Taxes:
I am not going to “'hold the line' on taxes” or “keep taxes where they are currently at”; especially at a time when taxes are at an all-time high and need to be slashed. I am going to reduce property taxes, and taxes across the board. I will not stand by and let Hammond become a miniature Chicago.

I am going to force Hammond's government to do more, with less. In the private sector, this is called “tightening one's belt”. This will be my priority while in office: to show that government actually can make due with less. Here is a link to my taxpayer protection pledge, so that you can “trust but verify” everything I say. True, I alone don't have the final say regarding property taxes. But as the chief executive officer of Hammond, I could make life difficult for those who wanted to raise taxes, or refused to “get on board” with reducing them. I don't view Hammond's productive citizens as a “cash cow”, and I don't think your property is subject to my whims. The creators of the USA rebelled against taxation without representation. So do I. Help me bring back fiscal responsibility, on May 03, 2011!

Public Safety:
The Hammond Police and Hammond Firemen are doing a great job, but there are changes that could be made to ensure the safety of the citizens they protect and the safety of our Policemen and Firemen. Crime in Hammond is nevertheless rising, in part due to the lawlessness caused by Chicago's unconstitutional gun ban and the lack of man power on the streets. We need to invest in our police department to ensure they have the tools to fight crime. In addition, our Hammond Firefighters need to be adequately staffed and equipped.

Education:
The job of mayor doesn't necessarily have much to do with education. A mayor can sit back and let the school boards operate without interference. I will not be that kind of mayor. Hammond's schools will not be locked into dumbed-down federal “priorities”. I care about our childrens' education.

If internship programs and privatized incentives create more competent and employable kids, then I favor bringing those programs to Hammond. There is absolutely nothing wrong with apprenticeships and internships, in addition to classical curricula. A few years ago, Cisco Systems Inc. went to the most under performing school districts in the rural South with their own money, and turned several years of graduates who would have been nearly-unemployable into “computer networking specialists” making over $100K per year. That’s the kind of innovation we need to see, here in Hammond's schools!