Post Tribune editorial

Somehow I missed this editorial last week, and though much argument back and forth on the RDA and RTA here on this site recently, I was surprised at the intensity of the opinion. One interesting thought voiced by many of our readers has been a challenge to Valparaiso to offer a pick up in Portage.

Porter County Commissioner Bob Harper, who seems bent on stopping most progress in the county, has now turned to meddling with individual communities.

Not content to halt forward movement at the county level, he's been pushing the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission -- successfully so far -- to stop money for Valparaiso's ChicaGo bus service.

The money would pay for buses that run between Valparaiso and Chicago each day.

Harper's concern isn't about county money, since none of it will be used to pay for the buses. All of the money comes from federal and Valparaiso sources

But Harper has concocted a future scenario where county residents will have to pay a tax to support the system, something that hasn't happened and in all probability will never happen.

And while Harper meddles in Valparaiso:

* The county fails to get out tax bills on time, blaming the state.

* The county has to buy more software for auditing and tax bills, blaming the previous software system.

* The county has failed to spend $1 million secured by Rep. Peter Visclosky to fix County Road 100 South to make it safer for residents.

* The county has thus far failed to find a money manager for the proceeds of the sale of Porter hospital.

Somehow, Harper has time to worry about something that hasn't yet happened in Valparaiso while county government has a dismal record over the last several years.

What's next? Will he find a way for Portage to stop paving roads? Will he end any efforts in Chesterton to add electrical power?

Or will he stop meddling and do his job at the county?