our neighborhoods and assist the schools in regaining control for the best possible learning environment. The first step is controlling our youth, where ever they are.

We must not only have consequences in place, but actually follow through. We also must continue to enhance preventative programs that assist in limiting the use of consequences. With the proper use of Richmond’s resources, we should lead the state in adult volunteers leading our youth toward positive choices. The number of people retired and our senior citizen population continue to grow, which also could be a great resource for Richmond.

Since we have more parents that work two jobs or are single parents or even grandparents raising the kids, more structured programs are needed. I will soon write a separate blog explaining a program I believe will help, called Graduate Together.

Our teens need safe, secure, chaperoned activities to attend on the weekends. Attempts have been made in the past but it lacked being safe, secure and proper chaperones. Richmond can make it happen with the right people coming together for our youth.

I’ve been a police officer at Richmond High for 20 years. There are frequent fights, threats and bullying situations I’ve dealt with resulting in arrests. Almost all the situations are a result that started in the neighborhoods. This repeats my view of the importance of taking care of our neighborhoods. Better neighborhoods improve our schools and better schools improve our neighborhoods.

I have a large tub of confiscated weapons taken from students in Richmond schools.
approximately 11 real guns have been taken from students the last 20 years. Many were quick to blame the schools, when it fact the weapons came from the streets or homes in the neighborhoods. I only know of one weapon that was actually made in the school and then later confiscated. There have been at least two school shootings prevented at the high school since I began in 1988. One was a gang situation where one gang member was going to shoot a rival member. The other was a bullying situation where a student brought a 38cal revolver, fully loaded. He planned on shooting his classmate in the head during a class they had together. The student with the gun sat directly behind the student he was going to shoot. After the arrest a psychologist stated the student was definitely intending to kill the other student.

One police officer at Richmond High School is no longer enough. Muncie Central High School has 1100 students and 4 police officers. Richmond High has 1600 students and one police officer. This must change.

We must stop blaming the schools and become part of the solution. I would like to see a parent/adult volunteer security group started and be present in our schools, dances and athletic events. This would involve training and background checks. Arlington High School has a group called Security Dads. It also makes sense to me for thought to be put into Richmond Community Schools looking into starting its own police force. This could also involve community involvement and volunteers.

It is a must we keep our youth in class. Truancy is a huge factor of the 54% graduation rate. We must find the proper education environment for each student. Further enhancement of alternative schools seems to be the answer for some.

We must also keep our youth off the streets late at night. Some are staying out late during the school week and ditch to catch up on their rest or rebound from a hangover. Some come to school after staying out most of the night and catch up on their rest by sleeping in class. This activity at night accounts for some of the problems our youth are involved in, such as mischief, drugs, alcohol, theft, fights and other activities which usually are not positive. After a night like that we then want them in class. Again I stress, clean up the neighborhoods and make our youth and adults accountable.

As mayor I want the opportunity to address these youth concerns. I want to organize large groups of concerned adults to get involved in sharing life skills and a positive direction. If our youth become successful, Richmond will be successful, and our image will grow beyond the borders and attract others that want to raise families.

We need to revitalize Richmond together by taking care of our youth. I need your support for us to get this done.

On Oct. 15, 2007 at 8:30pm I received the following blog question: “Someone has directed some fairly pointed comments toward your team in one of the other forums. They really question your integrity as a leader. Care to quote on them in the blog?”

I would like to make a few comments concerning leadership. As far as the other forums questioning my integrity, I’ve not read them, nor do I intent to. I could probably question as well as the next person why some choose to write wild comments, start rumors, or even just decide to lie and then hide behind a false identity. So I question the integrity of those starting lies but refuse to tell who they really are. When I have something to communicate to someone else, they know exactly who it is coming from.

As far as my integrity as a leader, I will produce the meaning of the word integrity through my own actions and the actions of the individuals I put in leadership roles. What goes on in my administration will be open to the public. If you want to question truthfulness and possible cover-ups, I challenge the current administration to honestly say they have ALWAYS been open in dealing with issues, to the public.

I believe the current leadership and integrity is in question. I am a member of the FOP. Under this administration our bargaining unit negotiated in good faith and came to an agreement with the city. A contract was signed. The mayor then met with the officers and asked for us to give back the 3% raise she had just signed by contract. She stated if we did not give it back they would have to lay off some officers. We voted not to give back the 3% and the police department was placed on a hiring freeze. The department along with the streets suffered during this time and is still attempting to catch up.

Man power suffered on third shift, the narcotics unit was cut, Youth Services Division was cut, foot and bike patrol programs were cut. At one point 3rd shift was told to stop riding the bikes completely because of man power shortage. Because of the hiring freeze, the overtime budget is out of control. If all officers turned in their overtime, the city would not have the funds available. During this time, officers were still left on I70, when badly needed in the city.

The leadership issue, with this example, is this: Know your budget before you negotiate raises and do not try to take back what you promise. If they do not give it back, do not punish them and the city.

There are many other Leadership questions with the current mayor. Remember the Arboretum, mayor’s support of the past EDC head when it was obvious that he needed to be let go, getting involved in criminal cases, and others that were not made public?

I appreciate the opportunity to discuss leadership as a result of the question presented to me. A little more integrity could have been added to the question, had the person asking, identified him/herself. But as I stated earlier, I understand.

We should always be thinking of ways to improve Richmond’s image. What extra things can we do to help our community? I would like to start a yearly event if elected mayor that would contribute to the enhancement of our community in some way.

I would want to look into the possibility of holding a Mayor’s Ball, occurring once a year in November or December. I have researched several communities who hold a Mayor's Ball. Many are black tie events, include large sponsorships and all of them contribute to the community in some fashion.  These events have raised thousands of dollars throughout the years for various things including local organizations who provide vital aid to residents, city beautification, local charities, etc.  A location is yet to be decided along with other possible featured events.

Details on how to identify and distribute are yet to be solved. Working with churches, local charities and/or a committee are a few possibilities.

If you are a person who loves to brainstorm and would like to express some thoughts concerning this particular project, please feel free to submit a comment to this Blog for possible future consideration.

It seems to be a great way to contribute back to our community. Another way to show that Richmond cares about its own and is willing to again work on our Image.



Related Links of Communities hosting Mayor's Balls

City of Danbury, Connecticut Mayor's Ball
McMinnville Mayor's Ball
Noblesville Mayor's Charity Ball
Philadelphia Mayor's Ball

Our neighborhoods need attention. We are losing ground in keeping up with the hope our good citizens have to enjoy their homes and families. I’ve met several concerned neighbors about crime, safety and youth issues in our neighborhoods. People do not understand why the police can not get rid of the obvious drug houses taking over Richmond neighborhoods.

My answer to this is because of the wrong use of the officers. I’ve discussed my attitude and belief that it is wrong for RPD to patrol I-70, there are other issues that need to be corrected, which will improve our neighborhoods. It all has to do with priorities. Foot patrol officers need to be a priority during the summer months, along with bike patrol. This would allow officers to personally meet the citizens in the neighborhoods and exchange ideas and concerns. This would develop trust of the officers by the citizens. If citizens learn to trust a particular officer, that officer will get more information about the neighborhood then he or she can keep up with. The police will quickly learn where the drug houses are by reliable information from citizens of Richmond. The police would then need a unit (program) in place to follow up on the officers information. Currently the Drug Task Force unit has been cut on the manpower it use to operate under.

I pledge to bring Foot Patrol and Bike Patrol back to our neighborhoods. This administration states thaey have been doing the bike patrol. The truth is not very often. Because of the police being put on a hiring freeze over the summer, these programs were not put to regular use.

I would like to thank all the citizens who welcomed me and were willing to share their concerns about Richmond as I rode my bike throughout the neighborhoods this summer. This leads me to believe that the citizens of Richmond would welcome officers walking and riding bikes in their neighborhood communicating with them about their concerns. Just another step in changing Richmond’s Image.