Parking and trucks - A tale of two vetoes
Thursday, Oct 11, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* If you want any more justification for overriding one of the governor’s vetoes, here it is…
The state is paying more than $1 million over two years for 235 parking spaces in private garages around the Thompson Center.
Back in August, the governor vetoed a bill that renewed the state’s Procurement Policy Board oversight authority of leases. The House overwhelmingly overrode the veto, but the Senate has not yet taken action.
More on those parking spots…
Responding to the criticism, state officials cited “safety” as well as key state workers’ need for quick access to vehicles to “attend events to help promote the governor’s budget proposals” and to “drive to Springfield on short notice.”
Besides, says Hofer, why should state workers have to use mass transit to get to their various appointments when driving is quicker?
“It doesn’t make sense to take a train — and spend an hour and a half on the train — when you could drive there for 20 minutes,” says Hofer.
Oh, man, that’s gonna sting. At a time when so many legislators are screaming for more mass transit dollars, the governor’s office disses the CTA? Oof.
“This board has paid for itself a thousand times over by thoroughly reviewing the hundreds of state leases worth hundreds of millions of dollars,” says state Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston), who’s pushing for a Senate override. “This is yet another prime example of why we need to not only keep the board but strengthen its authority and give it more resources to watch our wallets.”
Agreed.
* Meanwhile, the House voted to uphold one of the governor’s other vetoes yesterday, giving Blagojevich a rare win in that chamber…
Truckers must still drive 55 mph after the Illinois House had second thoughts about raising the highway speed limit for semis to 65.
Prodded by Gov. Rod Blagojevich and safety experts, more than 30 state representatives ditched their previous support for the increase and sided with the governor that speed limits should stay where they are. After getting 90 votes in May, the plan for higher trucker speeds received just 57 on Wednesday.
Blagojevich issued a statement saying the Illinois House had done the “right thing.” Earlier Wednesday, he’d stood under an interstate overpass in Chicago and said lawmakers who supported the change would be ‘’voting to kill people.'’
Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch said the governor made personal phone calls to legislators on the issue but said he did not offer construction projects or other incentives in return.
There was definitely an all-out effort to convince the House to uphold that veto, which the Senate overwhelmingly overrode. I can’t help but wonder how some of those Senate Democrats who overrode the veto think about the governor’s remarks yesterday about how they had voted to “kill people,” however. Most likely, they just brushed it off as typical Rod Speak. But politics is a game of addition, and he may have subtracted a bit from his Senate base yesterday.
* More…
* IL House puts brakes on truck speed limit increase
* Blago fends off truck speed limit hike
* House denies truck speed limit increase
* Tribune Editorial: House votes to save lives
* Editorial: House rightfully keeps truckers in the slow lane
- DC - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 9:55 am:
What was really, really interesting from the original story was that Governor Chuckie (he is, really engaging in Child’s Play)vetoed legislation that would have strengthened the PPB. If he was interested in rooting out the corruption of the Ryan administration, and if he was interested in promoting stewardship of tax dollars and, just general good government, he would be promoting the PPB. He isn’t interested in something he can’t control. I’m surprised he hasn’t tried to abolish the Legislative Audit Commission and JCAR yet.
One more notch on a gun that will eventually point backwards.
- Don't Worry, Be Happy - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 10:00 am:
Where to start? The CTA funding issue is so appallingly obvious I won’t even bother.
He’s got 235 staff people devoted to “attend events to help promote the governor’s budget proposals”??
“drive to Springfield on short notice.” - I thought that’s what the plane is for.
- Anon - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 10:12 am:
Im sure that the senate didnt take the governor’s comments personally.
- Cal Skinner - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 10:20 am:
So, why should taxpayers pay for well-paid state employees parking spaces?
- DC - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 10:21 am:
Drive to Springfield for what? The center of operations is at the JRTC and, ostensibly, the campaign HQ. The only purpose to drive to Springfield is to attend lawsuit hearings and other legal proceedings. Half of the folks there probably couldn’t navigate a car to Springfield even with the aid of GPS.
- GA Watcher - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 11:00 am:
Here’s a totally unrelated question: Does anyone know when Judge Zappa is expected to rule on the Speaker’s motion to dismiss the Governor’s complaint re the special sessions issue?
- Captain America - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 11:05 am:
Other than the State constitutional officers and the top legislative leaders, every state employee should be paying for their owm parking. Half a million a year is too much to be spending on state employee parking in the loop. It’s a complete waste of taxpayer money. Kudos to Senator Schoenberg for advocating for Procurement Policy Board oversight of all leases. It’s a “slam-dunk” Senator Jones!
Congratulations to the governor for his sustained veto of the higher speed limit for trucks!
- Greg - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 11:09 am:
The parking space issue wouldn’t be as bad if the Thompson Center weren’t basically THE focal point of the CTA’s infrastructure.
- Moline Maleman - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 11:24 am:
Hurrah for the sane Reps voting AGAINST the higher speed for truckers! The last time I saw an 18 wheeler slow down to 55 was to change a tire. They fly down the interstate at 75-80 now and raising the speed limit would kill more people.
- Mr. W.T. Rush - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 11:38 am:
And why hide the Gov. Staff parking costs in the Dept. of Corrections budget?
Oh I almost forgot the new slogan
“We’re dumber than you think we are”
- YouNeverSawMe - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 11:59 am:
Captain America,
You must not live in Chicago? haha.
Working for the state and living in the city of Chicago can be a very costly life.
Not to say that there isn’t some relevance to the argument that the parking cost is worthy of discussion, but I don’t think you are looking at the situation fairly and objectively.
I use to live in the city and moved out of the city to cut my own personal costs. Between taxes, cost of living increases, and affordability it made no sense to live in the city at this time.
I now live in the suburbs and use all public transportation to get to work and pay almost $200 a month in fees. Now… with the increased fares that are being proposed, proposed tax increases by Mayor Daley, proposed increases from Stroger, AND the steady increase of living alone (Have you looked at how much MILK and EGGS went up in 5 years!?) state workers are not “making money hand over fist” like some would like you to believe.
I use to live in Springfield and the price of living is FAR less than it is in Chicago an I can understand why you would think this might be an abuse of appropiations.
Lets try to be sensitive to everyone’s situation and not “loop” everyone in one basket.
- Greg - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 12:23 pm:
YouNeverSawMe’s argument is at odds with the spokesperson’s. Which is it: are the spots underhanded compensation for cost-of-living of state employees, or are they for safety and speed with respect to official duties?
Given that the Thompson Center is perhaps the most accessible location in all of Chicago via public transportation, I don’t understand how driving there would assist cash-strapped employees.
- DC - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 12:35 pm:
This is more than an issue of convenience. It is an issue of budget principal and priority. If the state is bankrupt (and I would argue it is), taxpayers should not be subsidizing a benefit at the expense of an important program. In times of budget crises any budget decision is a zero-sum game: something is funded at the expense of somthing else. Granted, a couple million could be considered budget dust on a $50B budget, but I guarantee there are some hospitals and nursing homes who are waiting on reimbursements for services rendered. That money spent on parking benefits could certainly be better spent to meet state obligations rather than state perks.
- Huh? - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 1:05 pm:
The legislature blew it when they failed to override the 55 mph veto.
THe vast majority of crashes, please note crashes not accidents, involve 2 axle/4 wheel vehicles like passenger cars and pick up trucks.
Allowing traffic to drive at the same speed limit will reduce the opportunity for rear end. crashes. With the number of distracted drivers on the road, anything to reduce crashes is a good thing.
If you doubt me, do a google search for the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) or any other national research program dealling with highway safety. Look at the research available.
I have spent too many years looking at crash reports and trying to figure out how to improve safety on Northern Illinois highways.
Vehicles driving at the same speed will improve safety be reducing the potential for rear-end crashes.
- Doodles - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 1:35 pm:
I wonder if there’s a driver/assistant associated with each parking space to drive to Springfield on short notice? I can’t believe any of these people actually drive themselves anywhere. Loop parking: just another example of the true costs of making Chicago the de facto State Capital. FYI: parking in Springfield is free or cheap.
- YouNeverSawMe - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 1:53 pm:
You’re right, Greg. If we are speaking of something “underhanded”– then there needs to be some regulation and diligence set forth to see if there is any waste in the expense.
But, if we are talking about key individuals within the office that have access to the parking because of their schedules, job description, or necessity then I think we need to be a bit more sensitive to the circumstances.
I think there are many factors that play a part in the $1 million dollar expense for parking in Chicago. Some of which point directly at the level of taxes within the city taht cause for parking lot owners to increase the rates almost seasonally. To blame it on workers who drive into Chicago, without knowing the whole scope of the reasons is totally insensitive. As I stated, many people don’t live in Chicago and due to the inaccessiblity or unfeasible access of public transportation in the collar counties, they MUST drive in.
Also, I know for a fact, that not all offices in the Thompson Center are giving transponders to each and every employee. A few offices have less than 10 and manage very well.
- Emulate Rod - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 2:52 pm:
“drive to Springfield on short notice.”
What short notice? You mean to actually show up at work? Or is the real reason to simply supplement their paychecks?
If they are at the Thompson Center, it would be much, much quicker, and much cheaper, to take the train rather than drive.
Also, taking the train costs State employees less than $20 each way. Reimbursement for using your personal car for State business is $.485/mile. At 400 miles round trip, Chicago Loop to Springfield, the reimbursement is $194.
Gee, do you think it is really about Rod’s cohort sucking the maximum amount of money they can possibly get from the State of Illinois treasury? These people are thoroughly corrupt.
Have a nice tax increase everybody!
- Cassandra - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 4:01 pm:
“Drive to Springfield on short notice.”
Did they mothball the videoconferencing equipment?
- fed up dem - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 8:22 pm:
Doesn’t attending events to promote the governor’s budget proposals sound like political activity that should not occur during working hours? By the way I am a State employee working in the JRTC and suffer on public transit every day and have real concerns that it may soon take 2 1/2 instead of 1 1/2 hours each way if financial help doesn’t come throught.
- steve schnorf - Thursday, Oct 11, 07 @ 11:40 pm:
I suspect that the great majority of those spots are for state vehicles that must be parked somewhere. The primary reason for the parking leases is a simple one. Most downstate cities require that if you are going to open an office building, a restaurant, or whatever that you provide an appropriate number of off street parking places; Chicago doesn’t. If the Thompson center had a parking garage with a space for, say, half the number of employees stationed there, this would be a non-issue.