The idea keeps moving forward.

State lawmakers hired a financial consultant Wednesday to determine how much money could be raised by leasing all or part of the Illinois tollway, but the elected officials steered clear of discussing how to spend the potential windfall.

Credit Suisse Group will be paid $30,000 to estimate the value of a tollway lease under various scenarios. Factors include how often tolls may be raised and how many years private operators would be allowed to cash in on anticipated increases in tollway traffic before the publicly owned road system reverts back to state control.

Officials advising Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who says he is considering the merits of privatizing the tollway, estimate a lease deal could generate at least $15 billion for the state. It would mark the largest privatization of public infrastructure in Illinois history. […]

“Governments that sign long-term concession agreements. … without retaining an ongoing interest in those assets risk being perceived as the equivalent of the Native Americans who sold Manhattan Island to Peter Minuit for $24 in beads and trinkets,” said John Adler, director of private equity at the Service Employees International Union. “When the deal took place, the Indians couldn’t believe the riches they had acquired from the foolish Dutchman. But since then, the perception of who got the better end of that bargain has changed considerably.”

Meanwhile, state Sens. Peter Roskam and Kirk Dillard are not happy with the way things are going. From a press release:

Sixth Congressional District Candidate Senator Peter Roskam and State Senator Kirk Dillard are calling for hearings to be held in the suburban communities who drive on the tollway and pay for the tollway. Recently, City Democrats have scheduled public hearings to discuss this proposal, but have excluded the two largest users - DuPage County and Suburban Cook County. More than 42% of the tollway runs through both counties covering more than 115 miles. On May 15th, Senators Roskam and Dillard alerted suburban communities and taxpayers of another Blagojevich scheme to lease the tollway for short-term political gain.

“It is irresponsible to specifically exclude DuPage County and suburban Cook County from this process. Suburban communities and taxpayers pay the tolls and use the toll roads. In fact, we already pay too much in tolls and another leasing scheme could force suburban motorists to pay twice as much. I believe suburban communities should have more input than less,” said Roskam.

“It is clear that Governor Blagojevich and City Democrats are trying to hide from suburban communities and residents with specifically avoiding input from those who pay and use the tollway,” said Senator Kirk Dillard.

Roskam and Dillard pointed out similar leasing efforts have led to higher tolls for taxpayers and no real benefit to suburban communities. On May 24th, a Congressional hearing before the House Transportation Committee heard testimony from experts who indicated similar concerns over leasing public highways. “Tolls paid by Skyway users will more than double by 2018 and be ‘significantly higher’ than otherwise, and the congested region will not even stand to benefit from lease proceeds, as no money was set aside for transportation projects, “ John Foote, Senior Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.