I-69: The Future is Now

This Thursday, the Chamber of Commerce of Southwestern Indiana will host its annual dinner with John Calipari, UK basketball coach, serving as keynote speaker. He will obviously be the big story, but Interstate 69 will also take center stage with Hoosier Voices for I-69 and 24 chambers of commerce in Kentucky unveiling a new exhibit to promote the long-awaited highway that includes a new Ohio River bridge between the two states.

The cover story in Sunday's Courier-Press highlights I-69 progress in both Indiana and Kentucky and the ongoing effort north of the river to build the new-terrain route while also saving money to extend it as far north as possible with limited funds. It's a well-written story by C-P Indy bureau writer Eric Bradner.

In Kentucky, highway funds are much more limited and I-69 has fierce competition including new Ohio River bridges in Louisville, a new bridge in northern Kentucky and I-66. The chambers of commerce have picked up the torch for the project to keep its importance in front of state lawmakers, state transportation cabinet staffers and Kentucky's D.C. delegation. Bradner's story did not mention Governor Beshear's recent appointment of former highway engineer Ted Merryman as I-69 project manager.

Despite its long, winding journey, I-69 is moving forward. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels is its biggest fan. Kentucky now has a funding mechanism to help fund and toll a new Ohio River bridge. Governor Beshear grew up in Hopkins County near the corridor and that can't hurt either. Indeed, the future for I-69 is now.

A New Era of Bi-Partisanship?

Last week, Congressman Brett Guthrie spent considerable time in Owensboro. I was at a handful of his events, including a small business roundtable on Monday, the 10th, and at the GRADD board meeting on Wednesday when he spoke in the early afternoon. While he was wrapping up that meeting, I overheard him ask one of Governor Beshear's staffers who usually attends the meeting if it would OK for him to attend the governor's ceremonial signing of HB3 to be held about an hour later at RiverPark Center. Without thinking, I said something to the effect of, "Sure, you're welcome down there." It wasn't my place to give him "permission" but I was happy that Guthrie—a Republican—would want to attend a bill signing by Beshear—a Democrat.

Perhaps Congressman Guthrie has been listening to his constituents. They're the same people I hear all the time say they don't care about parties; they want the country's problems to get solved and most of them don't care if it's a Republican idea or a Democrat idea. Work together, whatever is required to lead progress. In my position, I work with both Democrats and Republicans and know neither party has a trademark on good ideas.

A week earlier, we saw another example of bi-partisanship. Governor Beshear and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels—a Republican—shared the spotlight in Henderson for a ceremonial signing of the infrastructure authority portion of HB3, which should help Kentucky fund its share of the I-69 and Louisville bridges. The governors seemed very much at ease with one another and, for many I-69 advocates like myself, it was a rewarding sight.

Perhaps smart politicians are realizing that extending a hand across the political aisle is a smart move. The public wants to see it.