Mercer County’s 3-legged Stool of Economic Exploitation

Mercer County is a 3-legged stool of economic exploitation. The first leg of this stool, the regions political machine, funnels money, selectively, back to the agricultural economy (see attached data on 2016-2017 farm subsidies and totals for recent years). Farmers are good, honest, hardworking people. However, the political machine in the region is, financially, picking winners and losers.

The second leg of this stool is the funneling of money back from State and Federal Programs. Yes, it is excellent that money comes into the area but follow the money trail. Commissioner Jerry Laffin keeps his fingers on the money disbursement. Much of the money for the projects selectively flow to VTF (an excavation company from Celina), and Luke Vantilburg of VTF is prominent in the local Republican party, having served as treasurer.

Again, we support money coming into Mercer County, but the question is who is benefiting from this “illicit system”? It is apparent that the money is targeted for some while the rest of the citizens are too, at best, pick up the pennies.

The third leg of the stool is Mercer County who keeps the drug cartel from outside of the county out. It is apparent that when a dealer from outside the area comes into the region, they are arrested and grandiosely propagandized by WCSM and The Daily Standard. However, when a “local” dealer, one of our own if you will, is arrested by a good cop often times the media machine ignores it and Fox, Grey, and the courts get them back on the streets and back to work as soon as possible.

Mercer County is blessed with a great work ethic as evidenced by the low unemployment rate. However, what is not acceptable is the “rigging” of the economic system. It is time to clean house in Mercer County, and that will begin by removing Jeff Grey and Matt Fox from office.