(La Porte, IN) - A former Chicago area resident is running for Mayor in La Porte, wanting to create a path for more locally-owned businesses as part of his plan to provide more job opportunities.

 

Democratic candidate Ron Zimmer, 75, is challenging Republican incumbent Tom Dermody in the November 7th election.   

 

Dermody, a former five-term state representative, served on the La Porte School Board prior to taking a seat in the legislature. 

 

Zimmer said his top priority is to create a board of directors that would oversee funds invested by members of the public, and decide the type of businesses to open with input from the investors.

 

He said his plan is similar to how the publicly-owned Green Bay Packers of the National Football League operate, with citizens able to receive potential dividends from the profits of those businesses and even work in the establishments as an option to further supplement their incomes.

 

For years, Zimmer said local officials have relied on recruiting or waiting for new businesses to open with little, if any gain in economic activity or filling up empty storefronts.

 

“My intention is to fill up every empty building in the city with the jobs the investors want,” he said.

 

Zimmer said he would like to see a roller rink and year-round flea market in the city, to help bring in additional people from the outside and provide more attractions for local residents. He feels those establishments would serve as a catalyst for the future success of new local investor-owned businesses, from the money people coming to La Porte would spend on such.

 

“We tire them out. They fill up the restaurants then they fill up the hotels because they’re too tired to go home. What a lovely problem for the city of LaPorte,” he said.

 

Zimmer, who twice previously ran for Mayor, said a firewood factory, as it did in the past, remains part of his platform as long as the local investors would want to establish such a business. Trees would be hauled in and cut into firewood for sale to the public, potentially creating 50 jobs or more. Zimmer said the now vacant former Coca-Cola bottling plant on Rumely Street would be a great facility to operate such a factory.

 

Currently, though, plans call for the structure in a residential neighborhood to be converted into housing for the homeless. On the matter, Zimmer said he would prefer such housing be established in a more open location away from single-family residences.

 

The retired electrician from the Ford Motor Co. on the south side of Chicago moved to LaPorte nearly 20 years ago.

 

About 50 years ago, Zimmer said he was an on-stage comedian and vocal impersonator of celebrities, such as the late singer and trumpet player Louis Armstrong.

 

Zimmer said his act was gaining regional attention but, sensing a need for a more secure future, he applied for the job at the Ford plant.

 

He also wrestled a bear for the entire three minutes after feeling God's presence following a major asthma attack.

 

He explained gloves were placed over the bear’s claws and a muzzle was over its mouth to protect him and the other wrestlers.

 

“I gave him a stiff arm and then we went to wrestling. The reason I did it was God wanted to see if I could live on,” he said.