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Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich had called the General
Assembly into the 42nd day of specia1 session to address the funding
crisis for the Chicago Transit Authority and the Regional
Transportation Authority.
Senate Bill 307 would redirect all of the state sales tax
collected on motor fuel sales in Cook County and the collar counties
to the CTA and RTA. This legislation would blow a $385 million hole
in the state budget with no plan to make up the revenue.
"Why should I, as a downstate member, vote to bail
out a corrupt, mismanaged system for the city of Chicago?" Mitchell
asked. "The hole that this bill would put in the budget would cost
each Illinois family an extra $120."
Mitchell pointed out the bloated spending that the
CTA has failed to address. For example, the average bus driver's
salary in Chicago is $90,000. Senate Bill 307 would not require the
CTA or RTA to make the cuts necessary to keep Chicago's mass transit
system financially viable. Nor would it raise the fares paid by
those who use the system.
"Chicago would make out like bandits under this
legislation," Mitchell said. "At a time when transportation costs
are going up for families throughout Illinois because of high gas
prices, the riders on the CTA and RTA should pay their fair share
too. They should enact moderate fare increases to keep their transit
system solvent."
The legislation failed to pass the House 57-53-4.
[Text from file received from
Rep. Bill
Mitchell]
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