Northwest Indiana Discussion

Another two op/eds this weekend from the "journalists" with the pouffy poms at The Times, reminding us how dumb we are if we don't sign on to more crushing debt. They did again, make it clear to careful readers, that the money Visclosky demands for the local match of federal funds will only pay the debt service on more government bond sales. Yes, interest only loans, like the kind that swallowed the financial system into the subprime mortgage fiasco. The type of banking that the government insisted banks participate in, then labeled as predators, when it predictably soured. Now Visclosky, et al. think it's a great idea if we stretch our finances to the point where we can barely pay the interest on the debt we sign. Visclosky says it's a generational imperative to be mortgaged to the hilt, but our financial machine already says "tilt!". Stop the economic madness!

Can't funds simply be switched from one account to another, a la Sparks' advice?

Didn't a guy named Jessie Jackson Jr manage to switch money from one place to another...He got 4 years, what happens locally?

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/opinion/co ... 3b6fe.html

Next blabber up is William, I'm sure he's Billy, Lowe, chancellor of Indiana University Northwest. Let's see how low he can go. At the end of his opinion piece is a disclaimer that it's his opinion. You'd think that someone in education would work harder to make their writing look original, and steer clear of any hint of plagiarism. This piece sounds like it's been written by whoever writes for Visclosky. Billy does put his personal stamp on it with his example of a former student. Without feeling for irony, he writes...

"The benefits, though, are brought home when considering the opportunities an extension would have for just one rider, one young emerging Northwest Indiana leader.

Take, for instance, Allison Aguilera, a 2013 Indiana University Northwest MBA graduate. As an audit associate with Deloitte & Touche LLP, Allison commutes from southern Lake County to the Chicago loop via the South Shore Line.

Her one-way, one-and-half-hour commute would be significantly reduced by a South Shore Line extension, saving this young professional substantial time and money. Aguilera’s commute would be significantly reduced if provided with an express service direct from Crown Point."

So we should saddle ourselves with hundreds of millions in debt and operational loses in perpetuity, so a young professional MBA can save their time and money? You'd figure an MBA would know something about opportunity costs when she chose both her residence and her employer. Particularly galling is the line about providing "express service direct from Crown Point." Don't forget a chauffeur to pick her up and deliver her to the train, Billy. It looks like the stategy is to wear out the opposition. If expansion is stuck in the station this year, they'll give the same song and dance next year, and the year after that. And what's with the "generational imperative" of trains? Did daddy get his little tike a bike for Christmas when all Pete wanted was a Lionel? Now, Pete's just a grown-up tike, and we're being asked to pay for his daddy issues?

Herr Chancellor's position is so pompously saccharine it is nonsensical. As for Visclosky, he is starting to resemble Rostenkowski.