Stop talking and fund mass transit

It's hard to write this letter as a person who is blind that depends on mass transit each day to get to and from work as well as other places. It's hard because what more can I say that hasn't already been said?

My message is to the legislative leaders and governor is simple: Stop putting out fancy press releases and talking about doing something about mass transit, and actually do something! The Illinois House Mass Transit Committee has worked for over three years studying Northeastern Illinois' mass transit system. No more independent person than Illinois Auditor General William Holland has studied mass transit and reported that more, long-term, reliable funding is needed to sustain and expand it.

Yet, our so-called legislative leaders and governor continue to do nothing to address the problem, except magically coming up with temporary, Band-Aid fixes as a supposed doomsday looms.

It's clear no politician wants to see what doomsday would really be like. Well, then, get down to business in Springfield and pass SB572 as amended to provide long-term, reliable funding for and critical reforms of mass transit. While no one likes to raise taxes, SB572, as amended, raises the regional sales tax by only 25 cents for every $100 spent in Chicago and suburban Cook County and 50 cents for every $100 spent in the collar counties including DuPage. This is a small price to pay to ensure long term, reliable funding of mass transit which will benefit both transit users like me and drivers alike.

Every legislator and the governor were sent to Springfield not to talk and put out fancy press releases concerning the issues we face in Illinois, but to actually roll up their sleeves and resolve these issues. Regardless of their personal disagreements, each legislator and the governor works for the people who elected them. Therefore, sit down and let's get SB572 as amended passed and signed into law and end the Band-Aid fixes for mass transit.

I and many others simply cannot get around without good transit, and if reliable funding is not put in place, we will remember at election time!

Ray Campbell

Glen Ellyn