1:03 PM
is the multi-year highway program being held hostage?
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blagojevich , budget , capital plan , idot , Illinois works , road program
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich announced the $10.9 billion road program for fiscal years 2009 through 2014.In IDOT’s proposed multi-year plan, $7.79 billion will be for the state’s highway system while $3.08 billion will be for local roads. On the state system, $5.6 billion – or almost three-fourths – will be for roadway maintenance, safety and bridge repair.
However is this program being held hostage so that the Illinois Works capital bill goes through? Milton Sees, Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary stated that without the additional infrastructure investment provided by the Illinois Works program, the transportation plan would remain on the shelf. The capital plan is much talked about, however the two revenue streams remain very controversial. Those are sale or lease of the state lottery and the expansion of gambling.
All the people I have talked to are not in favor of gambling expansion. The sale or lease of the lottery is also very unpopular. What to do? The capital plan allies are moving the pieces on the chessboard. The capital plan proponents may use other programs to help sell it. The consensus I get is that without the capital plan, the State of Illinois will come to a complete standstill. This shouldn't have to be.
Budget components should include enough highway and bridge projects to keep Illinois moving forward. Match money of $1.5 billion should be appropriated so that Illinois can receive $6 billion in federal road and bridge money. As far as I know, this match money is not in the current FY 09 budget.
Opponents to the capital plan are on ice that's getting thinner by the moment if the Governor keeps saying that certain programs aren't going to fly without the Illinois Works capital plan.
technorati search: illinois
However is this program being held hostage so that the Illinois Works capital bill goes through? Milton Sees, Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary stated that without the additional infrastructure investment provided by the Illinois Works program, the transportation plan would remain on the shelf. The capital plan is much talked about, however the two revenue streams remain very controversial. Those are sale or lease of the state lottery and the expansion of gambling.
All the people I have talked to are not in favor of gambling expansion. The sale or lease of the lottery is also very unpopular. What to do? The capital plan allies are moving the pieces on the chessboard. The capital plan proponents may use other programs to help sell it. The consensus I get is that without the capital plan, the State of Illinois will come to a complete standstill. This shouldn't have to be.
Budget components should include enough highway and bridge projects to keep Illinois moving forward. Match money of $1.5 billion should be appropriated so that Illinois can receive $6 billion in federal road and bridge money. As far as I know, this match money is not in the current FY 09 budget.
Opponents to the capital plan are on ice that's getting thinner by the moment if the Governor keeps saying that certain programs aren't going to fly without the Illinois Works capital plan.
technorati search: illinois