Transit deal not done yet
Transit riders thought they landed a reprieve last week from major service cuts and fare hikes, but it seems an enduring political logjam may quickly lead to another countdown to "doomsday."
"It would be outrageous if that happens," said state Rep. Julie Hamos, an Evanston Democrat and proponent of raising sales taxes for transit. "We can't scare all the transit riders in the region one more time because we can not negotiate or compromise."
After a last-ditch loan put off service cuts and fares hikes from Sunday to Nov. 4, lawmakers have made little progress in coming to agreement on a long-term funding plan.
The CTA, Pace and Metra are $240 million short this year alone. If no new funding is forthcoming, officials plan up to a $1 fare hike and the removal of dozens of bus routes Nov. 4. Next year, suburbanites could be without weekend service and facing more fare hikes.
The state Senate was expected to vote Tuesday on a sales tax hike pushed by transit officials, but instead approved another loan for $200 million that might buy the agencies another few months.
Transit officials are not happy with the offer and have previously threatened to not accept another loan that leaves them in more debt.
"We don't think it is a good solution," Pace spokesman Rocky Donahue said. "I'm not sure the RTA board will accept it."
Gov. Rod Blagojevich and some lawmakers oppose the sales tax hike, calling it a burden for the poor and elderly.
"I won't say it's dead, but there are some of us that really feel it is a regressive tax," said state Sen. Rickey Hendon, a Chicago Democrat. "If I'm going into Wallace's Catfish Corner on the West Side and some homeless person comes up and asks me for 50 cents so they can get a three-piece wing, they can't afford another tax. They can't even afford the chicken."
Yet, no other plan has been presented that would seem to gain a chance of landing enough votes for approval.
The House already has voted down the sales tax plan, even though Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan supports it.
Plus, Blagojevich prefers to raise business taxes, but that would be a hard sell for downstate lawmakers because their companies would be paying for Chicago transit.
Meanwhile, supporters of the sales tax hike remain hopeful. They point to the Senate's passage of a public works package Tuesday, which could be key to putting more votes in the House on the transit funding measure.
Others, though, fear the Senate loan approval could indicate an unwillingness to tackle the thorny issue of tax hikes for transit.
"Let's not give up so easily," said state Rep. Sid Mathias, a Buffalo Grove Republican who helped craft the sales tax plan. "The solution here is for the (legislative) leaders and the governor to get together and put aside their egos and hammer out a solution."