EDITORIAL: Porter County, Northwest Indiana RDA need mediator

Times of Northwest Indiana

Will cooler heads prevail in the dispute over Porter County's role with the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority?

Thus far there has been a great deal of heated talk.

It started with Porter County Commissioner Bob Harper, who, following his namesake, harped on and on about the evils of the RDA. But then it's Harper's way. He tends to side with those who rile against change, preferring to keep Porter County a part of the past.

Then Dan Whitten came to the front by leading a majority of his fellow County Council members in a vote to exit Porter County from the RDA. No doubt a hurried action, it might prove to be a legal error. Nonetheless, Whitten acted out his conviction.

The vote was followed by an explosive letter from three members of the TradeWinds board of directors alleging Whitten was a double dipper -- taking money from the charitable group and working a legal business at the same time.

Speros Batistatos, CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, appeared to be leader of the threesome questioning Whitten's work habits.

Maybe the question deserved to be asked before TradeWinds' personnel committee. But why such a public airing? And what, after all, does Whitten's work have to do with his vote on the RDA? The answer is nothing.

Batistatos and Co. are all too transparent in their obvious move to embarrass Whitten. In doing so, they have furthered unwarranted tension between Lake and Porter counties.

What's needed now is less rhetoric and more reconciliation. More cooperation and less confrontation.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller will soon render an opinion on the RDA squabble. He recognizes no matter what the legal opinion, the debate and potential court battle might rage on.

Consequently, he has stepped forward and offered to act as mediator in the dispute. He says it will be unfortunate if taxpayer dollars are wasted paying lawyers to argue before the courts.

A certified mediator, Zoeller isn't from the region and has no real interest in the outcome, but he does feel a sense of obligation as the state's highest legal officer to do all he can "to help neighbors work out their differences."

It's a grand idea. Finally, someone is talking sense in wanting to find common ground and mediate rather than shout about the RDA.