Published: April 27, 2008 05:17 pm            

Weekly wrap - Monday, April 28, 2008

On Lake Michigan pollution:

When BP proposed a $3.8 billion expansion of its Whiting Refinery, politicians and environmentalists pounced on the plant’s pollution permit, required by the Clean Water Act. They should have looked from where they were leaping.

The most vocal critics were from Illinois. Do they not realize some of Chicago’s own municipal sewage treatment sites dump thousands more pollutants into the Lake Michigan basin than some Northwest Indiana industries? And that Chicago’s failure to fully disinfect wastewater that reaches Lake Michigan is blamed for summertime beach closings and more?

There is no question Northwest Indiana industries are among the largest contributors of regulated pollution flowing into Lake Michigan. Can more be done to protect Lake Michigan? Certainly, especially if more money and technology is available. But let’s be reasonable.

The situation is not as bad as the misinformed critics say. Northwest Indiana’s premier environmentalist, Lee Botts, admits great strides have been made in throttling pollution in and along Lake Michigan.

To be clear: The environment must be and is being protected. But the strength of the nation’s manufacturing heartland, the welfare of Northwest Indiana’s economy and thousands of jobs, must be a part of any solution.

-- The Munster Times

On Barack Obama’s comments:

Speaking at a fundraiser in San Francisco, Barack Obama made a comment concerning the frustrations of Americans from small towns struggling to find a place in the world economy.

“It’s not surprising then they get bitter,” he said. “They cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

People began berating Obama for his elitist attitude, and pretty soon critics from both parties were piling on.

Obama deserves the criticism. He seems not to remember what it is really like to live and work in the Midwest, particularly now that the focus of our economy is changing from hard core manufacturing to service and high tech.

His remarks were a slap in the face to Midwest factory workers and farmers who have been the backbone of this country for a long time.

As Obama now admits, calling these folks bitter was a mistake, and to be honest, it was just plain dumb to take a shot at guns and God. Are there two other topics more likely to stir up a dust storm?

What we really need to hear from Obama and the other candidates are solutions. What do they think we need to do to retool the Midwest economy?

It’s time for the candidates to stop calling people names and try to analyze why people feel the way they do.

-- The Logansport Pharos-Tribune

        

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