Daniels defends road toll for I-69

[Chiyo-chichi]

Governor pushes for interstate fee to fund construction
By Ben Woodson | Indiana Daily Student | Friday, September 30, 2005
http://www.idsnews.com/subsite/story.php?id=31446&adid=news

Daniels asked the citizens of Monroe County "to think about their neighbors" when deciding to support his new plan.

"(I-69) will link the small towns to the national economy so that every part of Indiana has a chance to flourish," Daniels said.

He added that not every part of Indiana is as well off as "the Bloomington we are so proud of."
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Bloomington was the last stop on Daniels' four-day trip around the state. Most people have been supportive of his new plan, Daniels said.

"Bloomington may not be reflective of the whole state on this," Daniels said.

Daniels said most people told him during his stop in Evansville, "since it's a toll road or no road, let's get going."

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WOW! I'm glad to hear that Bloomington is so well off!!!!

Does Mitch know that 18.9% of people in Monroe County are living below the poverty level? Does he know that number is double the state average of 9.5%? http://www.bloomington.in.us/~scan/CAP.pdf
Does he know that Monroe County has the least affordable housing market in the state? http://www.bloomington.in.us/~habitat/poverty.html

Can you say "out-of-touch?"

[thinkingwoman]

1. actually Blgtn IS well off

compared to counties farther south.

For example, Monroe Co unemployment numbers are 4.7%, whereas these are the unemployment numbers in area southern counties:

Lawrence Co -- 8%
Orange and Crawford Counties -- 6.9 and 6.8% (down from 8 and 10 earlier this year due to economic excitement from casino)

The rest of So. IN trend similarly. It's a freakin depression down there and has been for half a decade!! Owen is better off than those I've cited but much worse off than Monroe.

Now, that being said...My Bitch Mitch was rather flippant and condescending toward Blgtn and did nothing apparently to address the fact that making 37 through Blgtn a toll road and the ONLY Bltn to Indy route a toll road will damage "the Bloomington we are so proud of."

:puke:

edited to correct my unemployment numbers for Monroe Co--from high 3s to 4 to 4.7%--decided to check latest numbers. Also correcting Orange and Crawford, finally showing some improvement, and to add a source.

Source: http://www.stats.indiana.edu/profiles/pr18025.html

[tech3149]

2. change his name.......Mitch Denial

Just another bubble boy

[Ouabache]

3. Daniels proposes private corporation tax on student travel

should have been the headline in a reality-based world. Of course, those students really are so well off. Maybe they all sell drugs like Mitch did when he was in college. :shrug: They just all haven't been arrested yet like he was, but I am sure they all have a rich and connected daddy to get the right lawyer to get the charges dropped like he did.

[indypaul]

4. To his political cronies

it will be a gift that keeps on giving.

[DrGonzoLives]

5. Yay, more toll roads!

They reduce traffic so well. I live in Chicago, I should know! The tollways around here fly during rush hour! It's great! And paying two dollars a day with my I-Pass? Woo-hoo! Even better!

[Fritz67]

6. This would be hilarious...

...if it wasn't so frickin' rife with greed.

I mean, excuse me if I'm wrong, wasn't one of the reasons the supporters of the "new terrain" route jumped up and down and screamed at the top of their lungs "It'll save the most time between Indy and Evansville!!!"

Yet, you make it a toll road you have to have toll booths.

All of a sudden the time you save making a new terrain road as opposed to say upgrading I-70 and US41 goes up in a big puff of smoke carrying the acrid whiff of burnt rubber.

I think somebody put it best in "Let It Out" the other day...to paraphrase: Why is it the new Stadium, which will really only be used for the enrichment of a few people who are already millionaires, has to be paid for with tax increases, but the public access Interstate has to be paid for by the people who use it?

Gosh...if I didn't know better I'd swear this was looking more and more like another scheme to enrich the road construction industry at the expense of the taxpayers! But we know a former top member of the Bush Administration would never ever be a part of anything like that!!!
:sarcasm: