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......... LETTER: August 2, 2003 Letter to Star regarding Commissioner Nicol's comments Catherine Burton, President of McANA, sent the following letter to the Editor of the Indianapolis Star. I was puzzled by Bryan Nicol's (Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation) assessment of public opinion expressed by those in attendance at a public meeting last week in Perry Township regarding the PROPOSED extension of I-69 along State Road 37. (As reflected in his letter to the editor on July 31) I thought I was at that meeting, but I wonder if Mr. Nicol was referring to another gathering. Or if INDOT is just plowing forward with an attitude of "we know what is best for you" when it comes to the "fast track to Evansville", regardless of tremendous public protest and negative empirical data drawn from INDOT's own studies. Mr. Nicol's letter also seems to display a certain amount of arrogance in its implication that this $2billion dollar boondoggle is a done deal. 94% of the public comment received by INDOT was opposed to New Terrain construction or in favor of improvements to the I-70/US 41 route. Not just a simple majority but an OVERWHELMING majority. It appears that INDOT, and whatever special interests are pushing the "New Terrain" option, may say it hears the public but clearly has no interest in listening. Because what I heard at the same Perry Township meeting that Commissioner Nicol references had nothing to do with how many "crossings over or under the highway" there could be - it had to do with "NO NEW TERRAIN", "BUILD I-70/US 41", "DON'T BUILD AT ALL", "YOU ARE GOING TO DESTROY MY HOME", and "OUR STATE CANNOT AFFORD THIS!" I fail to see how Mr. Nicol could not have received that message loud and clear or how he could have interpreted the comments as saying anything else. Sincerely,
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