Leaders meet, but gaps remain on mass transit, capital issues
SPRINGFIELD -- State lawmakers went back to work Monday on the state's thorny transportation problems but showed no signs of quickly ending their long-running policy and political disputes.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich met with Senate leaders and others for more than two hours at the state Capitol on a two-headed transportation dilemma: financial help for Chicago's struggling mass transit system and billions of dollars in new road and school "capital construction" projects.
Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, R-Greenville, said the meeting generated much-needed discussion of the issues but didn't lead to any agreements.
Lawmakers planned to huddle behind closed doors in party "caucus" meetings and then would decide whether to meet again Monday night or push ahead with a vote on mass transit, capital or both.
Watson hoped lawmakers would be able to agree on something, after months and even years of delay on these transportation issues.
"I want to see this decided tonight, one way or another," Watson said. "We're wasting our time here."
But key hurdles remained in place on both.
Lawmakers have been asked to approve a financial bailout for the Chicago area's mass transit systems. Significant service cuts were delayed last week when Blagojevich advanced millions of dollars in state funding, but by early November the financial picture will be even worse.
Some Chicago lawmakers are pushing a plan to provide hundreds of millions of dollars to the transit systems through increased sales and real estate taxes in the region.
But the governor opposes the idea, as do many Republicans whose votes are needed for it to pass. Some say they don't buy the Chicago Transit Authority's "doomsday" scenario, which included cutting 39 bus routes and raising bus and train fares by up to $1.
"I'm tired of the doomsday word. I think it's nonsense," said Sen. Christine Radogno, R-Lemont.
Senate Democrats are working on an alternative that would call for three new riverboat casinos and more gaming positions at the current casinos. The money generated from that could provide help for the mass transit systems and pay for the capital construction plan.
Even supporters acknowledge that won't be easy.
Lawmakers and Blagojevich haven't been able to agree on how to pay for new construction projects since he took office. Gambling expansion is a popular option, but usually gets stuck on the details of which areas of the state receive the extra casinos and how the money gets divided up.
"I don't think I'd be placing any wagers on it at this time," said Sen. James DeLeo, D-Chicago.
Downstate lawmakers are wary of supporting any plan that helps Chicago but doesn't provide the same kind of cash for projects in their area.
And Monday's talks didn't include the House, which will have a say on what _ if anything _ ultimately gets approved.
Watson acknowledged that there's much work to be done before any transportation deal is finalized.
"When you start going down the list of all the things that have to be accomplished and agreed to, it's significant," Watson said.