If you’re using the feeds.feedburner.com/regionlife feed, you won’t have to change anything.  I’ll update it to point to ChristopherHedges.com.  If you’re using any other feed, i.e. christopherhedges.com/life/feed, please update it to the Feedburner feed (or ChristopherHedges.com/feed).

Post from: Region Life

Region Life Is Moving

We need to remember to embrace Dr. Martin Luther King’s exhortation to let freedom ring in a nation where we will live true to the fundamental law written in the Declaration of Independence all men are created equal.

I wrote this over at Vocalo expanding the notion that we should unite to the battles that often divide people in these days:

Too often, we fall into the trap of dividing and fleeing from each other, instead of coming together to find the solutions to the problems facing our country.  I might not always agree with you (and you with me), but there’s always value in listening to each other so that the best thoughts will win out in their never ending competition in the marketplace of ideas.

Post from: Region Life

Remembering MLK Today

Writes the Chicagoist:

The CTA bailout passed, and now we can move on to that other chronic political problem: Governor Blagojevich. Just how much of Mr. Testicular Virility are Illinois residents willing to take? Judging by a new Chicago magazine article about the embattled gov, “Mr. Un-Popularity,” not much. In that article, the Capital Fax Blog’s Rich Miller suggests that Blago is the most unpopular governor in the country, with approval ratings that have sunk as low as 16 percent (which, Bernstein notes, is worse than President Bush polls in Illinois, one of the country’s bluest states).

Post from: Region Life

Blago Less Popular Than Bush In Illinois

Like an evil creature from a Stephen King novel, the proposed Lake County income tax is slowing coming back to life.

Only time will tell if the evil creation will be powerful enough to defeat the good guys and destroy the local economy by rearing its ugly head just as economists are predicting a recession.

Read more at nwiblogs.com.

Post from: Region Life

Will Lake Co. Income Tax Arise From Death?

Writes the Post-Tribune’s Gitte Laasby:

When Lake and Porter counties have ozone problems on hot days, don’t blame the region’s heavy lakeshore industries. Indiana’s top environmental official suggests you look toward Chicago instead.

“The No. 1 contributor (to ozone problems in Lake and Porter counties) is Chicago,” Indiana Department of Environmental Management Commissioner Tom Easterly said in a recent Portage appearance.

Not so fast, an Illinois public heath expert counters. …

It makes sense that the wind blowing from the west would carry away pollution created in Illinois into Northwest Indiana.  But, I still wouldn’t give Indiana’s heavy industries free reign to pump out more pollution just because Chicago is contributing to our air quality problems.

Post from: Region Life

Chicago Pollutes NWI Air

Writes the Post-Tribune’s Andy Grimm:

Gary attorney Willie Harris received a prison sentence of more than four years, nearly the maximum under federal guidelines, for his role in a scheme to defraud two not-for-profit groups in a 2001 land deal.

During a sentencing hearing Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Philip Simon called Harris’ conduct in a series of deals “almost unforgivable,” noting that to complete a series of fraudulent land sales, Harris bilked a charitable group founded by his aunt and forged the signature of a woman who considered him a brother.

“This is a case where the evidence is that Mr. Harris and the other defendants, but especially (Harris), is essentially preying on an old woman,” Simon said. “And an old woman who was a relative … and a client.

“What I have here is a profound abdication (of his duty) as a family member, as a taxpayer and as an attorney.”

Post from: Region Life

Almost Unforgivable

The plan wouldn’t require any tax increases, reports the Northwest Indiana Times.

The House Ways and Means Committee, which meets at 9 a.m., will hear legislation to divert 12.5 percent of the sales tax money Lake and Porter counties send the state, a move that would generate $30 million a year without rasing local taxes. The proposal, authored by state Rep. Chet Dobis, D-Merrillville, would close a $350 million shortfall in the $1 billion plan to extend South Shore lines to Lowell and Valparaiso.

Dobis met with Gov. Mitch Daniels Wednesday afternoon to discuss the plan.

“They had a good visit. The governor was glad to hear more about the idea,” said Jane Jankowski, the governor’s spokeswoman. “He supports the idea of expanding the South Shore…But there are some practical issues with the funding portion of the plan.”

Expanding train service to Chicago’s Loop promises to be an economic development boon for Northwest Indiana because it will make it easier for commuters to access higher paying jobs in Chicago. Some of the wealthiest areas in Illinois are served by Metra line service.

Post from: Region Life

New South Shore Lines Without New Taxes?

Huge billboards displaying complicated messages directing people to visit websites using small font sizes that are impossible to read while driving by at the speed limit.

The Come IN signs soliciting businesses and people to move to Indiana because of lower taxes and housing costs are great, but the web address is impossible to read while driving 55 MPH.  I suspect the state wants people to get the general idea — that message comes through strongly.  But, I can’t remember what the web address is for the state’s welcome wagon because the font size is too small to read while driving by.

The same is true for a billboard along the Indiana Toll Road westbound near Cline Avenue advertising a college savings program.  It has a huge “Diddly Squat” and then a web address with a lot of letters and numbers.  I think the number “20″ might be in the address, but I’m not sure.  The web URL is too long and the font size is too small to comprehend from a speeding car.

The worst — a billboard on I-65 south near 37th Avenue on the eastern side of the road — celebrating the King of Thailand or something to that effect.  Or, it could be a protest against him.  Is the King good or evil?  Is he committing human rights abuses or is he a human rights hero?  Should I travel to Thailand?  Should I stay away?  I can’t tell because there are multiple lines of type, including some in Thai (with no translation).

And, once again, the URL is extra long and extra small.  (Maybe it’s an email address?)  Adding to the comprehension problem is the fact is in the middle of a construction zone lined with jersey barriers and routinely patrolled by the State Police.  I’m not going to lift my eyes from the constantly changing construction zone roadway to spend a couple of seconds reading a long message.

I’d love to check out the websites, but I’m not going to stop my car to read the billboards.

Next time, simplify the message and enlarge the website address for maximum comprehension.

Think of a billboard as a text message.  Less is more.

Post from: Region Life

Huge Billboards, Little Type Fonts

By the time I got home, I was distracted by Batman Begins on cable.  By the time I flipped on the radio before falling asleep, the talk was about the Michigan results.

OK.  I admit it.  I probably wasn’t going to watch the State of the State anyway.  The last time I watched a State of the State speech was back in 1992 when I was an intern working at the Statehouse during a short session.  Let’s give thanks for all of the reporters who do all of the hard work and cover these things so that citizens can keep informed about what’s happening in Indianapolis.

But here’s a quick recap as the speech applies to Northwest Indiana.

Mitch Daniels is pushing forward on his property tax reforms and has called out to legislators to embrace in a showing of bipartisanship.  It seems that Northwest Indiana legislators have no problem going “bi” — bipartisan that is.

Writes Patrick Guinane of the Northwest Indiana Times:

Other Northwest Indiana legislators praised the tone and message of Daniels’ speech, including Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, and Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso. Both region lawmakers were part of the group that escorted the governor into the House chamber.

“I thought he hit a home run,” Soliday said of the speech. “I thought he made some major efforts toward bipartisanship.”

Post from: Region Life

Local Legislators Embrace Bipartisanship

We have David Beckham, owner of Conservative Cafe in Crown Point, who is proud Indiana has the toughest voter ID law in the US.

BTW — I’ll also be on the program sometime during the 6 p.m. hour to speak about what’s happening in Northwest Indiana’s blogosphere.

Post from: Region Life

Conservative Cafe Owner To Be On Vocalo