Jan 1, 2008 5:54 pm US/Central
Another Possible CTA Doomsday Looms
State Legislators Still Trying To Come Up With CTA Funding Solution
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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While a crowd rallied outside his office to express outrage over the latest temporary fix to the CTA, Governor Rod Blajojevich sent an olive branch to legislative leaders.
CBS
Lawmakers are ringing in the New Year by tackling a problem left from last year -- the CTA Funding crisis.
A special session of the General Assembly is set for Wednesday. CBS 2's Mike Parker reports.
It may now be 2008, but just like so many times in 2007, Chicago Rapid Transit riders are facing another doomsday – another threat of drastic service cuts and fare hikes. The new deadline is January 20.
"There is no more money, no magic wand; we can't wave this doomsday away," said Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston).
Hamos is chairman of the House mass transit committee.
"This is serious," she said. "It's going to be hard to convince the riders of that because they've seen these doomsdays come and go."
Monday, a special session of the legislature called by Gov. Blagojevich to come up with permanent transit funding convenes in Springfield.
Among the proposals is a Hamos bill that would hike the state sales tax in the Chicago area and create a regional real estate transfer tax. The governor opposes that.
He wants to fund transit by taking $385 million out of state gasoline sales tax revenues. Blagojevich would also close what he calls corporate tax loopholes. A cigarette tax hike is also a possibility.
"I think the governor is serious when he says we have to solve the transit problem," Hamos said. "He's gotten on board with that, he understands he can't do another bailout."
It's likely that lawmakers will treat this crisis a little more seriously. This time primary elections are coming up just a few weeks after the Jan. 20 doomsday.
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