Letter: Mid-States Corridor a non-partisan issue

The Mid-States Corridor may soon be canceled by INDOT. I say this because Monday morning, I saw Gov. Mike Braun on the news crowing about eliminating Indiana’s gas tax…for the people of Indiana’s benefit. Sounds like a great idea. We get 2 benefits: 1) lower fuel prices and 2) even less money for INDOT. How is INDOT having less money a good thing? With the current INDOT budget shortfall, INDOT has had to cancel or delay over 400 road projects statewide. With even less money, INDOT must now defend why it hasn’t canceled the $3+ billion Mid-States Corridor project. Something neither INDOT nor Gov. Braun can do.

On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy said: “My fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” Great words to live by. However, 65 years later, we seem to have totally forgotten what Pres Kennedy was saying.  It’s our, we the people, responsibility to make our country and our personal lives better; it is not the government’s. And, because we, the people, elect our leaders, we should keep President Kennedy’s words in mind every time we vote.

Voters who are uninformed are still allowed to vote. Voters who vote only for a party’s dogma are still allowed to vote. Voters who slept through Civics and Government class in high school are still allowed to vote. Because of our voting customs, the fault of poor government or government overreach is only partially the fault of the voters. The real fault is our elected leaders who try to be paternalistic and tell the voters that they, the elected officials, know better how to run a city, county, state or even our nation. When in fact they are making decisions for the benefit of the few.

The few decided years ago that they wanted a new terrain: a multi-lane, limited-access highway through Dubois, Martin and Daviess counties. This was not a spur of the moment decision; but, a multi-year conspiracy. What started as a Hank Menke pipe dream has turned into a multi-billion-dollar boondoggle. Not even the great legal thriller author, John Grisham, could have thought up a more convoluted plot or cast of characters.

We are in the middle of the mid-term election cycle. We are selecting our party’s representative for the November contests. Neither now nor in November should the Mid-States Corridor be seen as a partisan issue. Those who are opposed to the Corridor are not bound by party loyalty but by a love for their community and way of life. There are just as many lifelong, Trump-hating, conservative-bashing Democrats as there are many lifelong, liberal-agenda-bashing Republicans who are opposed to the Corridor. Like good American voters of the past, they are putting their differing agendas aside and seeking candidates from ALL parties to oppose the Corridor project.

Over the next few weeks the Spencer County Council and the Dubois County Council will be voting to renew the Mid-States Corridor RDA. Both of these county councils should be voting “No”, as this is what 81% of their constituents want. One can become a better informed voter by attending and making one’s opinions known all of the upcoming County Council, City Council and PRA meetings. 

The Mid-States Corridor has had its time in the limelight; and, now it’s time for the curtain to come down on this wrong-headed project.

Jim Arvin
Rutherford Township
Martin County

To clarify, this is not Mr. Jim Arvin of Jasper, the former CEO of Jasper Desk