A controversial ad in The Goshen News funded by the Goshen Republican Party has become the most recent issue of the 2011 Goshen elections. The ad, printed on Monday, was critical of the Democratic candidates affiliated with Goshen College, listing their “spooky” connections ranging from being a Goshen College graduate to working for the school.
Over 40 community members gathered at the city council meeting on Tuesday night to participate in an open discussion about the elections—mainly focused on the Republican’s recent blows to their opponents.
Goshen city council candidate, Daniel Grimes, who has had three children attend Goshen College, called out the Republican party for involving his family with the elections.
“I take great offense of the fact that in yesterday’s paper, an ad was run associating me and my children negatively because of our relation to Goshen College,” Grimes said. “This ad is wrong on so many fronts.”
Mayor Allan Kauffman, a Goshen College graduate, found the Republican’s approach to be inappropriate.
“It just seems like a final act of desperation,” he said. “We’re a week away from the elections . . . I’m not sure this or their YouTube video will help them.”
Goshen College continues to maintain its separation from anything political, but hopes the community will see the benefits the college brings to Goshen. According to Richard Aguirre, the college has an economic impact of a little over $36 million in the city of Goshen in 2007-2008 when the last study was conducted.
Bill Born, the vice president of Student Life said, “We provide so many benefits to the area, Goshen would not be the way it is now without Goshen College.”
