Jones plays Olympic card in state standoff
'WE MAY LOSE' GAMES | Cites bid to push Madigan on capital plan
Chicago could lose its Olympic bid because of legislative gamesmanship that has stymied a $34 billion infrastructure package, the Illinois Senate's top Democrat said Wednesday.
For the first time, Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago) played the Olympic card in an attempt to pressure House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) into supporting the package.
(Rich Hein/Sun-Times)
Jones' comments follow last week's assessment by the International Olympic Committee that Chicago's bid ranked third out of four finalists to host the 2016 games, in part, because of concerns about the city's transit system.
"You know, we may lose the Olympics," Jones said. "If you noticed the recent report that came out, Chicago ranked third . . . simply because of the infrastructure. And I know the CTA has to present to the IOC their plans for improving the infrastructure, which is tied to the capital bill. And the capital bill must pass. Otherwise, they keep playing around in the House, the speaker keeps playing around, we [could] lose the Olympics."
While supportive in concept of a capital plan, Madigan has blocked a House vote on the $34 billion deal that passed the Senate and included about $6 billion in state and federal dollars for Chicago area mass transit, roads and airports. The speaker has avoided a series of meetings with the governor and other legislative leaders to talk about what would be the first statewide construction program in nine years.
Madigan worries whether Gov. Blagojevich can be trusted to administer an initiative of that scope, given how the governor abruptly torpedoed millions of dollars of House Democratic projects in this year's budget, an aide said.
"Given the track record of this administration, even with a capital bill, there's no guarantee money would get spent the way it's supposed to or that the Olympic bid is any more assured," Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said.