WAKE UP LaPorte County!!

If you choose to live in a paved over concrete jungle with its traffic and pollution, so be it. I don’t have a problem with that, but I choose not to.
Please put the intermodal (multi-modal/logistics center) monstrosity and it’s associated access roads someplace where the land is already destroyed such as Hammond, Gary! Jobs are needed there and people who really need and want them will get to them. How many people are unemployed in Union Mills?

Why in the world destroy more green-fields? With all of the hullabaloo about global warming, saving the environment, plant trees, grow more grassland, what are you thinking about when you turn your backs on productive green-land and cave into the real estate CARPETBAGGERS. Make no mistake; the location selections are all about who can make the most money by exploitation.

WAKE UP LaPorte County!!

Do you think an intermodal (multi-modal/logistics center) will solve the problems that are plaguing such a wonderful county and city?  Only honest and innovative leadership can do that.  Think about things like the tax abatements that will be demanded, the low paying contract jobs that are the norm at freight movement facilities. The promises of thousands of jobs are false, these facilities are highly automated and experts in freight movement tightly control the few high tech and/or supervisory jobs.

There will be a temporary increase in construction jobs to build this aberration on pristine farmland, but when they go away, what then? How does 4,000 - 5,000 semi-trucks per day , buzzing around an inner ring highway (read : somewhere just south of  Joliet road from Rt. 421 to Boyd Blvd).  Have you no compassion for the citizens who will either lose their homes or be faced with listening to that sound? That number is just half the informal count at the Elwood, IL. intermodal (logistics center), the other half will probably go south from the facility to wreak havoc on  the rest of our roads. What happens to U. S. 30, U.S. 6, U.S.2, and Rt. 39 with truck concentrations like that? Where are those roads on the list of road reconstruction and funding?  Be assured they will have to be rebuilt.

WAKE UP LaPorte County!!

Productive farmland lost forever, towns, villages and quiet communities that will never again grace our county. By your silence on this issue you are condoning the give-away. I implore you, get involved, and find out the true facts. Visit Elwood, IL, ask questions of the people there.  Would they do it again? Look around, is their location in any way comparable to ours?

WAKE UP LaPorte County!!

Some true facts from Elwood, IL, found from the bus trip on Feb. 20, 2008:
   
sources: Wal-Mart distribution warehouse and Elwood town officials,
            
Only about 2,000 contract jobs have been created overall, about 600 in the Wal-Mart facility, mostly fork lift drivers, picking, packing personnel, starting wage $8.00 to $8.50/hour, NO BENEFITS, warehouses only heated to 55° at 40 feet building ceiling height, much colder at floor level due to the many open truck dock doors, you can get a job anytime you want (see above).
                        
The town of Elwood is very clean, well maintained, has new streets, sidewalks, curbs, town hall, fire department, water tower, funded by a money received from the developer, who has a 19 year tax abatement (read no taxes to be received for 19 years).

The police department personnel has increased from 3 to 13. The fire department (a stand alone county organized department) has also increased in size, but they also have to cover a large refinery which is adjacent to the facility.

Traffic congestion on the surrounding main highways is monstrous, It took an hour to travel (good weather) on I-55/I-80 from the facility (which is just south of Joliet, IL) to the I-80/I-294 toll booth. A distance of about 33 miles on a Wednesday evening.
            
Please, please, don’t believe any anonymous facts, take the time to check who is presenting what and why? There are people who are trying to bring you the real information, check them out also. GET THE FACTS.
 
WAKE UP LaPorte County!!

I attended a recent LOGISTICS TASK FORCE meeting, as I have many of the other meetings, and I’m darn angry with what I heard and saw.  Fully half of the appointed "volunteer" members do not see fit to show up.  If it's so important to tackle this so critical PROBLEM that LaPorte county is facing, lets get appointees who really care about the problem.  I think the problem is ‘POLITICS’, someone has a vested interest  and should be exposed to the public.

In fact, there a lot of members and the facilitator as well on the task force who stand to gain financially if the proposal (when submitted) is approved. That is a clear conflict of interest and it leads me to believe the TASK FORCE was created to provide political cover for the politicians who will make the final decision to approve or disapprove the multi-modal.

WAKE UP LaPorte County!! Wake up before it is too late.