Jan 2, 2008 6:28 pm US/Central
Special Session Falls Apart In Springfield
Most Lawmakers Failed To Show Up To Find Solution To Transit Funding Crisis
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) ―
A special session in Springfield aimed at finding money for mass transit in the Chicago area turned out to be a bust on Wednesday.
CBS 2's Mike Parker reports, attendance was low and the meetings ended in a matter of minutes.
The state's capitol was so empty it seemed you could drive a CTA bus through the halls, and not endanger anybody. The legislative chambers were also mostly empty.
A sparsely-attended Senate meeting adjourned after two minutes. Attendance in the House was slightly better, but the session ended there after 13 minutes.
It wasn't quite what the governor had in mind when he spoke during a news conference Wednesday morning in Chicago.
"I called the General Assembly back into Springfield today at 5 o'clock. For most Americans and for most Illinoisans, people go back to work after January 1st. I believe it's time for the legislature to come back to work and get us a solution for the RTA and CTA funding crisis," the governor said.
The only sign of action was a house mass transit committee hearing on the effects of the governor's preferred solution to use $385 million worth of regional gasoline sales revenue to finance RTA and CTA operations.
"It has a nexus of transportation and it's a regional approach. The nexus is you ought to drive your car less and and spend more time taking public transportation," Blagojevich said.
The governor has said he would also like to take advantage of corporate tax loopholes and possibly implement a cigarette tax hike to fund transit. He opposes a proposal to use state sales tax and regional real estate transfer tax to cover mass transit costs.
Watching the slow pace in Springfield was an interested observer in Chicago's city hall.
"I'm concerned that some people are already talking about funding yet another short-term fix as has been done twice before. This is not solving anything," Mayor Richard Daley said.
Late Wednesday, Abby Ottenhoff, a spokesperson for the governor said in a statement, "We're disappointed that most lawmakers failed to appear for the special session called by the Governor to fund the CTA and avert a planned January 20 doomsday."
The CTA plans to cut 81 of its 154 bus routes, raise fares to as much as $3.25 and lay off more than 2,400 workers if the deadline passes without action in Springfield.
CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman reports, with the doomsday deadline coming in less than three weeks, customers are not happy.
"It's horrible, since the bus fare is already high," said customer Taneisha Geralds. "Horrible, especially when you're traveling far."
One CTA customer said he was not optimistic.
"I've lost hope in them, I really have," said Johnny Thomas. "I don't think that they'll get it done, no."
CBS 2's Mike Parker in Springfield and Kristyn Hartman in Chicago contributed to this report.
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