Dear Editor,

I made a choice in January to run for Trustee of Clay Township. I have asked for very little through this I thought I would share some of why I made this choice.

I have a long family history of military and church service that is very similar to the service expected in this job. My grandfather served in World War II and my uncle served from enlisting, through Vietnam, to retiring just before operation Iraqi freedom. I have never felt I could live up to the standards and life style they lived in the service but feel I should serve my country to some extent.

I feel strongly about equality. I saw a lot of unequal treatment among disabled youth in my childhood. In this job I will have the chance to help citizens in need get help without getting overwhelmed by things like complicated application processes and other government process that tend to discriminate against various groups of people.

I feel strongly that all resources that come into an organization should be evaluated and used to their fullest potential. In this job, I will have a chance to impact this in the community. While sometimes it seems that to get resources, it might require knowing the right people, already having documents, or lying about the true level of need, if resources were used efficiently only the truth would be necessary.

I feel my education fits well into this job. I have received strong management and accounting skills from Grace and Ivy Tech. I know how to “Plug and Chug” numbers. I have a lot of practical experience with state forms.I feel the totality of my education would lead to more profitable decisions for the township.

I have run businesses. I have failed at some. I know that growing pains are hard if you don’t look at the whole picture. One of these started as a part-time side business. I wasn’t open enough to serve the demographic. I tried to open more. Opening more lead to the biggest accounting lesson I ever learned: Always figure your hourly wage. When my accountant brought this to my attention, I found that I was working for $4 an hour. It was shocking.

When it comes to handling the business of the township, like watching the budget, knowing how and when to best serve the citizens, my practical business experience will help me serve better.

Adam Hyde
Candidate for Trustee of Clay Township
Claypool