Northwest Indiana Discussion

I had the opportunity to drive North on Calumet Ave. from Ridge into Hammond and the contrast is shocking. The development on the East side of Calumet is fairly incredible, Five Guys Burgers, Panera Bread, Chipolte Grill, and I would guess half a dozen more shops. After crossing the bridge into Hammond I was greeted with half a dozen signs for Crazy Kaplans fireworks stand, some vacant shitty looking building on the SE corner and a smoke shop. As far as a 1st impression we look like crap, especially when you look in your rear view mirror back into Munster when you're at the top of the bridge. WTF is the Hammond Economic Development Dept. doing? Mr. Mayor might it be time to clean house and try a new course?

Just ask XMPT. It's all the doing of absentee landlords with multiple exemptions--kinda like Mayoral Favorite Michelle Fajman.

If these landlords would just dry up and blow away, Hammond would resemble Lake Forest in short order. It has nothing to do with piss-poor leadership that considers those who believe city leaders and employees should have the educational depth and writing ability of a second-semester high school freshmen to be elitists. Sorry....the days of bringing in municipal city employees based on who played high school football or basketball together are pretty much over.