THE ILLINOIS GOVERNOR RACE: 'TRAFFICKING MESS' SEEPS INTO RACE AS DALEY & DILLARD SQUARE-OFF AGAINST ANGLO-QUINN

THE ILLINOIS GOVERNOR RACE: 'TRAFFICKING MESS' SEEPS INTO RACE AS DALEY & DILLARD SQUARE-OFF AGAINST ANGLO-QUINN

07/25/13, Crain's Chicago, By Greg Heinz

Two leading candidates for Illinois governor today offered sharply differing prescriptions for how to deal with the mess at Metra, with one urging that the next governor be given expanded control over the troubled commuter rail agency and the other suggesting that Chicago Democrats may be trying to take advantage of the situation to "grab" more money for the Chicago Transit Authority.

Democrat Bill Daley started off the exchange with a press conference, where he said the governor should be able to appoint five of the 11 members of a reconstituted board so that someone is accountable.

He also urged that the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees both Metra and the CTA, be effectively abolished, with its functions divided among other units.

But state Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale, who is seeking the Republican nomination, says the solution to what ails Metra is not to abolish the RTA but to strengthen its powers over Metra and the CTA.

With Democrats completely running Springfield and now perhaps moving in on the RTA, "I hope this is not a plot to grab more money for the CTA (from the suburbs) while Metra is in chaos," Mr. Dillard said in a phone interview.

Mr. Daley focused most of his fire on the RTA, which he suggested has done a lousy job of keeping Metra in line while spending $33 million a year that could go for direct transportation services rather than "a bureaucratic Frankenstein."

“The RTA spends over $33 million per year and does not provide a single ride for anyone," Mr. Daley said. It's been unable to enact a universal fare card good on the CTA, Metra and Pace, he continued.

Meanwhile, he noted, one former Metra executive director, Phil Pagano, killed himself after being caught in a financial and forgery scandal, and a second, Alex Clifford, was given a $718,000 "departure settlement" after rejecting requests for patronage favors from Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and others.

“The only elected official who is voted on by the entire region is the governor," Mr. Daley said. "The governor should have the ability to hold Metra accountable, and then the voters should hold the governor accountable."

Under Mr. Daley's plan, the other six members of the 11-member Metra board would be selected by officials from Cook and the other five counties in the Chicago region.

Powers that RTA now has would be divided among the state Department of Revenue, the state inspector general, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and the three transit operating agencies.

Abolishing the RTA has won the support of some civic groups, such as Metropolis Strategies. But others have pointed out that eliminating the RTA has been a longtime wish for the CTA and City Hall.

Mr. Dillard clearly alluded to the latter in his interview.

"The RTA, while imperfect, still somewhat guarantees the funding equity between the CTA and the suburbs," he said. If its oversight of Metra has been inadequate, the solution is to give it "more power for the RTA, CTA and Pace, and not only in spending but hiring. . . .The CTA clearly needs oversight."

Most of Metra's money is distributed as per a legislative set agenda. But according to the RTA, about $180 million a year is discretionary, and since even routine actions by the RTA require a supermajority vote of its board, both the city and suburban commissioners have a lever to control what the other side does.

A spokesman for Mr. Daley replied that Mr. Dillard's concerns are unwarranted, since "almost all" of the RTA's operating subsidies are distributed by formula among the CTA, Metra and Pace.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Gov. Pat Quinn noted that he just signed a new law cutting pay and fringe benefits for members of the Metra board.

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