Times of Northwest Indiana Staff Report
Gov. Mitch Daniels and U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky want $6 million from the RDA to finish the Little Calumet River Flood Control and Recreation project.
Daniels and Visclosky, D-Ind., sent a letter Monday to the
Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority asking for matching funds to complete the project, according to a news release from Justin Kitsch, Visclosky's spokesman.
The federal government has given $119.2 million to the construction project since 1990, according to the release. Another $15 million in federal funds will go to the project in 2008.
Daniels and Visclosky suggested the RDA consider getting an advance to be repaid over several years with state funds.
"When complete, the Little Calumet River Flood Control project will get people, homes and businesses out of the flood plain and eliminate their mandatory flood insurance payments -- which is essentially an automatic tax cut for the people affected in Northwest Indiana," Visclosky said in the release.
Daniels agreed.
"Congressman Visclosky and I discussed the project while I was in Washington last week and quickly agreed that we would approach the RDA to seek the assistance needed to complete this project that will benefit so many people in Northwest Indiana," Daniels said in the release.