"Why the big fuss, anyway?"
WHAT'S BEHIND THE CONTROVERSY...

Anyone who drives a car through western Lake County can see that the old country roads are woefully inadequate to today's traffic-that wider, faster roads like the 53 extension are sorely needed. It's simple common sense-so why the big fuss? Who are the opponents?

Like all proposed roads, 53 has its share of opponents in the "extremist environmentalist" camp--folks who oppose roads on general principles, whether they're needed or not. Realistically, they are a fringe element. They're entitled to their opinions, of course, even though they only represent a tiny minority of the total population.

The real opposition, the moneyed, vocal opposition, is coming from a different group: the NIMBYs. NIMBY stands for "not in my back yard."

In some ways, it's understandable. Given a choice, most everyone would prefer not to have a major thoroughfare running right by their neighborhood. If it were possible, we'd all like to live in the peace and quiet of a quaint nineteenth century village, while having all the modern conveniences at the same time. But, of course, that isn't possible. There are always tradeoffs.

Think about it: any highway that services a highly populated area is going to have to run close to someone. Those who genuinely suffer losses because of the road construction deserve, of course, to be fairly compensated. We support those who, in good faith, want to ensure that their interests are protected when the Route 53 extension is built, even though they number only in the thousands, while the beneficiaries are literally in the tens of millions.

Unfortunately, if the truth be known, there are many "bad apples" in the anti-53 camp. People who knowingly built houses on cheap property along the proposed route who hoping they could kill the road building plans later. People who selfishly ignore Lake County's infrastructure needs as long as it's "not in my back yard." And on and on.

We're not looking to demonize all of 53's opponents. Some are sincere in their motives. Yet, the fact remains: there have been numerous well-funded, well-orchestrated anti-53 campaigns that have pretended to be based on noble motives: "fighting urban sprawl," environmental concerns, even claims that additional roads somehow cause rather than alleviate congestion, that have been nothing more than smokescreens for the tired, shopworn cry of NIMBY, NIMBY, NIMBY.

To those who live in proximity to the proposed route we say instead: let's work together, rather than against one another. The need for adequate roads is a fact of modern life, like the need for power lines, water mains, and rail lines. Rather than cooking up transparent "reasons" against 53 to hide NIMBY, why not make sure that anyone genuinely disadvantaged is fairly compensated, and that everything (like soundproofing walls, landscaping, wide roadway shoulders) are provided to minimize the impact of needed roads on those living nearby? That will create a "win-win" for everyone.