Sick of mass transit? It ain’t over yet
Monday, Jan 21, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Southern Illinoisan belatedly editorializes in favor of holding transit riders hostage in an editorial entitled “Downstate lawmakers should have stuck together”…
As long as downstate votes were needed to OK the mass transit bailout, there was at least a chance to link the bailout to a long-needed capital improvement bill - which would fund school construction in Southern Illinois, allow the work to begin on a nearly $50 million Transportation Education Center for Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and fund highway and infrastructure improvements.
We had leverage as long as the bailout and capital bills were inseparable, and the Southern Illinois lawmakers who refused to consider one proposal without the other should be thanked for their determination and perhaps remember favorably on Election Day.
That assumes that a capital bill was ready to go by January 20th. It also assumes that a gaming bill was ready to go. Those are both false assumptions. So, what were legislators to do? Allow Chicagoland’s public transit to crash and burn?
* But now, even Chicago legislators are eager to see a capital plan, so progress is expected some time relatively soon…
While the CTA and Pace averted steep service cuts and fare hikes with passage last week of the $530 million transit funding package, slow and crowded trains and buses — commuters’ biggest complaints — won’t disappear.
The money will go to keep trains and buses operating, not to finance vital construction projects or buy new trains, buses and related infrastructure, officials said./blockquote>
* But a cleanup bill for that aforementioned transit bailout is apparently needed…
The free rides for seniors proposal was supposed to apply to all transit systems in the state, but the way the bill was drafted it eliminates any city with a population under 50,000.
* Meanwhile, my syndicated newspaper column looks back…
While I still think things will eventually calm down and Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s insistence that senior citizens be given free rides on all mass transit systems will one day be viewed as a welcomed entitlement, it’s obvious that lots and lots of Illinoisans don’t feel that way right now. […]
Blagojevich’s amendatory veto of the transit bill to insert the senior freebie resonated loudly throughout every region of the state. Legislators reported receiving dozens, even hundreds, of calls and e-mails from furious constituents urging that the freebie be rejected. Even many senior citizens were angry.
It was as if the entire state had morphed into the Illinois House, which always has a negative reaction to anything the governor does and draws together whenever Blagojevich makes one of his goofy plays.
* And ahead…
The fall from grace isn’t over yet. Blagojevich, Jones and the House and Senate Republicans risk irking voters again with their push to expand gaming in Illinois and Chicago in order to pay for a capital construction plan.
The public is not happy with this expansion plan. According to that Fako & Associates poll, just 38 percent say they back a plan for a Chicago-owned casino along with two more boats, slots at tracks and expansion at current riverboats, while 57 percent oppose the idea. The poll of 801 registered voters was taken Jan. 3 to 6 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.46 percent.
Moreover, the public is incredibly cynical about how the cash will be spent and how the new casinos will be operated. For instance, 60 percent of registered voters agreed with the statement: “Politicians in Springfield and Chicago can’t be trusted to keep their promise to actually use profits from–casinos for mass transit and infrastructure projects,” while 67 percent agreed with this: “Politicians in Springfield and Chicago cannot be trusted to expand gambling in Illinois and would be influenced and corrupted by stakeholders in the new casinos.”
Sixty-seven percent said they thought organized crime and gambling addiction would increase with expanded gaming, 72 percent said Chicago can’t be trusted to run a casino without scandals and corruption and 71 percent acknowledged that casino revenues aren’t a stable funding source.
The numbers likely show one reason why House Speaker Michael Madigan has dragged his feet on gaming expansion during the run-up to the Feb. 5 primary. This is not a popular idea. And it’s just one more public opinion bomb waiting to go off in the governor’s face.
- Truthful James - Monday, Jan 21, 08 @ 9:05 am:
The Feds have so much money on the shelf for distribution to Illinois. It depends on the GA taking action — matching money, etc.
But the GA appears to have brains on hold. Reelection appears more important than the financial health of the State, Is this why we elected a bullet proof legislature to support a Democrat governor?
- Captain America - Monday, Jan 21, 08 @ 9:11 am:
I’m in favor of a capital bill whenever the powers that be, such as they are, can agree to the details. However,linking the mass transit bill and capital was bogus. The mass transit bill deserved a vote on its owm merits/flaws. No matter what Downstate Democrats and Republicans say it would have been completely irresponsible to force the implementation of doomsday because no agreement on capital and casinos was doable during the poisoned atmosphere of the “overtime From hell.”
- The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park - Monday, Jan 21, 08 @ 9:31 am:
Can you explain to me why 70 % of these incredibly cynical, registered voters keep voting the same influenced and corrupted public officials in office every election cycle?
- JohnR - Monday, Jan 21, 08 @ 10:06 am:
“The free rides for seniors proposal was supposed to apply to all transit systems in the state, but the way the bill was drafted it eliminates any city with a population under 50,000.”
That’s not correct. It applies only to “main lines and fixed routes.”
Which means if a city doesn’t have a main line (train) or fixed route (bus on the same schedule and route everyday), how could it possibly provide that to anyone, including seniors?
What the bill excludes is point-to-point services (dail-a-ride/paratransit).
Now - it looks like the RTA is going to offer the free rides to seniors from across the State. And others may only require you show your medicare card, or ID.
So, all the heartburn about the poor Carbondale senior who goes to Chicago on vacation can be put to rest.
- plutocrat03 - Monday, Jan 21, 08 @ 10:50 am:
Big mistake to agree to the CTA bailout without a capital bill in this legislature.
So far only extreme pressure has caused this elected body to do what it is supposed to do. Now that the pressure is off, two things will happen.
- no hurry to get anything done and
- those people what have ‘gotten things’ in the bailout bill will be bellying up to the baragain to get what they perceive to be their fair share.
Just another opportunity to consume more money and direct it toward their friends.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Monday, Jan 21, 08 @ 11:32 am:
Truthful-
The federal transportation money won’t go away, in all likelihood. However, if IL still has a bunch of it unspent by the time the next transportation bill comes around in 2009, astute states like PA will likely point out that they have matched every federal dollar, and that they should get a more favorable share this time around since IL and others still have “money left on the table”. This is why IL’s congressional delegation (Dick Durbin especially) are screaming about the necessity of a capital bill even though it’s essentially a state issue.
Did you know that the 3 largest earmarks in the last capital bill (Mississippi River Bridge, Prairie Parkway and Elgin O’Hare) have had very little federal expenditure so far? And that hundreds of smaller ones are still sitting there, unspent. The nationwide clamor over the earmarking process has missed the fact that, in IL, we don’t seem to be able to use them very much.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 21, 08 @ 12:08 pm:
Following up on JohnR’s comment. From what I read it appears that only seniors living in mass-transit districts with populations of 50,000 or more could ride for free under the Blago proposal. In addition, seniors could take advantage of the free rides only in their own communities, meaning, for example, that a Springfield senior couldn’t catch a free ride on a Chicago bus, or visa versa. Is that correct?
- zatoichi - Monday, Jan 21, 08 @ 12:28 pm:
After talking with our local transit people they were very clear: Only fixed routes and pops over 50,000 were covered. So the point of ALL seniors may be the easy to remember headline/talking point but is clearly not quite the real story. Those pesky details. In addition, statements were made to them that a lack of support from the transit groups would lead to serious funding reviews. Huh….politics as usual.
- Pickles Persimmon - Monday, Jan 21, 08 @ 1:35 pm:
When it comes to the expansion of gaming, this is how bad it is. Friends of mine (Republican as well as Democrat)are saying that they have now found new “respect” for Mike Madigan. Now, that should tell you where the gambling expansion issue and Madigan are at. Madigan has been gaining new converts (”I Like Mike”) among the Republicans. Lisa is going to be a “shoe in” when she runs for governor. If you are a Republican politician and you go along with further gambling expansion in Illinois, consider your political career to be “toast” if you had plans to advance your political career at a later date.
- Greg - Monday, Jan 21, 08 @ 2:48 pm:
People may not like gaming expansion, but is it a vote moving dislike? That would be my question.
- IncrediblyDumberThanYouThink - Monday, Jan 21, 08 @ 5:37 pm:
Blaggodiots looked pretty lonely when he zipped around IL touting his Santa Claus act.
Guess really don’t care about free bus rides when they can’t get their Rx drugs because Slow Pay IL is hurting the druggists.
Nice Play Mr POA
- steve schnorf - Monday, Jan 21, 08 @ 6:00 pm:
those masses who don’t want expanded gambling probably really want a tax increase instead
- Anonymous - Monday, Jan 21, 08 @ 7:30 pm:
The day after mass transit got their money. Now they are saying this was just a band-aid. They need billions to replace aging equipment.Here we go again.