Illinois Highway Budget goes to Zero

[3467]

http://capitolfax.com/2011/01/26/this-just-in-appellate-court-strikes-down-capital-bill-video-poker-lottery-privatization-and-lots-lots-more/#comments

Illinois deficit has looked among the worst because Illinois has 2 budgets: a capital buget and an annual budget . The Cap budget was balanced and the general fund had a huge debt until the tax increase so our deficit looked worse than all the others because the Cap budget was not included.

You can read the details here but no there is NO capital budget and that included all the raod program not just new or widened route. It risks all our federal funds not just our earmarks.

Illinois seemed to be one of the few states actually building new roads. Now there is a problem

[J N Winkler]

Having studied the court ruling, I am basically in agreement with it.  The Illinois state constitution specifies that each bill must deal with only one subject (a provision which good-government advocates have consistently encouraged since at least the beginning of the twentieth century), and the laws in question dealt with multiple subjects without qualifying as codification bills, so they should not have been passed in their current form.  However, this objection is technical and relates only peripherally to the substantive public policy issues involved in the laws.  Are there any reasons (political or otherwise) why they can't be re-promulgated in a form which satisfies the single-subject rule?

[3467]

You are  correct on all points.The problem is political. There must be a supermajority for a bond issue which gives the republicans some power. However the democrats control redistricting and can trade safe seats for votes and projects.
It should be interesting

[Brandon]

Why not just sell the IDiOT freeways to ISTHA?  ISTHA does a better job with the controlled access roads anyway.  Use tolls and lower the gas tax.

[3467]

I think under Federal law we could only sell non original also known as the nonchargable routes. I think that is 39 the rest of 88 155 72 the Alton bypass US 34 US 20 the Elgin Ohare and I think part of the Kennedy from the Tollway to the Edens Junction.

[mightyace]

If they grab the slot that PA lost in the I-80 tolling proposal, they could lease one interstate to ISTHA.

Of course, it would have to be done in a way that it would not be shot down.  i.e. Only to pay for maintenance and a "reasonable" return on investment.

[Revive 755]

Why not just sell the IDiOT freeways to ISTHA?  ISTHA does a better job with the controlled access roads anyway.  Use tolls and lower the gas tax.

I don't think adding tolls to many routes would go over well anyway; tolling for the new I-70 bridge at St. Louis didn't go over very well, even when the tolls could have only been on the new structure. 

It seems to me that the reason any opposition to tolling I-70 across Illinois to pay for the Corridor of the Future Truck Only Lanes hasn't appeared yet is that most people don't even know of the proposal yet.

Furthermore, I've yet to determine or hear if there is any truth to the sayings that ISTHA can only manage/build roads in the northern half of the state, though this possibility has come up from two separate IDOT districts.

[kharvey10]

only problem is that the ISTHA is a state agency