Schneider: The Marine Who Would Be Mayor

It's the kind of story no political candidate would want to pick up and read about his opponent on the front page of the major daily newspaper. With just weeks left in Indianapolis' mayoral race, the Star's Mary Beth Schneider has a long introductory piece on Republican Greg Ballard. Her opening sentence says it all: "Greg Ballard was so good at running things at a Saudi Arabian seaport at the end of the Gulf War that one of the generals nicknamed him the 'Mayor of Jubail.'" Here are some highlights:

• "For Ballard, this is a ground war, as he shows up at anti-tax rallies, council meetings and parades. He's gotten some support but hardly enough to fill much of a campaign war chest."
• "To Ballard, who ran business management seminars and taught at Indiana Business College before launching his campaign, being mayor would be "the next logical step" in a career largely dedicated to public service, whether it's serving in the Marines for 23 years or coaching Little League."
• "Ballard grew up in a modest home in an Eastside neighborhood where people didn't send their children to private schools, much less college. His parents did both." "Except for a couple (of) good parental decisions, I could have gone a different way," Ballard said. "We were the only kids in our block whose parents were talking about college."
• "Greg Ballard, the youngest of four sons, wore hand-me-downs and still remembers the first new outfit he had as a young boy: an Easter suit his dad bought for him at the 1950s discount icon Robert Hall."
• "Ballard won a full scholarship to Cathedral High School by placing third in a citywide test. After graduating in 1972, he followed his older brothers to Indiana University, where he majored in economics."
• "He talked to a Marine gunnery sergeant for two hours and took his advice: Get a degree, then join the Marines. He did both, graduating in 1978 and heading to Officer Candidates School in Quantico, Va." "Dan Lawhorn, a childhood friend, said he wasn't surprised by Ballard's decision. Ballard, he said, "is probably the most responsible person I know. When he (joined), you thought, 'That makes sense to me. That's a no-brainer.' "
• "Slightly more than half of the 200 Marines in Ballard's class at Officer Candidates School made it through the program. He was named a second lieutenant and then went to Basic School, where he finished in the top 20."
• "The job took him to posts around the world: Okinawa, Japan, where he and his wife lived after their marriage; the Detroit area, where their daughter, Erica, and son, Greg Jr., were born; St. Louis, where he was commanding officer of a recruiting station; Panama, his first experience in what he calls "bad guy country"; Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War; and, as a lieutenant colonel, to Germany."
• "He was the officer who choreographed that military ballet, with about eight to 10 people directly under him and 200 or more Marines assisting in the mission."
• "While in the Gulf, Ballard was promoted to major." His commanding officer, then-Lt. Col. David Kirkwood, said then that he was giving Ballard the highest compliment he could: "I would trust my son to him in war time."
• "Kirkwood, now a retired colonel living in Jacksonville, N.C., recalls Ballard as "an exceptionally talented officer, easy-going and level-headed." Ballard, he said, "did the nitty-gritty. He was my stubby-pencil guy."
• "Mayfield, who has been a recruiter for 24 years, said Ballard was among the best officers he's served under." Recruiting, he said, has "dibs" on the best majors, with only 48 nationwide chosen as commanding officers at any one time. "Obviously we want to get the very best majors, and he was. He was very, very fair, very firm. Very compassionate," Mayfield recalled. "He did a good job of inspiring men to be honest and honestly work hard."
• "After deciding his children needed to have one hometown, Ballard retired from the Marines in 2001 and was hired as operations and distribution manager at the Indianapolis operations of Bayer, which is now called Siemens. He was second in charge, overseeing about seven supervisors and more than 100 employees who ship medical supplies and equipment across the nation." "In his first weeks on the job, Ballard said, he spotted a way to pare $1 million from an $8 million annual budget, simply by changing shippers to someone who charged $7 per box of hazardous materials, rather than $40 per box."
• "He is not, he said, a "9 to 5" kind of guy. "He instead became a self-employed leadership consultant, while also teaching economics at Indiana Business College and writing a slim, self-published book, "The Ballard Rules: Small Unit Leadership."
• "Ballard's hot buttons: punctuality and, given his experience early in life, anything that helps give children a better shot in life. It's why he joined for a time the board of the Lilly Boys and Girls Club in Fountain Square, tutored children and coached children's sports teams while a Marine."
• "The last campaign finance reports, filed in April, showed Peterson began this campaign with $2.9 million, while Ballard had $9,560." "Ballard said he has struggled because he spent decades away from Indianapolis and isn't known in political or social circles. But he said fundraising has picked up in recent weeks."

When you get to know Greg Ballard as I have, you quickly realize he's no Bart Peterson. And that's a good thing. Peterson was born into wealth, never served his country, had doors opened to him because of who is father was, and has generally spent a life as an uppity resume builder. By contrast, Ballard grew up in a very modest family where he was taught good values. With nobody opening doors for him, Ballard has found his own way through hard work and determination. Ballard has accomplished much in life and held numerous jobs where his management and leadership skills were tested in times of difficulty. Each time he met the challenge and pleased his superiors. While Democratic operatives in this town have sought to spin Ballard as someone with a low intellect, you see from Schneider's story that Ballard has consistently raised to the top of any class with whom he's competed.

If you want to make a difference in this campaign, you need to forward Schneider's story about Ballard to as many of your friends as you can. People in this city must learn more about Ballard in the coming weeks if his campaign is to be successful. State GOP Chairman Murray Clark and Gov. Mitch Daniels have shut down contributions to Ballard by big-time contributors because they're both in bed with Mayor Bart Peterson. They don't want people to learn about Greg Ballard. They want to maintain control of our city in the hands of a few self-serving elites who don't give a damn about your priorities. Nothing frightens them more than the election of a completely independent man who will exercise governmental power free of their influence. If you want to take back your government, we must elect Greg Ballard. Spread the word.