Ellington Speaks to Poli-Sci Club

Honesty, realism, and humbleness: these are the words Jeff Ellington used to describe himself in the October 7th meeting. He was hosted by the Political Science Club of Indiana University. Jeff Ellington along with his campaign manager Brad Wisler discussed the various issues which are of major importance to the citizens of this 60th district and the entire state of Indiana. This meeting was an excellent opportunity for Ellington to explain how he will work hard for Republican values as a state representative.

Born in 1961 in Moorehead, KY, and raised on a farm, Ellington understands the importance and value of hard work. He says the work ethics he gained working on a farm have transferred into the political realm as well. He says he stands up for what he believes and will work hard to protect the rights of everyone. In 1973 Ellington moved to the Bloomington area so therefore he understands the needs and conditions of the area. As far as his view on the campus and students here, he believes that the students are tired of being without morals and are starting to value everything more. Regarding his personal education, Ellington went to college one year, but economic situations in his family prevented him from furthering his education. He said that he never took a political science class.

As of now, Ellington is a local fireman, and also owns two area businesses--J.R. Ellington Tree Experts and Ellington Stables. Ellington also serves on the Monroe County Council. His political career started by volunteering. He began working on the campaigns for area judges and officials just for fun. Ellington didn't consider running on his own until officials saw his potential and encouraged him to run for office; he did and won. The first year, he served on the Building and Planning Commission and also worked in the prosecutor's office. It appears that Ellington's political career is not going to end in the near future.

The number-one issue for Ellington is property taxes. He believes that the property tax needs to be permanently reduced. Ellington believes that the senior citizens of Indiana are the biggest victims of such an exaggerated property tax. Many of these elderly people are paying more now for their property taxes than they originally paid for their houses. Another major issue for Ellington is that of the roads. He believes that this area is not favorable for most corporations because of the road conditions. Transportation costs make the process unfavorable. He proposes an expansion of the I-69 interstate to go south towards Evansville. This in the long run would eliminate the transportation problem. A big problem Ellington has with the Democrats is that of overtaxing. He believes that they have overtaxed the citizens for years, which is the reason for the state's $2 billion surplus. Now, Ellington wants to return this money to the taxpayers.

Ellington has a lot of goals and he is really interested in the vision and interests of the citizens of not only the 60th district, but also all of Indiana. As a state representative, he promises to the citizens that he will work just as hard as they do.