Voice of the People

Regarding the South Shore Rail Road, I am a 100 percent supporter of it. When I was a teenager, I lived near Rensselaer and had a girl friend in Chicago. Times were different then. I could hitch-hike to Gary in about an hour or an hour and a half, then catch the South Shore to within about eight blocks of her house, then catch a streetcar to get there. Wish we could do that today.

We still ride the South Shore into Chicago for events like the Dog Show and to maybe a stage play or visit the Aquarium. It’s a nice ride, but I feel it is a bad commute. It takes too long and you mostly have to take a taxi to get to your final destination.

What is needed is to cure the bottle necks and get better parking and faster trains.

That is my story, but the best story is the faux pas ad campaign sponsored by the Northwest Indiana Forum and paid for by the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority. It has really educated the public that this is a hoax put on by some egotistical money grabbing taxing and spending group.

In a time of over wasteful spending how could they ever even come up with this idea. Representative Pete Visclosky has said it is a no brainer. Correct. But who has no brains? With 1/20 the cost estimate given in the news, both Lake County and Porter County could buy sixty to eighty passenger buses for about $250,000 each. These buses could make trips that would provide close access to most riders then take them to the nearest South Shore Station. This maybe would eliminate some of our cars. Think about it. “Think”.

Keith Lakin

Posted 2/1/2008