[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=41571.66

Shuter: Hinchman has 'no knowledge' of office

Joseph Malan
The News-Dispatch

LA PORTE - Incumbent Republican Auditor Teresa Shuter lost her bid for re-election to newcomer Craig Hinchman Tuesday.

Shuter, who gathered with other Republican candidates at Silver Palace, maintained Hinchman, was ill-equipped to handle the county's financial crisis.

"This man has absolutely no knowledge of what this county is in the middle of," Shuter said. "He has been to no candidate forums, and his ads were all untruths."

Hinchman, who was watching the results from his Michigan City home late Tuesday, said he was prepared to run the office.

"I will be able to handle the job, no problem," he said.

With all precincts reporting, Hinchman had 23,495 total votes, or 53.71 percent of the vote. Shuter had 20,248 total votes, or 46.29 percent.

Hinchman has owned his business, Hinchman Real Estate, in Michigan City for the last 30 years. He believes his experience in real estate qualifies him to handle the task of managing the auditor's office.

Shuter, the current auditor, has worked in the office for 16 years and served as the chief deputy auditor under Ken Layton for eight years prior.

If he is elected the next auditor, Hinchman said he will assure people in the office they won't lose their jobs, and will make the office more efficient.

Shuter was aware she was still well within reach of winning the vote. If Hinchman were to win, Shuter wanted to wish him luck.

"He'll have to let me know how it works out," she said.

[Roger Kaputnik]

If Shuter has been in office for 16 years, why is there such a mess? How about losing with grace?

[kharris]

If Shuter has been in office for 16 years, why is there such a mess? How about losing with grace?

You have to realize that the "mess" is the result of the ASSESSORS office and not from the Auditors. If you listened at all to what Teresa had to say during the campaign she referred to the "property tax mess" the cou nty is in, not any kind of a mess the Auditors office is in. I have to agree with Teresa that Mr Hinchman is totaly unprepared to deal with the situation that is currently in place. This may very well prove to be the next debacle that we currently have with the assessor and her inadequacies. This is what starught party democrat ballots bring us here in LaPorte County. Over 9000 in this election. Also releaize theat Mr Hinchman did NOTHING to earn this election. Certainly he had some signs out and he ran some advertisements, but he never attended a single forum to allow the voting public to question him directly. We actually had three races run that way ... with few to none appearances and banking on the Punch 10 vote. Me thinks that does nothing but take the voters of LaPorte Cou nty for granted.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Thanks for the convincing info. By the way, I had posted that only a fool would not vote for you; by some weird coincidence, the number of votes your opponent got is EXACTLY equal to the number of votes the incumbents got in the MC school board races!

[Ang]

Well, the people voted for Hinchman. I know Craig pretty well and he's a smart guy. I have confidence that he will figure it all out.
As for all the other stuff you said KHarris, from my vantage point, I see it as people confusing the two offices and thinking that Teresa was part of the assessors office problems and they voted her out based on that assumption alone.

Just my opinion.

[JoeJ]

Well, the people voted for Hinchman. I know Craig pretty well and he's a smart guy. I have confidence that he will figure it all out.
As for all the other stuff you said KHarris, from my vantage point, I see it as people confusing the two offices and thinking that Teresa was part of the assessors office problems and they voted her out based on that assumption alone.

Just my opinion.

I assume he will give up his Realtors license

Joe