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| RAUNER: Wants his toll road addition |
Yet
the project is likely to wither away for financial reasons, since it seems
there is a deadline of Saturday for our state’s Legislature to approve a
resolution supporting a partnership that would get private business interests
involved in financing the project.
THAT,
OF COURSE, has Bruce Rauner all worked up, as he held a press conference Monday
to rant and rage about the refusal of Democrats to cooperate with him.
Which
resulted in the retort by Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago,
that they refuse to take the project seriously because Rauner won’t cough up
certain specific details about the project that they would want to know before
approving anything.
Which
means this project – which may or may not have merits toward easing congestion –
is becoming yet another front in the ongoing battle between our state’s
governor and our Legislature.
And
yet another sign that our state’s governmental structure is incapable of
accomplishing anything. Which, at the rate things are going, is a condition
going to continue through November 2018.
THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF which is the election cycle in which someone potentially could
be dumped by the electorate from political office. Until then, we’re in for a
lot of nothing.
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| MADIGAN: Not likely to give it to gov |
This
particular project being touted by Rauner involves building more lanes along
the interstate (a.k.a., the Stevenson Expressway) between the Veterans Memorial
Tollway (more commonly, the North/South Tollway, I-355) and where it meets up
with the Dan Ryan Expressway.
Those
new lanes would be operated as toll roads – which means you could use them if
you’re willing to pay. Even if you’re not willing to pay, there’s the chance
that others will, which would clear up traffic for your cheapskate mindset.
I
mockingly refer to those drivers who won’t pay as cheapskates, because I
suspect I wouldn’t be willing to pay either. I think many would refuse to use
the new lanes.
BUT
BUILDING THEM is bound to be a construction perk for somebody – a nice,
sizeable contract that could make some people rich.
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| KENNEDY: Says Rauner needs achievement for prez bid |
Which
is the concern that Madigan publicly expresses as the reason for the
legislative reluctance to do anything with the idea. “Our concern with private
investors being involved in a toll lane is that, once again, it seems as though
Governor Rauner is more interested in helping his wealthy friends,” he said.
Yes,
this project would be financed ($400 million) by these “private investors,” not
the Illinois Department of Transportation, which says it couldn’t afford to do
this on its own. Because these investors (17 companies located around the
world) have set an April 1 deadline for wanting to know if they can count on
the state (they want to make sure they get paid, and not put on a list of
debtors who might get their money eventually) to cooperate, this issue is
coming to a head.
Which
means this week is likely to pass, and an opportunity will be lost on Saturday.
I
MIGHT FEEL a touch of sympathy for the governor’s stance, if not for the fact
that he has been such a hard-head with regards to our state’s budget – a situation
causing so many more problems for our state’s operations.
 |
STEVENSON: Would Adlai pay namesake road's toll?
|
I
have no doubt it is the ill-will brought about by the months of non-negotiation
that is causing Democratic leadership to dismiss this idea without giving it
serious thought.
I also noticed that on Monday, Democratic
gubernatorial hopeful Chris Kennedy said during a forum by the Cook County
Democratic Party he thinks Rauner’s whole motivation for being so stubborn on
budgetary issues is that he wants to run for U.S. president someday, and wants
to be able to claim as his accomplishment that he “broke” labor unions and
pensions in Illinois.
In his mind, Rauner needs to ultimately “win”
this budgetary brawl, no matter how many years it takes or what gets caught up
in collateral damage – even if that winds up including this road project that
might (or might not) have some merit.
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