Here’s the headline from Capitol Fax, which explains it all:

RTA put temporary federal bailout money into its base spending, and now it faces a huge fiscal cliff

One does not build one-time money into the base of a governmental budget, says me, a former Budget Examiner with the United States Bureau of the Budget.

Here’s what the tax eaters at the Regional Transportation Authority propose:

• higher taxes on sales,
• motor fuels or
• both;
• extending the existing RTA sales tax to cover more services;
• a 5% boost in tolls on the Illinois Tollway; and, more long term,
• a congestion tax or
• tax on miles driven.

If you want a longer discription, you can find it here.

For more background, read these articles:

• RTA’s Dillard Seeks Tax Hike – Part 1
• RTA’s Dillard Seeks Tax Hike – Part 2