Letter: ‘We the People’ should stand up to special interests
There have been several articles, letters and social media posts recently about the Mid-States Corridor and that we get the government we vote for. These comments may be true, but they do not highlight the nuances.
The battle against the Mid-States Corridor is not a new one. It’s been going on for decades with little public or regional support. The leg through Spencer County was to connect the new bridge from Owensboro to I-64. The idea of another 4-lane highway North didn’t come about until 2011.
At the recent Dubois County Commissioners’ Meeting, Colton Pippinger, executive director for Dubois Strong, issued a statement supporting the project as necessary for economic development. None of his comments or data is supported by the recent Tier 2 Draft; in fact, the Draft presents contradictory data. The Draft report does not support Mr. Pippinger’s statements about congestion, safety or even economic development. In fact, the Draft predicts that the population growth will remain anemic through 2050. The fact that Dubois County does not have a 4-lane highway does not mean we do not have good quality access to markets.
In a recent letter, it was pointed out that “people” were buying, or trying to buy, land along the proposed Mid-States Corridor path to build hotels, restaurants and shops. If this is true, why wasn’t this done along the Spencer County 4-lane US 231? Probably because the traffic does not warrant it, just as the traffic around Jasper and Huntingburg will not warrant it.
Another recent letter and many Facebook posts say we get the government we vote for. This is a very narrow and defeatist attitude. We get the government the elected representatives force upon us. A single-issue candidate rarely gets elected, and if they do, they seldom are able to enact their single issue. We are a Representative Republic, and our elected officials are supposed to represent We the People, not special interests. Those who adhere to party politics instead representing the majority should be forced by the public to represent them and not the party.
Our Constitution’s preamble states, “We The People of the United States..” It does not say “We The Political Parties…”. Now is the time for “We the People” to continue to stand up to the political parties and special interests.
It may be time for “We the People” to bring a class action lawsuit against INDOT and the Lochmueller Group for depriving “We the People” of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Where is the ACLU when it’s really needed?
Jim Arvin,
Rutherford Township
Martin County
