What can be done to improve Gary? (Indianapolis, East Chicago: school, property tax)

[Broadrippleguy]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

I would argue that while Lake County's corruption may be as bad as Chicago's, I don't think it is due to spillover...it's pretty homegrown/localized!

Still if Lake county wants to be treated with respect from the state can the corruption. I can say this on behalf of everywhere else in Indiana.
Elect a few Republicans to office and watch how fast opinions about NWI change.
Not asking to vote solid Republican just as someone with half a brain should research each Canidate see what they will do give them a chance and judge them on action.
This idea that Republicans are Instantly evil cause of the R beside's their name just shows how stupid some people are.
I am a conservative but i don't vote solid Republican i vote for whoever best represents us and doesn't spew out crap in Washington.
Case By Case is what i like to call it
As were going to see in Gary this Mayoral Election Republicans aren't going to try running for Mayor due to the huge kickbacks the democrats give the Unions at the Steel Mills in Gary.
Just like chicago/Detroit/Gary when you elect democrats nonstop for 80 years your going to run into economic problems.

The Time of living in LaLa land is over Gary needs to wake up to Reality or face Economic Collasp.

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by sunnyandcloudydays

You would think with the county sitting geographically next to the third largest city in the USA he would be all over the county for development.

My impression is that NWI is battling over the degree to which it wants to association/align itself with Chicago (e.g. the battle over South Shore expansion). In that way, it seems that NWI needs to help itself before any governor can help NWI.

[Broadrippleguy]

Originally Posted by grmasterb

My impression is that NWI is battling over the degree to which it wants to association/align itself with Chicago (e.g. the battle over South Shore expansion). In that way, it seems that NWI needs to help itself before any governor can help NWI.

well said.

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by grmasterb

My impression is that NWI is battling over the degree to which it wants to association/align itself with Chicago (e.g. the battle over South Shore expansion). In that way, it seems that NWI needs to help itself before any governor can help NWI.

You also have the issue of NWI being not at all uniform from an internal perspective. It's very much divided along socioeconomic, racial, and political lines. Lake Co. is very segregated racially with most of the AA and Hispanic communities, which account for the preponderance of the county's population, living the north county. Not surprisingly, this portion of the county is also predominantly Democrat--hence why Lake Co. will indefinitely be a major bastion of the democrat party. Meanwhile south Lake Co. and the majority of Porter County is mostly white and conservative -- logical as the growth of the cities in this area is overwhelmingly attributable to the white flight out of N. Lake County in the 60s and 70s.

So to make your point even broader -- NWI also has to battle over the extent to which its own constituents are willing put aside their very pronounced differences to serve their common interests in the region as a whole. I think everyone in NWI can agree that Gary becoming a better city is a good thing. But what, if anything, are they willing to compromise to forward that interest?

I think it's also important that Indianapolis recognize these differences and acknowledge that, at the moment, there is no homogeneous set of interests or goals for the people of this region due to these differences.

One thing I will say -- nobody is going to want to do anything as long as corruption continues. Sadly-- it's still very much a problem for Gary. http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/l...ed2942bb5.html

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by Bluefoxwarrior

You also have the issue of NWI being not at all uniform from an internal perspective. It's very much divided along socioeconomic, racial, and political lines. Lake Co. is very segregated racially with most of the AA and Hispanic communities, which account for the preponderance of the county's population, living the north county. Not surprisingly, this portion of the county is also predominantly Democrat--hence why Lake Co. will indefinitely be a major bastion of the democrat party. Meanwhile south Lake Co. and the majority of Porter County is mostly white and conservative -- logical as the growth of the cities in this area is overwhelmingly attributable to the white flight out of N. Lake County in the 60s and 70s.

So to make your point even broader -- NWI also has to battle over the extent to which its own constituents are willing put aside their very pronounced differences to serve their common interests in the region as a whole. I think everyone in NWI can agree that Gary becoming a better city is a good thing. But what, if anything, are they willing to compromise to forward that interest?

I think it's also important that Indianapolis recognize these differences and acknowledge that, at the moment, there is no homogeneous set of interests or goals for the people of this region due to these differences.

One thing I will say -- nobody is going to want to do anything as long as corruption continues. Sadly-- it's still very much a problem for Gary. Two former Gary school treasurers charged with theft

I would say South County is more Republican, but in terms of Conservative, I would say only fiscally. North County seems (at least to me) to be just as socially conservative (if not, more) on certain topics due to a heavily Roman Catholic and Baptist influence. As the years go on, I have been finding out that the majority of Democrats in the area are actually not very socially liberal at all (fiscally, yes) and many of the Republicans are not as conservative as one may think. Just thought I should throw that out there!

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

I would say South County is more Republican, but in terms of Conservative, I would say only fiscally. North County seems (at least to me) to be just as socially conservative (if not, more) on certain topics due to a heavily Roman Catholic and Baptist influence. As the years go on, I have been finding out that the majority of Democrats in the area are actually not very socially liberal at all (fiscally, yes) and many of the Republicans are not as conservative as one may think. Just thought I should throw that out there!

Yes, I agree -- I should have made that distinction. By conservative I meant primarily from a fiscal standpoint. And you bring up an interesting point -- S. Lake County and perhaps even Porter County may [arguably] be more liberal socially than N. Lake County, despite being more fiscally conservative.

[msamhunter]

Until LC learns how to get along, they will always be stuck where they are. It's not that it's divided, it's a clusterf%%%. North LC doesn't like South LC, South LC doesn't like north LC, LC doesn't like Porter, Porter doesn't like lake and everyone collectively hates Gary together. There's this big emphasis on Gary and rightfully so to be honest as it's the city that has always been known on a national scale. A city once full of innovation is dying a painful death. Does it all lie in the hands of its citizens, uhm no, just like any other city it has it's good ones and bad ones; it's good parts and areas of high crime. It needs an influx of business instead of being pimped day in and day out by USS and the Casinos. It starts at the neighborhood level and there needs to be more viable neighborhoods in particular the ones you see while driving on the interstate. In Gary you can tell the homeowners and renters very easily because the homeowners if physically capable take care of their properties, do upkeep, mow the lawn, remove trash etc. The renters for the most part just don't. The sad part is the renters are normally renting from someone whose property is below code and whose owner doesn't even live in the city, they live in Munster, Schererville, Merrillville, etc. As a city, I would rather find a way to condemn those properties and raise them than to keep letting them stay in the deplorable conditions they're in, free up land to do something constructive with it.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by mrkool

How can Gary be improved?
As in improved to where decent, ordinary families could live there safely, get their kids a good education, etc.?
It would require measures that would be politically incorrect, if not illegal....

What measures?

[collegestudent48837]

After reading this thread for the past few years, I've become more and more interested in the prospects of northwest Indiana. I am a college student looking for summer internships, and I want to learn more about how the city of Gary operates.

I've emailed departments in the city, but to no avail. If any readers have any advice/connections/questions, they would be much appreciated. I've compiled a short list of "projects" that I would like to implement if I were to find work. Please feel free to message me to start a conversation.

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by collegestudent48837

After reading this thread for the past few years, I've become more and more interested in the prospects of northwest Indiana. I am a college student looking for summer internships, and I want to learn more about how the city of Gary operates.

I've emailed departments in the city, but to no avail. If any readers have any advice/connections/questions, they would be much appreciated. I've compiled a short list of "projects" that I would like to implement if I were to find work. Please feel free to message me to start a conversation.

If you want to go and learn what not to do, go and try to intern for the City of Gary. It's an inept government, nepotism friendly regardless of whether or not the person can actually do the job and highly mismanaged. Starting a business in the city is highly difficult due to the amount of red tape and "personal" loopholes interested parties have to jump through when dealing with city employees who they will not fire.