Illiana Expressway Hearing tonite

After a series of odd circumstances and posturing by Rep. Teri Austin (D) over the last couple weeks tonite's hearing could be quite the adventure. The Times today gives the account of Rep Austin's antics just yesterday when her committee members moved for a vote and she got up and fled the room so the vote couldn't happen.

The House Roads and Transportation Committee will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. today in the auditorium at Crown Point High School, 1500 S. Main St.

People wishing to speak on the Illiana Expressway proposal will be allowed to address the committee for three minutes each. The committee

also will accept written testimony.

For those unable to attend, The Lakeshore radio station will broadcast the hearing live on 89.1 FM and thelakeshorefm.com.

The meeting also will be Webcast at asx.ihets.org/transitcomm/live.asx

More interesting though was a comment already posted this morning by Veritas in response to this piece:

What this episode clearly demonstrates is that this entire hearing process amounts to little more than an election year partisan political stunt staged to rally the troops and grab a few column inches in the local papers for Democrat candidates. A partisan political rally... just like the Illiana rally held in Porter County at the Expo Center a couple of years back. (I still have the copy of my invite mailed out and paid for by "The Committee to Elect Robert F. Harper".)

They stage it as a hearing, but it's really a political rally in disguise. And when it does not go their way, they storm out? What, too many in the audience in favor? Nobody brought their torches and pitch forks this time? No riot to get in front of this time?

PARTISAN POLITICAL CRAP. More evidence that Bauer, Austin & Company DON'T know how to governor, they only know how to campaign. A lot like the the Democrats ruling Lake & Porter Counties!!!

The campaign never ends and the governing never begins!