The anti-growth team that currently holds power in Porter County, is still rallying to kill more projects, in this case a project that could create thousands of jobs.
Is the issue, that they have jobs, so they don't care to create jobs for anyone else? Maybe it's time to send them both packing back to the legal work that they seem more prone to.
Is the issue, that they have jobs, so they don't care to create jobs for anyone else? Maybe it's time to send them both packing back to the legal work that they seem more prone to.
Once again, attorneys Bob Harper and Dan Whitten have elected to represent those
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7 comments:
I am new to some of the issues and I am trying to understand the “no growth” perspective on this issue. I am empathic to some antigrowth positions but believe that controlled growth is possible, a positive thing that enrichs people lives by bringing opportunities to the area. Planning is the key.
What is the problem that forced this conflict? What is the concern of the anti-growth team, spending money, a fear of change, or something else?
Public transportation may appeal to new businesses who can tap into the pool of college educated young people who, at this time, have limited opportunities and are leaving the area. As a small business owner, I am concerned about a potential brain-drain. Who is advocating for this issue?
Also, with the number of subdivisions that are popping up, who is advocating for the school systems? The last thing you want is 45 first-graders crammed into a temporary trailer that was set up because subdivisions were approved and families moved in but revenue was not allocated to expand the schools. Nothing will cause homes values to tank faster. If home values tank, the building will stop.
Jean, here's the genesis of the problem.
Race
Bob Harper and his anti-growth movement are really just trying to say "keep them people from Lake County" out. They are afraid that if we build affordable homes, we'll end up with "them people"
They are afraid that if we have better rail systems and bus systems and ways to work in Chicago, then "them people" will move here.
Commissioner Harper has made a lifetime committment of figting affordable housing in Valparaiso near his own home.
The problem is that builders and developers are afraid to stand up to him, he has the power of shutting down their new projects since he's gathered so much power at the PLan Commission and the County building.
Hi Steve,
I featured the I-65 and 109th St. interchange that just received a "no impact" statement from INDOT effectively green lighting it.
I bet Bob and Dan will be freaking out at the prospect of cars traveling from I-65 to 109th St. and continuing onward past Lakes of the Four Seasons into Porter County via CR 100.
Having a brand new interchange means progress -- to quote Amy Winehouse: "NO! NO! NO! -- and the risk that the bucolic Porter Co. lifestyle will be ruined by people from Lake County and other places wandering around on CR 100.
I was thinking about this yesterday, rail transportation was available in every place I have ever lived or visited. It is odd to not want that, when it is so important to so many people, in so many places all over the world. Clearly there are many benefits.
Question specific to Porter County, hasn’t the “growth” already begun? At some point, NOT supporting an initiative like this will have a real negative impact on people’s quality of life.
One more question, I read that Hammond got the okay for a new hub
http://www.post-trib.com/news/784240,gasouthshore.article
Does their support increase the overall chance of this being approved? How much weight do they have?
May 4, 2008
Board Members,
We are sending this out to all Board members in the fervent hope that saner minds will prevail here. Lisa Booth and Mary Ann Sheller met with Bob Harper last Wednesday to make clear how serious the conditions at the Shelter are. Between the abusive micro-managing by Lyn Moore and Jocelyn Rogers, and the terrible understaffing, we are in serious danger of losing the entire staff. Jenniffer, in particular, would be a terrible loss. She is bright, communicates well with citizens and reporters, has a common-sense approach to Animal Control, and yet is intensely compassionate.
As most of you know, we have contractual obligations to Valparaiso, Chesterton, Burns Harbor, Porter, Kouts, as well as the County at large for Animal Control. We are being paid by these communities to handle bites, aggressive and running-at-large, and loose live-stock. We are currently overworking Jenniffer and the two remaining officers in positions for which there are supposed to be five of them. Despite this incredible work-load, Board members are at the Shelter several days a week making demands, disrupting work flow, and hyper-criticizing every employee we have. To add to that, they’ve made it impossible to hire the one qualified applicant we’ve had for the open position.
Lyn and Jocelyn presumably have a sincere desire to help animals. But rather than taking a few months to actually learn what Animal Control is all about, they have jumped in with no experience and knowledge obtained primarily from the Internet and attempted to take charge in an aggressive and angry way. They toured a privately funded Humane Society with no Animal Control responsibilities and a budget of $95,000 a month and use it to compare and disparage our Animal Control department and staff with less than ¼ that budget.
This Board is being used by Bob Harper for a political goal. He wants to use the Animal Shelter as an election platform. He has shown snide disregard for the people who staff the Shelter, including trying to find out if we can just “get rid of” the Officer who is currently on pregnancy leave. To further this goal, he has allowed (encouraged?) Lyn and Jocelyn to micro-manage without input from the entire Board. Among the unilateral changes: Adopters of pitbull type breeds used to have to show proof of homeowner’s insurance. This allowed us to deny adoptions in cases where the Shelter staff were suspicious that the dogs might be used for fighting. This requirement was eliminated and they are not to deny ANY pitbull adoptions.
Our plea is this. Whether your heart is behind the idea of no-kill or not, please look at this mess with a practical eye. We must provide animal control in Porter County. We must treat the staff humanely if we are to have any staff at all. We must let them do their jobs.
We’ve attached the summary letter from Dr. Booth’s and Dr. Sheller’s meeting with Bob Harper and Gwenn Rinkenberger (county attorney). Bob received this summary 1-2 days before the article appeared in the Post on Wednesday (4-30-08). He obviously recognized that not everyone was going to sit idly by while the people at the Shelter continue to suffer abuse, overwork, and lack of appreciation. Neither he, Lyn, nor Jocelyn understand that the PEOPLE at the shelter are the ones that make it possible for the animals to be taken care of and that the PEOPLE deserve humane treatment at least as much as the animals do. Lyn and Jocelyn need to let the overworked staff spend their energies on the work they are obligated to do…Animal Control. They need to stay out of that Shelter, for now, and let the employees do their jobs. The rest needs to wait until we can fill the empty staffing positions. We sincerely hope the rest of the Board members DO understand that.
King Harper needs to be de-throned.
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