Last week the Indiana Democratic Party held its major rally in Hobart, Indiana. In attendance was the National Democratic Party Chairman, Howard Dean, the Indiana State Democratic Chair, Dan Parker, Indiana Democratic Party Deputy Chair Tom McDermott, Jr. Lake County Democratic Chair Rudy Clay, and most major Indiana Democratic Party elected officials who could make the trip.
Given this luminary crowd representing ALL the top position in the Democratic Party, both State and National, everything that was presented must be considered the absolute and most recent official proposals of the Indiana Democratic Party.
Their major proposal was to increase the Indiana gasoline tax to pay for "Major Moves" rather than leasing the Toll Road that Governor Daniels had proposed.
As quoted by WJOB Radio:
"It's outrageous ladies and gentlemen." That's what Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott junior said about Governor Mitch Daniel's Toll Road plan. McDermott spoke at a democratic rally at the Avalon Manor in Hobart where Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean was the featured guest. The mayor said it was unfair to the people of the northern counties who pay the tolls to fund downstate road projects. McDermott suggested an alternative:
The alternative plan for the Democratic Party is to raise gasoline tax State wide.
To read and hear Mayor McDermott go to the following WJOB radio and Calumet Press link: http://www.wjobcalpress.com/ and then click the archive on the left side.
With all these official Democratic Party personnel, including the national Chairman, anything said must only be considered as "official" as opposed to anything said by one of 100 representatives in Indianapolis.
McDermott says that the Governor is out of line asking, through the leasing of the toll road, for the northern Indiana residents along the Toll Road to fund road developments in the rest of the State. Now it seems doubtful that all or even most of the tolls on the toll road is paid by the people who reside near the road. They have alternatives. According to the Governor's plan 34% of the lease will go to those counties along the road anyway. It also seems extremely gratuitous for McDermott, Jr. to complain about the northern part of the State paying for the rest of the State when he is asking for over $60 million of Indiana taxpayer's money to fund his families lucrative venture called "Cabelas", the ya-hoo store. Now it is true that all the McDermott family and operatives are Republicans; but, that seems to be immaterial to most Democrats.
Whatever the Democrats may try to say, the increase in gasoline tax seems to be the plan for the Party. Given the attendance at this rally, this plan has greater credibility than anything Representative Bauer may have in mind. He does not seem to be in touch with the party hierarchy. The man who speaks for the party is McDermott and he says the party wants an increase in gasoline tax. Representative Bauer should get his act together to find out what is really going on. It is really sad to see these old men of the Democratic Party, (Bauer, Dobis, Harris, etc.) so out of touch that the Democratic Party cannot even speak to them.
It is also sad to see a great party like the Democrats to have sunk so low as to be incapable of providing any meaningful alternative plan to move the State ahead from the disaster of 20 plus years of Democratic Governorships.
please send to all i69tour.org
and carri69.org no toll roads in indiana
do not sell indiana toll roads out
this is not a good ideas at all
we do not to pay a toll taxes for 75 years
at all all factory are not here any more
and the big hightway too canada will be tax
not a good ideas at all [email protected]
Posted by: blogger | Wednesday, February 08, 2006 at 03:25 AM