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mass transit for six counties in the Chicago area (Cook, Will, Kane, DuPage, Lake and McHenry) and includes the Chicago
Transit Authority, Metra (commuter rail service) and Pace (suburban bus service). The RTA has told the legislature that it
needs additional funding by Nov. 4 or it will have to take severe and unpopular actions such as raise fares, cut services
and/or lay off workers. Watson says that's a familiar story.
According to Watson, the RTA has experienced a lot of financial problems over the years and has made a habit of coming to
the legislature nearly every year looking for financial help to balance its budget. He says the legislature changed the
structure of the RTA board a few years ago and that seemed to rectify things for awhile, but now the RTA is back looking for
help. The problem, Watson says, is that the RTA is supported - in large part - by sales tax revenue, and sales taxes have
become a very flat revenue source.
"With their costs continuing to go up, their attitude is that they need additional money," Watson said. "My attitude is,
okay, I'm willing to help them with their issue there, but we also have to have some consideration for what's important to
us. And that's a capital program."
At the end of September, the Illinois Senate passed a $25.4 billion bill to fund roads, bridges, schools and a myriad of
other projects around the state. Some of Southwestern Illinois' projects included in the bill are the extension of Illinois
255, a new science building at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, the rerouting of Illinois Rte. 159 around
Collinsville and funding for the new Mississippi River Bridge. The debt would be serviced by an expansion of gambling
including new casinos in Chicago and more gaming positions for all of the state's casinos.
The RTA is seeking authority to increase its sales tax from a quarter of a cent to a half cent, plus add a real estate
transfer tax within the city of Chicago.
While the capital bill has passed the Senate, it has stalled in the Illinois House, a victim of the ongoing feud between
House Speaker Mike Madigan and Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Watson says that Blagojevich, Sen. President Emil Jones and House
Minority Leader Tom Cross all support the capital bill. Madigan is the sole holdout and Watson is pessimistic that the
speaker will even call the capital bill for a vote unless he's cornered into doing so. He said the RTA problem is not a
partisan issue with Republicans on one side and Democrats on the other, but rather that it's a "Chicago vs. downstate"
issue.
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"This is an issue that is solely a problem for Chicago and the collar counties and they need our support to be able to do
this," Watson said. "They can't do it just on their own, so this is one where you can trade things off. I truly believe that
if an RTA bill was done, I'm not so sure that the speaker would ever call a capital bill. If downstaters stick together on
this thing, we could force their hand," he added.
Sen. Bill Haine, a Democrat from Alton, is in full agreement with Watson on sticking together and trading support for the
RTA bill for support on the capital bill.
"The downstate people get a great deal of benefit out of the capital bill," said Haine, "and Chicago needs this transit
funding. What we've been afraid of is if the legislature would pass the transit funding bill, then the capital bill would
simply fall through the cracks. So we're holding everyone's feet to the fire, wanting a capital bill at the same time that
we vote on the transit funding."
The Chicago area is the country's third-largest metropolitan area with more than 9.5 million people; it is heavily
dependent upon mass transit. The RTA is the second-largest mass transit system in North America and provides more than two
million rides daily.
"We don't wish them ill and we don't want to do anything to cause a great disruption," said Haine. "However, we want our
needs met. We need highways, the long overdue SIUE science building, money to repair out levees and we need money for the
new bridge. There are many unmet needs."
Haine says part of the problem with gaining support in the House is that expanding gambling is not a popular idea - but
that raising sales taxes or income taxes are not popular ideas either. "Gambling," he said, "is really the only game in
town."
According to Haine, Nov. 4 is being referred to as the Doomsday Date in the Chicago area. He said that one senator from
the Chicago area told him that the RTA issue would be their Ameren - they'll hear about it every day from their
constituents.
"If Nov. 4 comes without passage of the transit bill," said Haine, "there is going to be a clamor for action and we're
going to be clamoring for the capital bill. That's the way it works. If they get theirs, fine. We want ours. It's simple."
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