Excuse me, but does anyone think Northwest Indiana is a region flush with jobs? Or is a region that is thriving with industry? I love Northwest Indiana, I was born and raised here, but since the decline of the manufacturing base that the region was built on, we have been searching for the opportunity to create an industry to base a new economy on, an economy that will keep our children right here at home and to build a future on.

A key ingredient for a region to prosper is a good infrastructure, good rail and especially good roads. We do not have good roads. The Borman is a nightmare. I know people who won't even drive on the road, and it's only going to get worse. An opportunity, that until recently, is suddenly within reach to achieve improved roads, something to build a new economy on... logistics, and now suddenly I fear we are about to blow this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Politicians, don't get cold feet now. A thousand people brought out by an advocacy group is not a lot of people. Don't let the NIMBYs of the world scare you into making a weak decision, a decision that will hurt the betterment of all.

Learn a lesson from our neighbors to the west. The third airport they have been striving for, for almost 20 years, could have been built by now if they would have joined together instead of fighting over insignificant issues. With progress comes some pain. To think otherwise is foolish and will eventually hurt the region we live in.

Bob O'Leary, St. John