Fwd: I-69 Section 4 opens December 8th

[Greg Buck]

Sad but there are still ways to slow the harm.

 

 

Greg Buck

ecot...@yahoo.com (gets more attention than ecoth...@gmail.com)

Campaign for Sustainable Economics
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Individuals & Organizations:

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Clearinghouse for Actions Against Interstate 69 in Indiana
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Thomas & Sandra Tokarski <ca...@bluemarble.net>
Date: Tue, Dec 8, 2015 at 9:07 AM
Subject: I-69 Section 4 opens December 8th
To: Susan Sammis <sam...@bluemarble.net>

PLEASE FORWARD AND POST WIDELY.  THANKS.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

To our great grief and sadness the Bloomington Herald Times has a front page article about the opening of Section 4 of I-69.

The widespread destruction of SW Indiana can never be undone and our hearts are torn by this degradation of our homes, our farms, our forests and our rural communities. The continuing pollution of our water resources is indicated by the front page picture of today's Herald Times:  wide stretches of bare ground around the Indian Creek bridge in Greene County.  Water pollution of our streams will continue even after I-69 is finished. Runoff from highways contains numerous toxic compounds. The regulatory agencies have failed to protect our environment because of the ceaseless political pressure from the highway construction lobby.

While the entire world meets and tries to come up with plans to cut carbon emissions in order to slow the worst impacts of climate change, Indiana celebrates the opening of I-69, which will significantly increase carbon emissions. This is exactly the wrong message to be sending from Indiana, or anywhere. If projects like I-69 continue to be called "progress" then we are all in serious trouble.

Many years ago in this struggle we met with the editorial board of the Evansville Courier Press.  At that meeting one of the editorial board stated that getting Evansville basketball fans to IU games was an important reason for supporting I-69.  I-69 Built for Basketball Fans

We find it sadly ironic that a group of Model A Fords will be in the opening motorcade.  I-69 Built for the Past  CARR has stated many times that I-69 is planning for the 1950s.  If Indiana is to be competitive in the 21st century, we must begin to work toward sustainable transportation options.

In seeking where to locate, more and more corporations are seriously considering quality of life issues, not more and bigger highways. Indiana's transportation policies are are very regressive--planning for the past, not the future.

The Donohue study was released in 1989 and stated unequivocally that another highway between Indianapolis and Evansville was not recommended because of a low benefit cost ratio.  Since then billions of tax dollars have been squandered on I-69 while INDOT admits that it does not have the money to repair and maintain our existing roads and bridges.

Indiana's motto:  The Crossroads of America:  Easy to Get Through, No Reason to Stay.  

We weep for our state and our earth when we hear about the opening of I-69. Indiana deserves better than I-69. We must do better.

Thank you again for your steadfast support. 

Best regards,

Thomas & Sandra 

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Thomas & Sandra Tokarski

CARR

PO Box 54

Stanford, IN 47463

ca...@bluemarble.net

812-825-9555

800-515-6936