Please join with McANA, Hoosier Environmental Council, Count Us!, Citizens for Appropriate Rural Roads, elected officials, and regular citizens from all over the State of Indiana as we rally at the Statehouse, East Entrance, October 22, 2004. We expect hundreds of people from all walks of life, whose lives and livelihoods will be adversely affected by new terrain I-69.

Bring your families, organizations and friends. Bring signs expressing your opposition to this boondoggle.

The designated route would result in needless destruction of a fragile environment, loss of farm land and forests, loss of people's homes and businesses, and degradation of our rural communities. At least 160,000 citizens have expressed opposition to this plan. Never in the history of Indiana has this much opposition been expressed about any action or proposal by government.

During the public comment period alone, 15 citizens expressed opposition for every one person who commented favorably. In all, there were 20,467 comments opposing the new terrain route. Yet, state government's only response was to say that "it's a done deal."

In a very loud and clear voice, we will be saying to Governor Kernan and his Department of Transportation (and their possible successors), "It's not over! It's not a done deal!"

In fact, it has just begun. Citizens and groups who oppose this new terrain route will take our message of opposition to the Indiana Legislature, county courthouses, city halls, and community forums throughout the state.

There are no economic benefits from this highway. A recent independent analysis calculated a cost/benefit ratio of only a sixty-six cent return for each one of our tax dollars spent. The highway consultants who completed the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the state admitted in the EIS that "when (population change) is taken into account, we find that the real disposable income per capita for the build alternatives does not differ significantly from the 2025 forecast for the no-build alternative." Senate Finance Committee Chair Larry Borst has calculated that every driver in the state will be forced to pay additional gasoline taxes to foot the $2.5 billion bill for the new-terrain interstate. This drain of highway money for more than a decade will mean that less money will be available for new roads and maintenance of existing roads and highways throughout every county in Indiana. Maintaining and improving the roads we have will provide more jobs than the construction of a new-terrain interstate highway.

The effect of the proposed route here in Marion County is to tear up homes and businesses amounting to $100 -$200 million and do untold damage to the Perry community.

If you can only do one thing to stop I-69—this is it.