Matt Tully has a blog entry suggesting that it is politically smart of the Democrats to take Chris Chocola to task for not taking any action to try and stop Governor Daniels’ Toll Road privatization, but, it’s not fair of them to do so.
Essentially, Democrats are blasting Chocola for not being a phony. Essentially, they are criticizing him for not sending Daniels a wink-wink message cautioning against leasing the stretch of road. Essentially, Democrats are criticizing a congressman for not sticking his fingers in a debate he had no role in.
This was a Statehouse issue. Do Hoosiers really want members of Congress interfering with state issues?
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[W]hen it comes to the toll road lease, what does that have to do with Congress?
As I pointed out in the comment section, Chocola was perfectly willing to write a letter to the United States Department of Transportation expressing his opinion that Elkhart County and St. Joseph County share the same time zone. Since, at that point, it was procedurally impossible for Elkhart County to be moved to Central Time, this was functionally a request that the USDOT deny St. Joseph County’s petition to be moved into the Central Time Zone.
This was an executive branch agency review of a county petition. What does that have to do with Congress? It’s fair of constituents to expect Chocola to show at least that much interest in the Toll Road privatization and to criticize him for failing to do so.
It’s obvious to me that since the USDOT was making the designation of time zones that it was appropriate that our state rep lobby on our behalf.
Mr. Tully speaks the truth when he intimates that the federal government doesn’t have a dog in the toll road fight.
At this point, I’m just asking that the same standard be applied. If it’s inappropriate for Representatives of the federal government to offer opinions on state matters, it is equally inappropriate for members of the legislative branch of government to offer opinions on executive branch decisions.
Personally, I think it’s fair for representatives, state and federal, to offer opinions on subjects of public importance, regardless of their jurisdiction.
Regarding the time zone petition process the DOT seems to have broad discretion where to place the time line. It might be better to say that it was “procedurally impossible” to move Elkhart County to Central Time in 2005. However, the process followed by the DOT in one hearing doesn’t seem to be binding for the next.
In 1985, when the legislature petitioned to have Vanderburgh County moved to Eastern Time, the DOT stated that they would consider moving adjacent and nearby parts of Illinois and Kentucky to Eastern Time. And in the 1960’s, after Gov. Branigan petitioned to have the parts of Indiana on Eastern Time moved to Central Time, the DOT put most of the State on Eastern Time.
I suspect that the DOT wasn’t establishing a fixed policy that counties will only be moved if they petition, though they favor that approach. I think they were also trying to give effect to Indiana law which says that the State will support the executive of any county seeking to change the time zone for its county. In other words, Indiana policy does not encourage time zone unification of the state.
Judging just from the last series of time zone hearings, I also think USDOT looks at issues by region and state boundaries don’t matter.They do seem to be bound by county borders however.Also USDOT doesn’t favor one time zone over another,and they make decisions on regional unity. The time issue in northern Indiana is an interstate one( substantial population straddling the border on both sides),and barring interest in contiguous Michigan to join Elkhart and St Joseph counties on CT, I think the issue is dead for that area as far as USDOT action is concerned. It may not be dead in Indiana politics,that’s for sure.
Are you kidding me? The new Republicans have been sticking their noses into Statehouse issues for twelve years. No Child Left Behind was designed to usurp traditionally state control of education. Tort Reform? Traditionally a state issue that has been hijacked by Congress. Gay marriage? Same thing. Importing drugs from Canada. Same thing. Name almost any area and the Republicans have stepped in to quash state’s rights.
Republicans bitched about state’s rights for 40 years when they were out of power. Now that they have a strangle-hold over our national government, they through that traditional conservative value out the window.
The hypocrisy is amazing.