Burton not invited to meeting
By Ken De La Bastide
Tribune enterprise editor
May 27, 2009 11:49 pm
— Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight reportedly told Rep. Dan Burton not to come to a meeting in Kokomo today with officials from the administration of President Barack Obama.
Karen Mills, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Ed Montgomery, director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers, will join Goodnight, Sen. Evan Bayh, D-IN, and Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-2nd District, to meet with local business owners to discuss ways the federal government can assist communities that house auto industry plants.
Burton, R-5th District, who represents most of Kokomo and southern Howard County, was not invited to attend the meeting.
Burton said Wednesday when he learned of the Kokomo meeting he hoped to attend because he has been interested in Chrysler and General Motors.
“My staff contacted the mayor’s office and were told they didn’t want me to come,” he said. “It’s not a partisan thing for me. I’m disappointed, but I’m not going to raise hell.
“The economic problem is more important than politics. We need to work together and figure out a way to help people.”
Despite not being invited to the meeting, Burton said he still plans to work to help people get jobs.
Goodnight said he didn’t put the invitation list together and doubted a city official would tell Burton not to come to Kokomo for the meeting.
He said the Small Business Administration put together the list and his office has been bombarded by people who want to attend.
“I got a call that Burton was upset that he wasn’t invited,” Goodnight said. “I called Burton’s office and told them I didn’t put the list together.
“I told his office I was surprised he wanted to attend because he voted against the stimulus and bailout packages. If he was coming to support that, we would get him in.”
Goodnight said if Burton was going to create a “political scene” he didn’t want him at the meeting.
Goodnight said he did invite two local Republicans to attend the meeting, Dick Miller, president of the Howard County Council, and commissioner Tyler Moore.
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