Rt. 53 planning shows tollway not accountable

It is difficult to imagine oneself as not being cynical enough when it comes to Illinois politicians and politics, but after watching WMAQ's Phil Rogers' investigation of the proposed Route 53 extension, I stand corrected.

After years of one-sided dialogue from proponents and an improper and repugnant process which willfully excluded certain citizens and their representatives from participating, the curtain has been finally pulled away.

And while Aaron Lawler and the special interests supporting this proposal would rather that Lake County taxpayers pay no attention to what is going on behind that curtain, the facts are staggering: even after raising gas taxes and tolls and sending a portion of those funds out of Lake County forever, this 12-mile road-to-nowhere fantasy is still $2 billion short of funds.

Two billion dollars.

Even in Illinois, that is not a rounding error. It is also abundantly clear that serious reform is needed at the Illinois Tollway Authority. Refusing yet again to comment on its own actions and policies, the tollway has become the poster child for bad corporate governance and mismanagement in Illinois.

At a time when Gov. Rauner is loudly demanding accountability, fiscal restraint, and shared sacrifice, it is inexcusable that the tollway continues to operate as a rogue entity, lacking transparency and seemingly accountable to no one.

The state of Illinois cannot afford to send out vehicle sticker renewal notices, but the tollway can waste $100 million of funds earned from our tolls on an unneeded EIS for a project with a $2 billion funding shortfall. How is that fiscally responsible?

The citizens of Illinois, users of the tollway system, taxpayers of Lake County and voters in District 18 deserve much better.

John Freihammer

Hawthorn Woods