Shall we curse and call it misplaced? We can hope it works, but what’s the evidence?
As a state and as a region, the Hoosiers have spent an unknown amount of money, time and energy on what we call economic development (ED). Some of these are federal funds that can only be used for what the federal government designates as an ED.
ED used to bring jobs to our state, especially manufacturing jobs. It has even extended to employment expansion at existing manufacturing companies. We then determined that activities related to manufacturing (such as warehousing) are also EDs.
More recently, this concept has been extended to software and some services using software. More recently, it has gone further to include employee training and civic amenities. And almost yesterday I recognized communication (internet) as ED.
Roads, railroads and waterways have been the building blocks of the ED since its founding. There is now increasing pressure for an interstate highway to run parallel to US 231 in South Central Indiana. As is often the case, there is increasing countervailing pressure to stop that path.
But the West Lake Corridor, which extended the South Shore commuter rail line to Chicago, met little opposition. The Hoosiers of Northwest Indiana (NWI) could oppose nearly $900 million, mostly federal dollars, to build nine miles from Hammond south through Munster to the Dyer border. do you
The railroad line was created by the Regional Development Authority (RDA), created by the state of Indiana under the auspices of NWI Democrats and Republicans. Funded by federal, state and levies to his NWI government.
Not enough research was done before the project was touted as a reincarnation of the local economy.
This rail line, with limited service to Hyde Park (University of Chicago) and the Loop area of downtown Chicago, will attract workers from downtown Chicago to live in Indiana and NWI residents to find high-paying jobs downtown. It is supposed to be found. Chicago. Untested hypotheses (fantasy) are always favored by ballyhoo.
OK, this project would be great for NWI. So why did the RDA ask for $35 million in additional funding to stimulate the West Lake Corridor Station ED?
In addition, RDA wants a Transit Development District (TDD), also known as a Tax Stealing District (TSD), at each of the three West Lake stations and four stations on the existing South Shore line.
These TDDs capture all new property and local income taxes for businesses and households within the TDD’s highly gerrymandered boundaries.
Transportation Oriented Development (TOD), also known as a completely obsolete distraction, is a concept that ignores cars, the internet, and widely distributed employment/living options.
In short, is this all ED, economic development, or economic dysfunction?
