Governor Blagojevich's spending proposal overly ambitious

So says an editorial in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch as the writer lays out the proposal the governor has suggested for state capital improvements. The plan includes work on roads, mass transit and schools. The Post asks, "But, can Illinois afford it?" And they give the governor's response to their question: "Yes, with a bit of borrowing, 3.2 billion to be precise."

The road and mass transit pieces of the governor's overall plan, which would consume $2.7 billion of the total, include money for engineering studies for a new Mississippi River bridge at St. Louis. The bridge will be key in easing the daily traffic jams Illinois commuters must endure, and would likely set off a housing boom in adjacent Illinois counties.

The Belleville News-Democrat doesn't like the plan at all: "Thank goodness Rod needs the Republicans' votes to float his Good Ship Lollipop. They seem clearly aware it is a ship for fools."

Without getting into the governor's proposal to set up Keno gambling in bars and restaurants to fund the school projects and the Post's negative view on that (That's a horrible idea. Getting the state hooked on gambling revenue - for any purpose - is a devil's bargain) the issue of a new bridge across the Mississippi River into St. Louis should be a high priority. The problem is Missouri, which is supposed to share the cost of this bridge has balked.
A couple of us were talking about the possible bridge the other day and the concensus was that even without it the very fact that Missouri is planning to widen highway 40, a major east-west route through St. Louis, and/or possibly close it completely or open only one lane, is liable to make many St. Louisians consider moving to Illinois. Presently the Illinois side of St. Louis is seeing a huge housing growth spurt, brought on by many Missouri residents seeing the value of living here and the Post is correct in believing a new bridge will encourage more growth. Somehow or other Illinois officials need to impress upon their counterparts in Missouri the necessity of a new bridge. Not all government plans involve money. Some plans should lay out how they plan to work to get some projects off dead center on to becoming a reality. This is a plan I'd like to hear from Governor Blagojevich.

Once again the Belleville News-Democrat weighs in: St. Louis ensured its future when it gambled and built Eads Bridge in 1874. Another bridge is needed now for the same reasons -- ensuring the region's economic vitality. Build it and they will come. Don't build it and they will go to Nashville or Kansas City or Cincinnati or whereever. This project is way more important than strangling highway 40 for three years and Illinois officials need to keep this out front.