What will life in Northwest Indiana be like when the steel mills have closed? It's something I think about, and it's something you should consider, too.
It's no secret that steel remains the economic backbone of Northwest Indiana.
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported average annual wages of $80,239 in 2007 for manufacturing in the seven-county region -- Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties and the tier of counties to the immediate south. The next highest average annual wages were in the wholesale trade industry, at $58,750. Wages drop quickly after those two sectors.
When manufacturing jobs disappear, everyone suffers.
And it could happen here.
ArcelorMittal is just one cog in a global company. At what point could ArcelorMittal decide it's no longer worth having a major manufacturing presence in Northwest Indiana?
It's no secret the United States has some of the toughest worker protection and environmental protection rules in the world. That adds to the cost of doing business here.
I'm not saying those regulations should be relaxed or the plug on the steel industry should be pulled right away. I'm just making the case for the economic diversification we've been talking about but haven't accomplished yet.
Perhaps the American Clean Energy and Security Act, now before the U.S. Senate, could provide some of those jobs.
Jesse Kharbanda, executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council, and Hans Detweiler, a lobbyist for the American Wind Energy Association, recently met with The Times editorial board to urge support for that legislation.
It's an appropriate conversation. Just look at the ships bringing wind turbine parts to the port in Portage. Why should those parts be made overseas instead of in Indiana?
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said last week that Indiana plans to aggressively seek manufacturers who would produce renewable energy parts in the state.
"There is no better place in America, perhaps on the planet, to manufacture the necessary equipment to make this dream real," Daniels said.
Northwest Indiana is good at looking at the current reality. What it needs is regional support for a dream of a better future.
What would Northwest Indiana look like in a post-steel mill era? Some people already are thinking about it and working toward a strategy. But this will take the broad support of the entire region.
What's your vision for Northwest Indiana? How long do you think the steel mills will remain in business? What image should the region cultivate? How should outsiders look at the region? What are the region's strengths and weaknesses, and how do we improve them?
This is the conversation we need.
Share your thoughts at every opportunity, including by sending a letter to the editor. Let's see how quickly we can build a consensus for some positive changes.
Editorial Page Editor Doug Ross can be reached at (219) 548-4360 or (219) 933-3357 or Doug.Ross@nwi.com. The opinion expressed in this column is the writer's and not necessarily that of The Times.
