* House Speaker Chris Welch and Senate President Don Harmon sat down with Crain’s Chicago Business’ Greg Hinz this morning.
Let’s start with the CTU’s demand for $1.1 billion from the state…
Speaker Welch: I think there’s 800 school districts across the state that say we owe them more money. Anyone disagree with that?
Honestly, we have to do a job that represents all of the districts across the state. And, you know, what we’ve done under our leadership is every year we’ve increased the EBF funding $350 million we’re well over a billion dollars in funding since it into effect. We can do better when it comes to funding our schools. As a product of public schools, coming from a local school board. I believe the state can always do better, but we also have to be realistic about that.
Greg Hinz: So does that mean that maybe number 350 and that will be it?
Welch: We’ll see. […]
President Harmon: I owe the bank a fair amount of money on my mortgage, but they’re not getting more than the monthly payment that’s due this month.
* On the mass transit fiscal cliff…
President Harmon: I have expressed to several audiences, I’m relatively agnostic on governance. Leave it exactly the way it is, start from scratch with a brand new governing body, I don’t think that matters nearly as much as service matters. The people that I represent are asking the questions about the service, and we need to focus on the transit system of 2050 and not try to rebuild the one from 1975.
At a minimum. We need to make sure the three branches can coordinate so that you can leave your house and get to school or work without having to cross this barrier between Metra and Pace and CTA. They should work together.
Whether there’s more money, or the same money, the old governing board, the new governing board; what we need to really need to focus on is what does that service look like? As you pointed out, commuting today looks very different than it looked when I was a kid. It’s not a hub and spoke with everybody going to the Loop. We have to reinvent this system so you can get from where you are to where you’re going.
Greg Hinz: That sounds like you do not consider consolidation to be a necessity.
Harmon: Coordination is a necessity. Better service is a necessity. Clean fast trains and busses is a necessity. […]
Speaker Welch: One thing that I know we all agree on, it’s important that we talk about reforms first. What do those reforms look like? We don’t know yet, but it’s important that we talk about reforms before you can get to the other question.
Hinz: Are you of the belief that, assuming you get the reform, that the transit agencies need more money? And if so, where do you get it?
Welch: Well, clearly, they’re operating out of a deficit, but what that number looks like? We don’t know without reforms.
Harmon: I’ve explained this to many people in my office. There’s one puzzle on my desk, all the pieces are scattered around. It includes the state budget. It includes transit. It includes proposals from different sides on pension funding. We can’t solve one without solving all of them, and so what we’re trying to do right now is assemble all those pieces without losing any on the floor, and make sure all the corners fit.
Rich has been telling subscribers about the coordination aspect of transit reform.
* Yep, we’re still talking about the Bears…
Greg Hinz: Another group that has its hand out, there’s a lot of those in Springfield, is that impoverished family, the McCaskey’s who would like the state to contribute billions of dollars for a new stadium in Chicago. Or if that doesn’t work, maybe a lot of road money and some other money for a new stadium in Arlington Heights. Mr. Speaker, let’s start with you on that. These ideas did not appear to have moved very far or picked up a lot of support. Any chance that’s going to change?
Welch: No. let me say this: I don’t know anyone who wants us to give millionaires a tax-funded stadium. That was the case last year, and that’s the case right now.
You know, people are talking about groceries and rent, things of that nature, and for us to give billionaires taxpayer money to fund a stadium would be the last thing voters want us to do. I wore a red tie today because it’s the holiday season. I would love for the McCaskeys to give us two Christmas presents, a winning football team and in privately funded stadium, probably on the Michael Reese site.
Invest in a Black neighborhood that’s long been under invested, like Bronzeville, because I just think publicly funding a stadium makes no sense in this economy.
Hinz: Should the state? Let’s say the McCaskeys have an epiphany and they change their mind and said, ‘Ok, Bronezville won’t raise the capital for the stadium itself,’ should the state contribute money for infrastructure?
Welch: Well, I mean, the state has infrastructure dollars, and that’s a conversation that we could have. That’s a different conversation, but the conversation has, right now, focused on ISFA dollars and I think that’s a misplaced conversation.
* Chicago’s budget…
Greg Hinz: One other party with his hand out in Springfield that I want to talk about is Mayor Johnson, who has been presiding over a, let’s call it, a very messy budget process. He clearly would like some help from Springfield to prop up his budget. Have you had conversations with the mayor? What’s he want? What are you prepared to do? What’s on the table?
President Harmon: I’ve known the mayor for an awful long time. I like him. A great deal of great affection for him. I want him to succeed. I want to see-
Hinz: He worked for you at one point, didn’t he?
Harmon: He worked for me, early on in my time in the Senate, that said, I’m not involved in governing the city, and I have no basis on which to comment as to what’s going on over there. […]
Greg Hinz: Has [Mayor Johnson] given you a wish list.
Both Harmon and Welch: No.
Hinz: No communication at all?
President Harmon: We are committed to the success of the city. At this point the city hasn’t asked for anything in specific, and anything the city asks for we have to put through the filter of how do we how are we equitably dividing state resources and all the municipalities in the state.
Hinz: Hard to give you something if you haven’t asked for it.
Discuss.
…Adding… National Association of Social Workers…
