A while back, we reported that Indiana plans to pay the private operators of the state’s Toll Road for the money they lost when the state declared a section of the highway toll-free.

The whole thing started when the state took the tolls down in the wake of severe flooding that closed part of the highway for several days. The state’s goal was to reduce congestion caused by the floods.

As you can imagine, a lot of folks see irony in this. The state worked hard to convince voters to essentially sell its toll road for most of the next century. And part of that sale job was that the road would operate just as it did, if not better.

Then the state decides to use its constitutional power to help its citizens through a crisis, a natural disaster, and its so-called lease penalizes it – and the citizens of the state.

Other folks don’t see the irony. They’re seeing red. They can’t believe that after all the state lost in order to get that money, that the state would just give some back, all because of a disaster that couldn’t be avoided.

You can’t believe Gov. Daniels would give back the money, folks? Really?

You can’t believe the governor wasn’t able to predict that at some point during the 75 years of the lease that lots of rain might fall, and it might flood something, requiring emergency use of the road?

I can not only believe it, I’m pretty sure we predicted it. There was no foresight whatsoever on the state’s side in drawing up this lease.

This was a sleazy deal that allowed Gov. Daniels to spend huge amounts of money while he’s still in office, make himself look good, and then ensure he could be elected to a higher office when his time as governor ran out.

He not only failed to look forward. He didn’t even try. He didn’t care. If he had, why would he lease out a highway, give away control of a road paid for by the citizens, for 75 years, when he received only 10 years of highway building money in exchange?

One thing is clear from this process: Mitch Daniels cares about Mitch Daniels. And the private toll road operators care about money and profit.

The citizens of Indiana better get used to caring for themselves.