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* The governor is trying to have his cake and eat it, too…
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn won’t say whether he thinks the state tollway should increase rates.
The Illinois Tollway says the plan is necessary to pay for a $12 billion project to repair and expand Chicago-area expressways. When pressed by reporters, Quinn refused to take a stand on the issue.
More…
Tollway board members, who are appointed by the governor, are floating the hikes as a way to pay for a 15-year road plan. Projects would include the region’s first new tollway since the opening of the Veterans Memorial Tollway, a new interchange in the south suburbs and rebuilding the 50-year-old Jane Addams Memorial Tollway to Rockford.
The toll increase plan is a tricky one for Quinn. He fancies himself a consumer advocate who initially fought to keep predecessor Rod Blagojevich’s idea of free public transit rides for seniors. Quinn also helped push through a major income tax increase in January that has Illinois taxpayers handing over more of their earnings to cover the costs of state government.
But Quinn also refers to himself as the “jobs governor” and shepherded through the state’s first major public works plan in decade, saying it was vital to help Illinois’ economy. And Quinn already promised various interest groups over the last year that key parts of the tollway’s blueprint would be built.
The toll would increase 35 cents for I-Pass users at a typical mainline toll plaza, with cash-paying passenger vehicles continuing to pay double the I-Pass rate. I-Pass users comprise 75 percent of the tollway’s 1.4 million daily users.
The hike would be the first toll increase in 28 years.
Officials said the proposed increase — typically from 40 cents to 75 cents — would bring the cost of a car trip on the tollway system for an average I-Pass customer to $1.18. That’s up from today’s average of 63 cents per trip and an increase of $2.75 a week, or $11 a month.
* Whatever the governor said - or didn’t say - yesterday, he’s on record supporting both the Elgin-O’Hare west bypass and the new interchange connecting 1-57 to the Tri-State. From a July press release…
Governor Pat Quinn announced today that the Elgin-O’Hare West Bypass advisory council has submitted its final report. The Governor created the council by Executive Order last fall to assist in the planning for extending the Elgin-O’Hare Expressway east and building the west bypass around O’Hare International Airport to connect Interstates 90 and 294, with space to accommodate mass transit. The council determined that the project will create more than 78,000 short-term and long-term jobs, maximize the potential of an expanded O’Hare International Airport and strengthen the economy throughout the Chicago region for decades to come.
“This report will be extremely helpful as we move forward with the Elgin-O’Hare West Bypass, which is a priority of my administration,” said Governor Quinn. “This important project will create thousands of jobs and serve as a major economic engine for northeastern Illinois.” [Emphasis added.]
Quinn is also on record strongly supporting that new 1-57 interchange. Those two projects are by far the most expensive, along with the much-needed rebuild of I-90 out to Rockford.
* But, as is so often the case with Pat Quinn, his former life as a gadfly reformer has crashed into his new role as somebody who has to actually lead…
As state treasurer, Gov. Pat Quinn was a critic, threatening in 1994 to block the agency from issuing more bonds unless it changed how it did business.
Quinn also called for setting a final date for all tollways to become freeways.
Oops.
So, passing the buck onto the tollway board that he appointed - as well as his hand-picked executive director - allows Quinn to skirt this historical conflict with himself, at least for now.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 11:34 am
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Do you think Pat is ever visited by the Ghost of Pat Past?
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 11:38 am
This is one issue he can’t run from — making tollways freeways was one of his pet issues which he argued loudly and adamantly for much of his career and used to bludgeon other pols standing in his way. Now that he is in the big chair, letting toll increases slide through would be the ultimate in hypocrisy, whether it makes sense now under the circumstances or not.
The Ghost of Pat Past is said to haunt the conference rooms of the old Bismarck Hotel, but only on weekend mornings…
Comment by Ron Burgundy Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 11:45 am
Nearly doubling tolls will have everyone screaming. That one hits home every time you pass a toll booth.
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 11:49 am
I understand that people want the tollways to become freeways like they are supposed to become, but either the toll roads can stay great examples of roadwork (maintenance, et al) or they can become crap.
Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 11:57 am
Can somebody PLEASE justify an I-57/I-294 interchange in the neighborhood of $600 million other than to ‘Create jobs’?!?
There are so many other ways to spend that money to improve our traffic infrastructure and create jobs.
C’mon guys use your heads…
Comment by Leroy Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 12:00 pm
Like John Kerry he was against it before he was for it???????????
Comment by just sayin' Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 12:05 pm
Maybe he is waiting for his fundraiser with the road contractors before approving this toll increase.
(Sorry, couldn’t resist, he is Blago’s lieutenant after all.)
Comment by Not a Newcomer Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 12:12 pm
There is no such thing as a freeway. Someone has to pay for it. At least tollways are paid for by the people who use it. I’ve never understood the appeal of converting them.
Comment by Joe Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 12:23 pm
“Joe” should get an award,, smart man, and correct.
Comment by just sayin' Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 12:29 pm
PQ is learning that it’s easier to shoot the arrows rather than be hit by them.
Comment by Stones Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 12:29 pm
I made the comparison a long time ago of PQ to the Peter Principle and I think we have been seeing that over the last year or so with our Gov.
He cites lack of money as the reason for reneging on the agreement he made with state employees.
He blamed the GA for not funding the personell fund adaquately. They counter with quit filling positions if you don’t have enough money. Then he hires the Burkes daughter to the tune of $117,000.00.
Where does he actually stand on reigning in spending in the personell area? Apparently if it benefits him and his, spend, spend; otherwise be very frugal. Leadership? no Flipflopping?
Questionable ethics? yes.
Questionable fiscal responsibility? yes.
Has he thought ahead to the possibility that some of the Union lawsuits might reach the Supreme Court of Illinois and he might need an ally there? probably. Especially with the temdency of Justice Burke to not recuse herself from possible conflicts.
It’s looking more and more like the only difference between him and Rod is hair and the lack thereof.
Comment by Irish Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 12:51 pm
There never was 2 Quinns,only the present one without power or responsibilities.
Comment by dave Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 12:55 pm
++So, passing the buck onto the tollway board that he appointed - as well as his hand-picked executive director - allows Quinn to skirt this historical conflict with himself, at least for now.++
And this surprises us because…?
Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 12:58 pm
I agree with Joe, and would support the increase if spent correctly to ensure a high quality system. Then raise the sped limit to 70.
Comment by downstate hack Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 1:01 pm
Since when can’t elected officials modify their views? Quinn can now see from the big chair that the Tollway system needs improvement, congestion needs to be relieved, jobs and economic development created. And all of that costs money. The tollway system is outstanding, and most riders/users understand that. Good for Governor Quinn and his tollway board; they’re getting real about paying for what is needed, and doing it in the most fair way possible.
Comment by phocion Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 1:20 pm
What? You are telling me that Pat Quinn failed to show leadership and political courage? Wow, that’s really big news!
In other really big news, I hear the sun will set in the west tonight.
Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 1:38 pm
phocion –
When he puts on his big boy pants and admits that he changed his mind and why, I will give you that. If he uses the tollway board to hem and haw, and golly gee his way around taking a stand personally, then not so much.
Also I would love to hear why he changed his tollway to freeway stand…
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 1:58 pm
What Quinn and Rahm should be pushing is a crosstown expressway. The traffic going from
94 to 55 in the loop is nuts.
Comment by mokenavince Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 2:11 pm
OneMan,
I’ll grant you that his current temporizing is not appealing, but this thing wouldn’t have gotten this far if he didn’t give something of a green light. Let’s see how it ends up before we cast too many aspersions on the Governor.
And mokenavince, the day of new expressways (freeways) with federal earmarks are over. If you’re talking a Crosstown Tollway, bring it on!
Comment by phocion Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 2:30 pm
Not a Newcomer — You may not like Pat Quinn, but it is ridiculous to compare him to Blagojevich. And if you have the Google, you could easily find out that “Rod’s lieutenant” — foisted on Rod by the Democratic primary voters — came out strongly and publicly for campaign contribution reform and threw a wrench into Rod’s plans for a big capital bill — which would have endeared Rod to potential donors in the roadbuilding community.
Comment by soccermom Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 2:33 pm
soccermom is correct.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 2:37 pm
I think the Guv can always fall back to the “political puffery” defense. No matter what hypocritical state he finds himself in.
Comment by Bitterman Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 3:11 pm
I’ll admit that I think PQ has one of the bigger disparities between his pre-powerful self and today. And I think he’s a bit of a hypocrit.
That said, if we had politicians whose views never evolved, there would’ve been no civil rights laws passed and we’d still be living in a society of Jim Crow laws and worse. Blind adherence to potentially faulty beliefs and words should not be what we strive for in public servants. We should want people who will consider the evidence, consider the public good, and do the right thing, regardless of what he or she might have said/done before. It’s that exact blind adherence that has created the toxic politics we see today. It needs to change.
Comment by Thoughts... Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 4:17 pm
===We should want people who will consider the evidence, consider the public good, and do the right thing, regardless of what he or she might have said/done before.===
Agreed.
However, as others have noted, he hasn’t yet said his thinking has actually evolved.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 4:18 pm
Oh, I wasn’t suggesting that his thinking has evolved, or that he’s not a hypocrite. In fact, I think he’s got some ’splainin to do. Just making a general point because of the focus in comments in the ‘he was against it before he was for it’ vein
Comment by Thoughts... Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 4:27 pm
He is the Governor. He can talk in all the circles he wants and make all types of conflicting promises, but at some point he becomes the final decision maker of topics that have 4-5 conflicting parties who will not like his decisions. Like the comments about the debt crisis - politic all you want, then you have to govern by making an actual choice. The fact he has a history of statements is just part of what he has to deal with. Who plans out their statements today based on what they will deal with in 10 years?
Comment by zatoichi Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 4:48 pm
Soccermom, it’s a joke. Lighten up.
Comment by Not a Newcomer Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 6:02 pm
==You may not like Pat Quinn, but it is ridiculous to compare him to Blagojevich.=
PQ doesn’t have the hair or the fundraising-related corruption, but his style of governing by press release, lack of interest in the nuts and bolts of administering the government, inability to work with the legislature, and almost every other substantive characteristic are very reminiscent of Blagojevich.
Comment by Pat Robertson Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 7:54 pm
I’m sure a lot of Downstate Tea Party legislators will take the bull by the horn and push the tollways to be added into the expenses of the Road Fund, as was anticipated after the bonds were retired.
What are you going to do? The GA is never going to end the tolls. That gas tax money that is being spent by toll drivers is building and maintaining roads everywhere else in the state.
You don’t think I-57 between Marion and Kankakee is paying for itself, do you?
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Aug 2, 11 @ 10:00 pm
We have lived without a I-294 to I-57 interchange for 40 plus years. It’s simple, you do a little jog on I-80. A billion dollars for this?
Comment by wishbone Wednesday, Aug 3, 11 @ 12:40 am