EDITORIAL: Stop casting Northwest Indiana as the 'Region of No'

Naysayers feverishly work to derail plans for expanding the South Shore commuter train lines.

Commuter trains are a proven magnet for economic development, often attracting new businesses and younger residents who prefer the convenience of taking trains into Chicago for work or recreation.

Whether these trains stop in our municipality or a neighboring one, expanding the rail lines to new Region locations would benefit us all in one form or another.

Yet segments of our Region prefer to keep us stagnating in the status quo, and might even pull our development backward a decade or two if given the chance.

Most of them simply say "no" to train expansion without offering up any alternatives for Region development — or even sound arguments for why they're against the expansion.

Hundreds of residents and some political leaders and boards have joined a chorus of "no" in response to a proposed new freight line that would run from Wisconsin to LaPorte, cutting through Lake and Porter counties.

Residents worry about the affect such a freight line would have on their property values. Proponents see the line as a way of beefing up the Chicago area's freight speed and logistics.

The overall proposal and accompanying concerns deserve more study, but we shouldn't be rushing to shout "no" to every proposal for the sole reason of not wanting it in our backyard.

During this past legislative session, our "Region of No" mentality again reared its obstructionist head.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources sought a new law allowing it to issue its own liquor licenses to businesses operating in state parks. The issue was central to a restaurant and banquet facility planned for a renaissance of the crumbling Indiana Dunes State Park pavilion in Chesterton.

Some offered resounding opposition to the plan, though thankfully it passed the Legislature and was signed into law.

Expressing viewpoints on public matters is part of our system. But constantly chanting "no" to every development-based proposal will leave little reason for our children to stay here when they're grown.

They'll move on to areas saying "yes" to the growth and amenities with which they prefer to surround themselves.