Encourage business, not the opposite

Marni Pyke's Feb. 28 story of how train traffic has changed since the CN-EJ&E merger was interesting but all too typical of the Daily Herald's "whine and fluff" formula. To the detriment of the community as a whole, the Herald seems to feed on whining and NIMBY (not in my backyard) stories.

On the other hand, Pyke's story of Dec, 7, 2008 on the same topic, but where the bigger picture was discussed, is the type of story that provides cogent information for real discussion and decision making. In that story Pyke described why rail traffic is so important to Chicago and its suburbs, the economic danger to our communities of advances being made in faraway places like the Panama Canal, and why we need robust efficient transportation to and through our communities for them to stay alive.

I am talking about the jobs that have been located in the Chicago area because of its unique geographic location. Chicago used to be a portage location from the Great Lakes to the great interior of the United States. Because of that, Chicago became a railroad hub. Materials and merchandise moving from west to east and vice versa went through Chicago and businesses grew here because of it.

If we want to keep our communities, we need to keep and create jobs. This means encouraging business, transportation and manufacturing, not discouraging it. Most of Chicago's suburbs grew on rail lines and at rail stations for a reason. I for one, am glad to live near a rail line. I would also not object if a large company like Navistar wanted to build a research facility in my community (Viz., the Lisle NIMBY stories).

Lyle G Bruce

Winfield