Chicago Mayor Daley: What worked for Chicago can work for NW Indiana

The mayor of Northwest Indiana's largest city endorsed Gov. Mitch Daniels $3.85 billion Indiana Toll Road privatization plan Tuesday with some borrowed star power.

Gary Mayor Scott King brought Chicago Mayor Richard Daley to the Gary/Chicago International Airport to join forces with him in pushing the governor's plan as the best option for an economically strapped region.

"I'm left with the conclusion this is not only good for Gary and good for Northwest Indiana," King said. "But I also ask, if not this, then what?"

Just over a week ago, Daniels unveiled the winning $3.85 billion bid for lease rights to the 157-mile roadway.

A consortium of Spain's Cintra Concessiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte, S.A., and Australia's Macquarie Infrastructure Group is now waiting for the Indiana General Assembly to approve legislation authorizing the lease.

Daley, an ally of King in developing the airport, said he came to talk about the success of the $1.85 billion Chicago Skyway lease agreement, now one year old. That bidding war also was won by Cintra-Macquarie.

"Our highest bidder has met and possibly exceeded our expectations in living up to the letter and spirit of this agreement," Daley said.

He touted the considerable benefits to Chicago from the lease payment. The city paid off $855 million in debt, set aside $875 million for reserve funds, and will invest $100 million in neighborhoods.

Dressed in a dark blue suit, light blue shirt, and gold-and-blue tie, Daley's appearance drew a heavy showing of Chicago television stations and other media. After the session, Northwest Indiana officials queued up to get their photos taken with their arms around the Democratic mayor of the Windy City.

At the Gary airport with King and Daley stood Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas and Crown Point Mayor Dan Klein, both Republicans. Along with King, the three appear to be the only Northwest Indiana mayors throwing their full weight behind Toll Road privatization.

Last week, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, a council of local governments from three counties, voted to oppose the Toll Road lease. This week, the commission sent a letter to Daniels asking that the pending privatization legislation be stripped of language authorizing the lease.

Among mayors questioning the proposed 75-year lease of the Toll Road have been Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott, a Democrat, and LaPorte Mayor Leigh Morris, a Republican.

Tuesday's gathering in the conference room of the airport administration building was clearly aimed at addressing criticisms that are now being aired in town halls, broadcast on the airwaves and entering homes via automated phone calls.

Daniels countered with an Indianapolis statehouse rally Tuesday and has been placing ads in newspapers touting the $3.85 billion lease. He also dialed into King's event at the airport.

"I feel like I screwed up in getting too good a deal," Daniels said by telephone hookup. "People just can't believe it."