* The governor claimed yesterday that he and the other legislative leaders (sans Michael Madigan) have cooked up a secret plan to solve the RTA and CTA’s budget woes…
“We have an idea and a plan,” Governor Rod Blagojevich said during a news conference in Chicago Tuesday.
* The governor would reveal no details, but said there was a deal on the table…
Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Tuesday that he, House GOP leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) and both Senate leaders have “signed off” on a new proposal to provide additional revenue streams to pay the operating costs of the CTA, Metra and Pace.
Now, they have to sell the idea to Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), who has continued to back a proposal to provide new funding streams through a regional increase in the sales tax and an increase in the Chicago title transfer tax, even though Blagojevich has pledged repeatedly to veto any such bill.
Madigan steadfastly refused to take part in the transit funding discussions that have taken place in recent weeks, involving the other legislative leaders, the governor and his staff.
“I’m optimistic that we will have a very sound, solid, long-term proposal to address the RTA-CTA problem that includes accountability and a sustainable source of revenue that does not raise taxes on people,” Blagojevich said.
* Yep. It’s all Madigan’s fault…
Blagojevich said Cross is supposed to meet Wednesday with Madigan, and he said Cross will explain the plan so Madigan will abandon a proposed regional sales tax increase in the Chicago area to pay for mass transit.
“Hopefully he can get him on board,” Blagojevich said of Cross and Madigan.
* All on Madigan’s head…
“We do know that Mike Madigan wants to call the House back into session to try once again to raise sales taxes on people. On top of the two percent sales tax that Todd Stroger wants to impose on the people of Chicago in Cook County, on top of the record property tax increase that the city of Chicago, Mayor Daley, is asking for, on top of the bottled water tax,” Blagojevich said.
* Curiously enough, however, there are several holes in the governor’s story…
Blagojevich says he wants to announce the mass transit plan with State Senate President Emil Jones. But a spokeswoman for Jones says the president has only heard rumors of the plan.
* Turns out, nobody else knows what the governor is talking about, either…
But David Dring, a spokesman for House Republican leader Tom Cross, said there was “not a set concrete plan.” And Patty Schuh, a spokeswoman for Senate Republican leader Frank Watson, said there have been discussions with the governor but “none of those have produced a plan.”
* And…
The comments by Blagojevich came as a surprise to Metra and Pace, whose spokespersons said they had not been advised that a funding alternative had emerged. Spokespersons for the CTA and RTA had no immediate comment.
Governing by press conference has apparently been taken to an all-time low.
Discuss.