McHenry County Blog

Included in the 1974 Regional Transportation Authority legislation was a 15% parking tax.

The logic advanced was that it would encourage people coming Downtown to use mass transportation.

Social engineering at work.

The problem, however, is that lots of people from the suburbs had other places that State Street to go shopping.

So add to the cost of parking and a trip to Chicago became less desirable.

The stores started closing

State Street was turned into a two-lane street.

“We’ll make it look like a suburban mall,” seemed to be the reasoning.

That didn’t work.

The millions spent to narrow State Street to two mainly bus lanes, thus preventing the relatively free flow of traffic, was undone.

As the ciost of parking gets higher in Chicago, fewer people will drive downtown. I think I learned that concept in my first economics course.

The RTA parking tax was repealed about the time the 5% RTA gasoline tax bit the dust.  (That RTA gas tax was another bit of social engineering included in the RTA Act.)

Now Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, having no idea that the idea of hiking parking taxes had negative effects on Chicago’s Loop in the past, is going to impose another parking tax.

Chicago Tribune cartoonist Scott Stantis, being new to town, doesn’t know about the RTA parking tax either, but a couple of weeks ago he came up with a delightful editorial campaign.

It has a depiction of a parking lot gate.

Upon the barrier sits the new Chicago Mayor with a big sledge hammer with the words “TAX IT” on the mallet.

He’s saying, “‘Cause I can.”

Know what, Mayor?

‘Cause we can find pretty much everything we want outside of Chicago, we can, too.

That was the question that came to mind when I read Friday’s Elgin Courier News.

The headline of Steve Lord’s story was

Empty
seats
at
Metra
hearing

To discuss fare hikes:
Meeting fails to draw
interest of commuters

Is it possible that suburbanites know what a great deal they are getting on their train commutes?

Might they be able to figure out that the price of diesel oil has increased a lot and fare increases are justified?

The suggestion is 5-10% in 2008 and 10% a year the next two years.

Let’s see, how much has the cost of gasoline increased in the last year?

Think the people who didn’t show up have any friends who have to get to and from work by car and have heard them complain about how much the cost of their commutes have gone up in the last year?

What to bet they don’t know that Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross wants to take the sales tax that vehicle commuters pay when they purchase motor fuel and use it to subsidize those privileged to be able to take the train to and from work.

Someone will point out this is just a secret RTA gas tax that even takes money out of the pockets of Downstaters. That’s because it comes right off the top of the state’s General Fund.

Downstaters who vote for such a plan can expect someone like me to point out how much their constituents are paying to subsidize the Chicago Transit Authority.

Only that someone could be running against them.

That was the question that came to mind when I read Friday’s Elgin Courier News.

The headline of Steve Lord’s story was

Empty
seats
at
Metra
hearing

To discuss fare hikes:
Meeting fails to draw
interest of commuters

Is it possible that suburbanites know what a great deal they are getting on their train commutes?

Might they be able to figure out that the price of diesel oil has increased a lot and fare increases are justified?

The suggestion is 5-10% in 2008 and 10% a year the next two years.

Let’s see, how much has the cost of gasoline increased in the last year?

Think the people who didn’t show up have any friends who have to get to and from work by car and have heard them complain about how much the cost of their commutes have gone up in the last year?

What to bet they don’t know that Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross wants to take the sales tax that vehicle commuters pay when they purchase motor fuel and use it to subsidize those privileged to be able to take the train to and from work.

Someone will point out this is just a secret RTA gas tax that even takes money out of the pockets of Downstaters. That’s because it comes right off the top of the state’s General Fund.

Downstaters who vote for such a plan can expect someone like me to point out how much their constituents are paying to subsidize the Chicago Transit Authority.

Only that someone could be running against them.

With the filing deadline for state legislator being Monday afternoon, most potentially vulnerable incumbents will probably think they vote for a CTA/RTA bailout or tax hike with impunity.

After all, no one can get 1,000 signatures after the vote and before the filing deadline.

None, but House Speaker Mike Madigan, will remember the outspoken suburban Republicans who bit the dust because of their support of the Regional Transportation Authority tax hikes in 1974.

Just to remind you, House Speaker Bob Blair, the RTA’s House sponsor, and the Senate sponsor, John Connolly, a Republican from Lake County, both lost to Democrats in the fall of 1974.

Because of their outspoken support of RTA.

Just because a suburban Republican doesn’t have a Democrat running against them yet, doesn’t mean one won’t pop up, if a suburban Republican casts the wrong vote.

Others, like Tim Schmitz, already have a primary opponent. His is Jim Krenz.

Thursday, Krenz issued the following press release warning that a “Yes” CTA bailout vote would be a primary election issue.

Other suburban Republicans rationalize they are about to “do the right thing.”

Just like Governor Rod Blagojevich in his rationalization that taking the sales tax money now collected on Motor Fuel (and, now that you mention it, on the MFT itself) won’t be labeled as a re-imposition of the RTA gas tax. (Can it really be possible that House Republican Leader Tom Cross came up with this idea and sold it to his buddy Rod?)

I don’t know where Blagojevich was in the late 1970’s as a revolution against the RTA was building statewide, but I can safely predict that someone will raise the same objections again, if he agrees to impose what amounts to another RTA gas tax to bail out the CTA.

They will point out, as my allies and I did, that when you take money from general revenue (sales taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, for example), it can be prorated to show how much everyone in Illinois is subsidizing the Chicago Transit Authority.

After all, the money comes right off the top.

Ask Mike McClain, the only state rep. younger than I was when he and I served in the House, why he lost his Quincy seat. I’ll bet he’ll remember the radio ads shouting that he was “taken for a ride by the CTA.”

That’s the issue that got Lynn Martin elected to the Illinois House in Rockford the only time Zeke Giorgi ran third.

Downstaters who don’t think potential opponents can figure out a similar issue to use against them are deluding themselves.

Dave Winters, who seems prepared to vote for the CTA bailout, comes to mind.

So, it doesn’t matter whether one is a suburbanite or a Downstater.

You may be thinking you are “doing the right thing.”

And, you may well get whatever you are promised for your vote.

But with Blagojevich being governor, don’t count on it.

Think about Blagojevich’s promise to re-open the Lincoln Developmental Center, both during the 2002 campaign and in a legislative deal that a certain Springfield state senator was positive would be fulfilled.

Unfortunately, if you vote for the CTA bailout, it won’t be until too late that you will realize that your tax hike bailout vote can and will be used against you.

If not next year, then in future election contests.

Suburbanites who are forced to drive to work don’t take kindly to being forced to help pay for rides to work of those fortunate enough to take the train to and from work.

Surely suburban legislators can figure out that the cost of commuting by car has increased a lot in the last year or so. I can guarantee those driving to work know that. They will not understand why train fares have not increased proportionately and they are being forced to take up the slack.

And Downstate constituents won’t like it when they are told how much they are personally being forced to pay to subsidize Chicagoans’ bus and train rides to and from work because of your vote to bail out the CTA.

Tim Schmitz’ opponent Jim Krenz’ press release follows:

KRENZ ASKS SCHMITZ
TO VOTE NO ON TAX INCREASE

MASSIVE PROPOSED TAX INCREASE
TO FUND TRANSIT FOR CHICAGO REGION

CARPENTERSVILLE, IL November 1, 2007 – Republican candidate Jim Krenz, who is running for State Representative in the 49th District, called on his opponent Tim Schmitz (R-Batavia) to vote NO on proposed legislation to increase taxes in order to fund mass transit in the Chicago region, which would help fund the CTA, Metra and PACE. The proposed legislation would increase taxes by tens of billions of dollars.

“I am calling on Schmitz to vote NO on this proposed legislation to increase taxes by billions of dollars,” said Jim Krenz. “Taxpayers should not be obligated to bailout the habitually mismanaged government agencies that have squandered taxpayers dollars and patience to this point.”

In order to bailout the CTA, Metra and PACE, Illinois lawmakers are looking at a quarter of a percent hike in the regional sales tax.

“Schmitz is being called out here because he has a past history of raising taxes,” said Krenz. “Over the years Schmitz has raised taxes over $100,000,000. I call on Schmitz to put a stop to political deal making and protect the 49th district and the rest of the Chicagoland area.”

Jim Krenz is running for the Republican nomination for State Representative in the 49th District. Krenz, a lifelong resident of the Fox Valley region, is running his election on important issues such as pro-life, lower taxes, slashing government waste, opposing illegal immigration, supporting 2nd amendment rights and reforming the current health care situation. One day after his announcement to seek the Republican nomination in the 49th District, Krenz pledged to wave his legislative pension if elected because it was a waste of tax payer dollars and unfair to the general public to have to pay for it. The Primary Election will take place on February 5, 2008. The 49th District covers St. Charles, Geneva, South Elgin, Elgin, Hampshire, Gilberts, West Dundee, Carpentersville and other communities in Northern Kane County.

With the filing deadline for state legislator being Monday afternoon, most potentially vulnerable incumbents will probably think they vote for a CTA/RTA bailout or tax hike with impunity.

After all, no one can get 1,000 signatures after the vote and before the filing deadline.

None, but House Speaker Mike Madigan, will remember the outspoken suburban Republicans who bit the dust because of their support of the Regional Transportation Authority tax hikes in 1974.

Just to remind you, House Speaker Bob Blair, the RTA’s House sponsor, and the Senate sponsor, John Connolly, a Republican from Lake County, both lost to Democrats in the fall of 1974.

Because of their outspoken support of RTA.

Just because a suburban Republican doesn’t have a Democrat running against them yet, doesn’t mean one won’t pop up, if a suburban Republican casts the wrong vote.

Others, like Tim Schmitz, already have a primary opponent. His is Jim Krenz.

Thursday, Krenz issued the following press release warning that a “Yes” CTA bailout vote would be a primary election issue.

Other suburban Republicans rationalize they are about to “do the right thing.”

Just like Governor Rod Blagojevich in his rationalization that taking the sales tax money now collected on Motor Fuel (and, now that you mention it, on the MFT itself) won’t be labeled as a re-imposition of the RTA gas tax. (Can it really be possible that House Republican Leader Tom Cross came up with this idea and sold it to his buddy Rod?)

I don’t know where Blagojevich was in the late 1970’s as a revolution against the RTA was building statewide, but I can safely predict that someone will raise the same objections again, if he agrees to impose what amounts to another RTA gas tax to bail out the CTA.

They will point out, as my allies and I did, that when you take money from general revenue (sales taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, for example), it can be prorated to show how much everyone in Illinois is subsidizing the Chicago Transit Authority.

After all, the money comes right off the top.

Ask Mike McClain, the only state rep. younger than I was when he and I served in the House, why he lost his Quincy seat. I’ll bet he’ll remember the radio ads shouting that he was “taken for a ride by the CTA.”

That’s the issue that got Lynn Martin elected to the Illinois House in Rockford the only time Zeke Giorgi ran third.

Downstaters who don’t think potential opponents can figure out a similar issue to use against them are deluding themselves.

Dave Winters, who seems prepared to vote for the CTA bailout, comes to mind.

So, it doesn’t matter whether one is a suburbanite or a Downstater.

You may be thinking you are “doing the right thing.”

And, you may well get whatever you are promised for your vote.

But with Blagojevich being governor, don’t count on it.

Think about Blagojevich’s promise to re-open the Lincoln Developmental Center, both during the 2002 campaign and in a legislative deal that a certain Springfield state senator was positive would be fulfilled.

Unfortunately, if you vote for the CTA bailout, it won’t be until too late that you will realize that your tax hike bailout vote can and will be used against you.

If not next year, then in future election contests.

Suburbanites who are forced to drive to work don’t take kindly to being forced to help pay for rides to work of those fortunate enough to take the train to and from work.

Surely suburban legislators can figure out that the cost of commuting by car has increased a lot in the last year or so. I can guarantee those driving to work know that. They will not understand why train fares have not increased proportionately and they are being forced to take up the slack.

And Downstate constituents won’t like it when they are told how much they are personally being forced to pay to subsidize Chicagoans’ bus and train rides to and from work because of your vote to bail out the CTA.

Tim Schmitz’ opponent Jim Krenz’ press release follows:

KRENZ ASKS SCHMITZ
TO VOTE NO ON TAX INCREASE

MASSIVE PROPOSED TAX INCREASE
TO FUND TRANSIT FOR CHICAGO REGION

CARPENTERSVILLE, IL November 1, 2007 – Republican candidate Jim Krenz, who is running for State Representative in the 49th District, called on his opponent Tim Schmitz (R-Batavia) to vote NO on proposed legislation to increase taxes in order to fund mass transit in the Chicago region, which would help fund the CTA, Metra and PACE. The proposed legislation would increase taxes by tens of billions of dollars.

“I am calling on Schmitz to vote NO on this proposed legislation to increase taxes by billions of dollars,” said Jim Krenz. “Taxpayers should not be obligated to bailout the habitually mismanaged government agencies that have squandered taxpayers dollars and patience to this point.”

In order to bailout the CTA, Metra and PACE, Illinois lawmakers are looking at a quarter of a percent hike in the regional sales tax.

“Schmitz is being called out here because he has a past history of raising taxes,” said Krenz. “Over the years Schmitz has raised taxes over $100,000,000. I call on Schmitz to put a stop to political deal making and protect the 49th district and the rest of the Chicagoland area.”

Jim Krenz is running for the Republican nomination for State Representative in the 49th District. Krenz, a lifelong resident of the Fox Valley region, is running his election on important issues such as pro-life, lower taxes, slashing government waste, opposing illegal immigration, supporting 2nd amendment rights and reforming the current health care situation. One day after his announcement to seek the Republican nomination in the 49th District, Krenz pledged to wave his legislative pension if elected because it was a waste of tax payer dollars and unfair to the general public to have to pay for it. The Primary Election will take place on February 5, 2008. The 49th District covers St. Charles, Geneva, South Elgin, Elgin, Hampshire, Gilberts, West Dundee, Carpentersville and other communities in Northern Kane County.

Recently Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross has reportedly suggested using the sales tax now collected on gasoline and diesel fuel to subsidize mass transit.

Maybe that makes as much sense as using that sales tax on health care or other general state government expenditures (as is the case now), but it reminds me of how the people who drafted the original Regional Transportation Authority law really wanted to punish car drivers.

They put it another way.

Taxing people for the gasoline they used and where people parked their cars in the city would encourage them to take trains and buses.

These Chicago-centric social engineers had no clue that most people in the Chicago metropolitan area could not take trains and buses to work if they wanted to.

That meant the gas and parking taxes were simply punishments to be meted out by the allies the social engineers figured would be appointed to the RTA Board.

Let’s set aside the fact that Illinois is one of very few states that levies both a motor fuel tax and, then, applies a sales tax on the cost of the fuel, plus the motor fuel taxes, state and federal.

Let’s ask if Cross is so young that he doesn’t remember the RTA gas tax. It was a 5% sales tax on gasoline and the tax on gasoline, federal and state.

RTA was barely enacted (less than a 2,000 vote margin with paper ballots) by referendum in 1974 while I was a freshman state representative.

The opposition was so strong to the gas tax that it wasn’t until a financial “emergency” that the Board approved the authorized 5 percent gas tax. It was in Woodstock at its one and only meeting held in McHenry County. (Naturally, McHenry County residents demonstrated, protest signs and all. The RTA Board never returned to McHenry County. Naturally, none of the board members or staff took the train.)

Now, word filters out that John Filan, Governor Rod Blagojevich’s ex-budget guy, now “Chief Operating Officer,” favors taxing every parking space in the six-county area to subsidize the Regional Transportation Authority.

Guess what?

That idea has been tried and found wanting, too.

Such a tax was imposed on commercial parking lots, but repealed after Downtown Chicago businesses figured out that they didn’t need another disincentive for suburban shoppers.

During 1974, I thought my colleague State Rep. Don Deuster (R-Mundelien) went over the top by claiming that the RTA Act would allow the taxation of church parking lots.

Maybe he was just 33 years ahead of his time.

No, I’m wrong.

Churches would be exempted under Filan’s proposal.

It would tax every commercial parking space, whether free to the customer or not.

Get ready for grocery prices and prices of everything else you drive to buy to increase.

Regardless of what failed in the first ten years of RTA’s history, today’s politicians are doing their very best to recreate that past.

Enrage those who cannot tax mass transit by forcing them to subsidize those who are fortunate enough to be able to do so.

What will be the result?

Recently Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross has reportedly suggested using the sales tax now collected on gasoline and diesel fuel to subsidize mass transit.

Maybe that makes as much sense as using that sales tax on health care or other general state government expenditures (as is the case now), but it reminds me of how the people who drafted the original Regional Transportation Authority law really wanted to punish car drivers.

They put it another way.

Taxing people for the gasoline they used and where people parked their cars in the city would encourage them to take trains and buses.

These Chicago-centric social engineers had no clue that most people in the Chicago metropolitan area could not take trains and buses to work if they wanted to.

That meant the gas and parking taxes were simply punishments to be meted out by the allies the social engineers figured would be appointed to the RTA Board.

Let’s set aside the fact that Illinois is one of very few states that levies both a motor fuel tax and, then, applies a sales tax on the cost of the fuel, plus the motor fuel taxes, state and federal.

Let’s ask if Cross is so young that he doesn’t remember the RTA gas tax. It was a 5% sales tax on gasoline and the tax on gasoline, federal and state.

RTA was barely enacted (less than a 2,000 vote margin with paper ballots) by referendum in 1974 while I was a freshman state representative.

The opposition was so strong to the gas tax that it wasn’t until a financial “emergency” that the Board approved the authorized 5 percent gas tax. It was in Woodstock at its one and only meeting held in McHenry County. (Naturally, McHenry County residents demonstrated, protest signs and all. The RTA Board never returned to McHenry County. Naturally, none of the board members or staff took the train.)

Now, word filters out that John Filan, Governor Rod Blagojevich’s ex-budget guy, now “Chief Operating Officer,” favors taxing every parking space in the six-county area to subsidize the Regional Transportation Authority.

Guess what?

That idea has been tried and found wanting, too.

Such a tax was imposed on commercial parking lots, but repealed after Downtown Chicago businesses figured out that they didn’t need another disincentive for suburban shoppers.

During 1974, I thought my colleague State Rep. Don Deuster (R-Mundelien) went over the top by claiming that the RTA Act would allow the taxation of church parking lots.

Maybe he was just 33 years ahead of his time.

No, I’m wrong.

Churches would be exempted under Filan’s proposal.

It would tax every commercial parking space, whether free to the customer or not.

Get ready for grocery prices and prices of everything else you drive to buy to increase.

Regardless of what failed in the first ten years of RTA’s history, today’s politicians are doing their very best to recreate that past.

Enrage those who cannot tax mass transit by forcing them to subsidize those who are fortunate enough to be able to do so.

What will be the result?

A recent column by the Chicago Tribune’s Public Editor Timothy J. McNulty told this about Dodie Hofstetter, the person who selects letters to the editor:

Hofstetter said she judges the quality of the letter, not whether she agrees with the writer’s stand. “I run letters I completely disagree with all the time,” she said.

So, I open up my Chicago Tribune Saturday and what was the top letter?

One advancing the same failed ideas of how to finance mass transit that the Chicago Tribune endorsed before the 1974 Regional Transportation Authority referendum.

Excuse me if I think that Ms. Hofsetter may have some personal or institutional stake in highlighting these ideas:

• Create a 5-cent-per-gallon, six-county gasoline tax.
• Create a 25-cents-per-day-per-car (regardless of length of time parked) downtown, off-street parking tax. Both of these taxes would be used to help fund the entire transit system. No one likes additional taxes, but everyone benefits from an improved transit system.

Some of retired school teacher James P. Furey’s ideas have more merit, but these two were tried and repealed in the early 1980’s.

Must have been a reason.

A recent column by the Chicago Tribune’s Public Editor Timothy J. McNulty told this about Dodie Hofstetter, the person who selects letters to the editor:

Hofstetter said she judges the quality of the letter, not whether she agrees with the writer’s stand. “I run letters I completely disagree with all the time,” she said.

So, I open up my Chicago Tribune Saturday and what was the top letter?

One advancing the same failed ideas of how to finance mass transit that the Chicago Tribune endorsed before the 1974 Regional Transportation Authority referendum.

Excuse me if I think that Ms. Hofsetter may have some personal or institutional stake in highlighting these ideas:

• Create a 5-cent-per-gallon, six-county gasoline tax.
• Create a 25-cents-per-day-per-car (regardless of length of time parked) downtown, off-street parking tax. Both of these taxes would be used to help fund the entire transit system. No one likes additional taxes, but everyone benefits from an improved transit system.

Some of retired school teacher James P. Furey’s ideas have more merit, but these two were tried and repealed in the early 1980’s.

Must have been a reason.

I can hardly believe that George Ranney, one of the Regional Transportation Authority’s original promoters, is advocating the same RTA gas tax that was included in the original legislation.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” as George Santayana put in 1905.

So, go ahead.

Re-enact the RTA gas tax.

Make it 5%.

Apply it to the state and federal Motor Fuel Tax portion of the price of gasoline, too.

15 cents or more a gallon.

And, why not suggest the repealed parking tax, too?

You will create another suburban Cal Skinner.

I hope he or she has as much fun killing a new RTA Gas Tax as I did the original one.

= = = = =
After I wrote this article I remembered that Ranney was the designated spokesman for the RTA Citizens Committee for Better Transportation in the last radio program on the subject. It occurred the Friday before the RTA referendum was barely (and maybe–no recount allowed in an entirely paper ballot and less than a 13,000 vote margin with obvious fraud) passed. We were at a little FM station in some older Chicago high rise. By then I had my sound bites down pat.

As we reached the elevator after the recording, Ranney said, “If we had known we wolud have so much trouble in McHenry County, we would have left you out.”

My response: “Now you tell me!”

= = = = =
And, yes, this picture of me shows what the House Chambers looked like in the late 1970′s. Huge stacks of bills, if you wanted to have a chance of being able to figure out what was going on beyond the Legislative Digest. And some of us were a lot thinner.