Greg Buck: I-69 HB 1008: Points on opposing

[IndianaGreen]

Hello,

The vote by the Indiana Government's House Ways and Means Committee on the
privatization of tollways, including for the construction of the proposed
extension of I-69 is on Tuesday. Please write your state legislators,
especailly those on the committee. Included is the letter that I wrote.

Helpful links:
http://www.in.gov/apps/sos/legislator/search/
http://www.i69tour.org/

Memebers of WAYS AND MEANS
Representative Jeff Espich, Chair
Rep. Ralph Ayres, Vice Chair
Rep. Larry Buell, Chair of Budget Subcommittee
Rep. Phyllis Pond, Chair of Higher Education Subcommittee
Rep. Jeff Thompson, Chair of School Funding Subcommittee

Members:
Rep. Billy Bright
Rep. Bob Cherry
Rep. Bill Davis
Rep. Dan Leonard
Rep. Rich McClain
Rep. Luke Messer
Rep. Cindy Noe
Rep. John Smith
Rep. Eric Turner
Rep. Troy Woodruff
Rep. Bill Crawford, RMM
Rep. John Aguilera
Rep. Dennis Avery
Rep. Bill Cochran
Rep. John Day
Rep. Ben GiaQuinta
Rep. Clyde Kersey
Rep. Sheila Klinker
Rep. David Orentlicher
Rep. Peggy Welch

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Dear Representative Day,

I am writing to give reasons for the Indiana State House Ways and Means
Committee to oppose HB 1008 and to ask for your advocacy against the bill,
including by voting against this bill.

1. There is no good reason to sacrifice service for profits that do not go
to the community. The dangers of privatization are very well covered by Jack
Miller in "Nuvo" regarding management of water in the City of Indianapolis.
There have been instances of poor quality and unsavory coverups by the
corporation managing our water, which never would have happened with a
government dedicated to service, instead of profits.

2. There are very appropriate analogies between corporations running society
and King George's rule over the American colonies. In both instances it
leads to oppression.

3. The money from bidders on the privatization scheme might look impressive,
but the long term consequences are not. The problems include #4 and #5.

4. New highways invite urban sprawl and neglect of the inner city because of
over extended government budgets for new infrastructiure.

5. The vision for new roads is all wrong. For instance, the Environmental
Impact Statement pointed out that the area of the proposed extension for
I-69 is underpopulated. However, we need rural areas for recreation, food
production and foods, woods and wetlands for water purification.

6. It is Un-American to charge some people twice to use the roads. The gas
tax which is a users tax bought by gallon and used miles per gallon and this
new tax on roads per mile paid to entities that will take our toll dollars
to other countries.

7. The Department of Commerce study in Indiana that showed that even our
states manufacturing base said that education not roads is what is important
to their businesses and the brain drain.

There is no corrilation between roads and jobs. If we are going to sell the
roads, building more roads is not the best way to get jobs. This is
particularly true of Rural Interstates that FHWA says returns zero to a
negative on investment now. Toll roads are likely less likely to result in
jobs.

Please see The U.S. Department of Commerce - Economic Development
Administration survey of manufacturing companies in distressed areas of
Indiana (those below the national average in employment levels or average
wage rates) <http://www.bmtadvantage.org/eda/EDA_Survey.pdf> Only FIVE
percent of companies surveyed said that distance to an interstate was a
competitive disadvantage for them, and only SIXTEEN percent said that being
near an interstate OR major road OR rail was a competitive advantage. The
top resource needed for both distressed- and non-distressed-area
manufacturers surveyed is help finding skilled labor.

"Only where the density of larger manufacturing companies is already fairly
high should planners consider making transportation improvements a priority"
(e.g. along 41-70 and specifically not the mostly rural 3C route).

The resounding response of Indiana Manufacturers was a need for, job
training and education. This prompted INDOT and our state Chamber of
Commerce leaders to take down the banner, "I-69- The NAFTA Free Trade
Corridor Highway" and replace it with "I-69- The Education Highway."


Greg Buck
address and phone number

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Proposed I-69: OPPORTUNITY to stop @ IN State House, Jan. 24


Proposed I-69: OPPORTUNITY to stop @ IN State House,
Tues. Jan. 24 7-8:30 p.m. in the House Chambers,
Indianapolis


Please participate in and pass the word on to
compassionate and responsible Hoosiers about this
opportunity to stop the proposed extension of NAFTA
Interstate 69 between Indianapolis and just north of
Evansville. Please wear white.

At this point intentions are that this boondoggle
would be a privatized toll road, rammed through Patoka
National Wildlife Refuge, Amish farms, private forest
land, karstic land, Bloomington, and Southwestern
Indianapolis. No matter what mismovements and spin
that supporters of the proposed extension make, the
project can be stopped dead in its tracks at the
Indiana State House.


Register for the Peoples Agenda (Tues. Jan. 24 7-8:30
p.m. in the House Chambers, Indianapolis) with
Young-Hee Yedinak
Community Affairs Senior Producer
WTHR-TV Channel 13
1000 N. Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]


For more info. on organizing see the COUNT US website
http://www.i69tour.org.

[salin]

1. I would encourage folks to begin to push the "eminent domain" button

that will be required to buy the off-terrain portion of the highway (south of bloomington to evansville.) This was always a bit of a hot button - but now the privatization scheme makes it a bigger potential hot-button. This is especially true since written accounts always site a "foreign corporation" (as if it is a done deal - they don't mention who... but it is always referred to as a foreign entity). With the hot reaction to the Supreme Court ruling this past fall - I would think that this would make some legislators a little more antsy regarding a citizen back lash.

Also worth mentioning is that many citizens who currently use state road 37 between bloomington and indianapolis who currently drive without a toll, who were previously in favor of the new highway, are now opponents and do not buy the Governor's excuse that the toll is legitimate because "it will be a new road, not the old road."

[AwakeAtLast]

2. There's a better way and it's already built

I travel frequently from Anderson to my Mom & Dad's in So. IL. I take I-70 to
SR 41 S. The backup is always in Terre Haute. I have been told that a bypass
is already in the works (good grief, I hope so). Why couldn't they make SR 41 (S)
and that bypass into I-69? I-69 and I-70 would share the same road for awhile,
but this plan would save a lot of trees and property. SR 41 leads to Evansville.
Seems like the perfect solution to me, but then I'm not trying to make money off
the plan. :eyes:

:hi: Indiana Green!