Marion might make a good inland port. According to experts, converting the city to a port could stimulate the local economy, stimulate it only at the expense of surrounding communities, or flop altogether. To find out, a government team is undertaking a $250,000 study. Since Marion is out in the middle of nowhere, sprawling transit is believed to be good for the environment. After all, government is the art of putting words in complete sentences that don’t necessarily translate to real-world experience.