Scott Tibbs
Printed in the Herald-Times, 10-20-2000

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Campaign Fnds Questioned

To the editor:

Taking measures to reduce the crime rate is very important to the people of Indiana, and our elected officials have a responsibility to recognize this problem and take measures to reduce crime.

This is why it disturbs me that State Representative Peggy Welch took $1,500 from the Laborers International Union of North America, a union connected to organized crime.

In her campaign two years ago, Welch accepted a $500 donation and a $1,000 donation from LIUNA, according to her campaign finance report searchable at http://www.indianacampaignfinance.com. According to the Heritage Foundation, over 80 LIUNA officials have been convicted of crimes ranging from extortion to murder over the last two decades. (See http://www.heritage.org/library/categories/govern/bgup281.html)

Welch should have known better. In 1996, 8th District Congressional candidate Jonathan Weinzapfel took a huge amount of heat for taking money from this organization, and Welch should have avoided contact with LIUNA.

This combined with Welch's refusal to denounce the Earth Liberation Front at the August 30 debate, raises questions about Welch's commitment to reducing crime. Democrat Welch's non-denouncement of the ELF is especially disturbing given the fact that AM 1370 reported on September 18 that the ELF has claimed responsibility for the arson at Republican headquarters in Bloomington. The ELF specifically criticized Congressman John Hostettler for his support of I-69, saying that they will not allow the highway to be built. This, of course, means we can expect more terrorism from the ELF.

The people of Indiana deserve a State Representative who will be tough on crime and will not back down to left-wing terrorists like the ELF. Unfortunately, the people of District 60 do not have such a representative in Peggy Welch, and I encourage voters to remember this on Election Day.