Tuesday, November 27, 2007

$30 to CTA/RTA for Every Man, Woman and Child in Illinois

So, what’s the potential downside for voting for the Mike Madigan-Tom Cross CTA-RTA bailout deal?

$385,000,000 coming right off the top of the Illinois General Revenue Fund.

No replacement money identified.

More pressure to pass an income tax hike or a massive expansion of gambling.

Hey, we could follow South Dakota’s example and have little casinos where mom could gamble while the kids eat at McDonald’s almost within sight right through the archway.


But, let’s look at how a political opponent might characterize the proposal.

Say you are from Downstate, also known as anything outside of the six-county Chicago metropolitan area served by the Regional Transportation Authority.

$385 million divided by the state’s population of 12,831,970 (Commerce Department figure) is what?

$30.

So, an opponent could send a mailing to a Downstate legislator’s district saying anyone who voted for this deal voted to force a family of four to send $120 to Chicago.

Or robo calls could be made. Even cheaper.

I mentioned in an earlier post how Zeke Giorgi’s polling results went down because of RTA. Wasn’t it Jeff Mays that rode to office in Quincy when his opponent was charged with having been “taken for a ride by the CTA?”

Multiply $30 times a Downstate county’s population.

Here’s one.

Effingham County had 34,429 people as of mid-2006.

$30 times 34,429 means residents are being force to pay over $1 million to subsidize the Chicago Transit Authority.

Every year.

At least that is what an opponent could credibly assert.

Boy, could a “Yes” vote on this bill create some good campaigns.

And, probably some upsets.

If not this election cycle, then in some future year.

= = = = =

Enlarge the photo by clicking on it and you will be able to read the name of the casino.

Posted first on McHenry County Blog.

3 comments:

Anonymous,  10:40 PM  

First, thank you for recognizing there is an Illinois south of I-80. We are such a divided state in more ways than one and it's only getting worse.

Second, when will this governor join his predecessor at that lovely little Wisconsin retreat? The plundering for the short-term RTA/CTA bail-out combined with this latest hubris should be enough buy the dolt a one-way ticket to that exclusive address.

Anonymous,  8:11 AM  

Cal,
Way to go on the regional xenophobia!!Nobody from "downstate" was complaining when Commonwealth Edison spent about a billion so that they could afford electricity down there. The whining about their Ameren bills bottled up the legislature for months. Now, they are trying to extort pork spending, "the almighty capital", in exchange for public transit relief in the six county area which would be paid for by revenue generated in the six county area.When you get a spare moment try figuring out how much state revenue is generated by the Chicagoland area and where that revenue goes. You will then realize, hopefully, who is subsidising whom.

Cal Skinner 9:49 AM  

You probably didn't notice, Bill, but I complained about the draining of resources from Com Ed on McHenry County Blog.

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