This whole issue of upgrading UP’s tracks along 3rd street in Springfield just keeps getting marred in state and local politics.
http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x1128387241/Madigan-bill-would-prohibit-state-money-for-3rd-Street-rail-improvements
House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, has introduced legislation that would prohibit the state from spending any money on improvements to freight or passenger rail service on the Third Street corridor in Springfield.
“I say, thank God: We finally found a statewide leader that has some common sense,” said Sangamon County Board chairman Andy Van Meter, who has helped lead the fight against high-speed rail along Third Street.
Van Meter said he believes Madigan has enough clout to make a difference.
“When the speaker weighs in on a subject, he’s serious about it,” Van Meter said.
Steve Brown, Madigan spokesman, said it’s time for state lawmakers to take action.
“I think it’s an important issue,” Brown said. “I think the process, as it’s played out in public, appears to be jumbled, may be the most polite word. It’s appropriate for the legislature to get involved, and this is the best way to accomplish this.”
The one-sentence bill comes just days before the Illinois Department of Transportation is due to submit a grant application for federal stimulus money to construct a parallel track between Chicago and St. Louis in a right-of-way owned by Union Pacific. Besides allowing passenger trains at 110 mph, the new track would more than double the corridor’s capacity, and Union Pacific has said it wants to increase the number of freight trains from about six per day to 22 by 2017.
The federal application is due Friday, and supporters of the project have said it’s too late to consider any alternative other than the Third Street corridor. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who lives in Springfield, has said railroads are difficult, if not impossible, to fight, and he’s encouraged local leaders to work with Union Pacific to develop plans for overpasses and underpasses to reduce the new track’s impact on the city.
Their loss will be someone else's gain.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
And we all know how enlightened, forthright, honest and considerate of the public interest Illinois politicians are...right....wrong???? RIGHT!!!!!
Mike Madigan the man that to the END defended Blago and Geogre Ryan so that gives you an IDEA on how he really is. Also Mike is the one that refused to talk to Gov Quinn about fixing the Budget and will not do anything except cower to the UNIONS.
Question to someone familiar with Springfield.
Is not this corridor that they seem so upset about that alread has a railline running right up the middle of it?
I seem to recall a north south street in the NE quadrant of Springfield that was roughly parallel to the West of I-55 . It has been years since I was there, but the last ime I was in Springfield, it seemed to have a lot of railroad traffic for a city street.
eolafan And we all know how enlightened, forthright, honest and considerate of the public interest Illinois politicians are...right....wrong???? RIGHT!!!!!
You've obviously never observed politics in Louisiana and New Jersey, both longtime bastions of clean government
It really does not matter what Mike Maddigan wants. If the money is allocated by the Federal Government in the form of the grant. It WILL happen and Maddigan can rant untill the cows give beer, wine and scotch whiskey..
Wrong Madigan will tie this Project up in more knots than worse than the Farmers in CA by a 2 inch fish. Remember this man and his Daughter screwed over not one but 3 Governers in a row for the past 8 years just to improve his political standing. He has blocked every bill that would ban reform in IL Politics and get rid of the Unlimited cash he can raise and spread around knowing that he then can say well either vote for me or I will give money to you Primary Opponet. He also refused to bring to a vote any bill that would reform the State Union and Teacher Pension system and also get rid of Automatic COL increase and Pier Diem for the Legislatiure when the Statehouse is only in Session 70 days a year and he gets 200K a year.
He also refuses to fund the Schools at the State MANDATED levels because it would require Layoffs of the Powerful State UNION WORKERS and also require that the State show were all the income goes. There will be 8 people on a crew yet only one is working 7 are sitting in the cab getting 30 an hour.
Fellas- can we try and make this a thread about trains, and not just a rant about politicians? Thanks-Norris
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Murphy Siding Fellas- can we try and make this a thread about trains, and not just a rant about politicians? Thanks-Norris
Norris I do understand where your comming from on this issue BUT what the thread is about is politics on the issue of railroading in illinois. I personally would let the thread ride as long as nobody got political insulting and name calling of this issue.
It is sad to say that i love this screwed up state i live in( illinois) and as a railroader having to put up with the politics of chicago against illinois on issue of high speed rail and raising speed limits for railroading in general is going to be a up hill battle in this state we are gain ground in indiania but chicago will be like LA in that they wont let any body have a dime unless they get 7 cents of it first. I think chicago should mind there own buisness and leave the rest f the state alone.
See Norris nobody was called any names and my statement was in general. Or should I say lets get ready to rumble.
I see what you're saying wabash1. Understandably, the thread is about a politician's attitudes about railroading in Illinois. Let's try to keep it focused on that end of it, and not on whether a person likes or dislikes the politician. Thanks.
Murphy Siding I see what you're saying wabash1. Understandably, the thread is about a politician's attitudes about railroading in Illinois. Let's try to keep it focused on that end of it, and not on whether a person likes or dislikes the politician. Thanks.
Murphy, at the risk of being delisted, I must say that you just don't understand the situation in Illinois.
Here, a 15 year old is beaten to death on video by a mob in broad daylight while our "leaders" fly to Europe to seek "Games". It's kind of like "Haiti North".
Madigan is the boss of Illinois. Just like Mayor Daley (King Richard II) is boss of Chicago. Niether one has anything to fear politically. They're locked in. Democratic representative government took a powder in Illinois years ago.
Madigan moves with impunity. The chief law enforcement officer of the state, the Attorney General, is his daughter. I'm not making this up. She's "Little" Lisa Madigan, Attorney General of Illinois and the daughter of the ruller. With all the corruption in this state, she's never been involved in a prosecution of said corruption. Her father has nothing to fear.
Here's an example from my own county, Lake County. Our chief judge was arrested for suspicion of DUI. He simply refused to role down his car window, then he said he was "sick". The officer making the stop called the paramedics and the judge was taken to a hospital where blood was drawn.
Then really strange things began to happen. The police officer's video camera was found to have "malfunctioned". Amazingly, so did the video camera in the car of the back up officer who responded. Both cameras malfunctioned. Gee Wiz. Who'd a thunk it?
Then the arresting officer died. He had a "Heart Attack". He was in his mid 40's. What a coincidence! I'm not making this up either. He died. They put him in a coffin and put him in the ground. Do you think other police officers didn't get the message?
So because the arresting officer was unable to testify as to why he stopped the judge, the judge sought to dismis the charges against himself. The hospital blood sample was not admissible as evidence because the dead officer (heart attack in his mid 40's) couldn't testify to justify the stop. That's really a judge seeking truth and justice now isn't it.
It all makes sense once you know that the arrested judge is a cousin of Chicago's Mayor Daley.
Despite the officer having to give up his life to make a DUI arrest, the judge was convicted. Convicted of the DUI, nothing else. But he's still on the bench. Doing the judge thing. Kind of a Ted Kennedy thing. If I got stopped for a DUI, I could stand before him. (It will not happen. I have for decades followed a strict rule that allows me two glasses of wine or beer before heading home. If I have a Gin & Tonic, the limit is one.)
Getting this back to Madigan and the tracks through Springfield, you need to remember that he's the "Boss" in Illinois. His friends are in Washington, DC. The US Secreatry of Transportation is a former congressman from Illinois. He didn't get appointed Secretary of Transportaion because he caused trouble. The President of the United States is from...well, let's not go there. But he didn't do anything much against the corruption either while he held polictical office in Illinois.
Just realize that if "Boss Madigan" don't want it, it ain't gonna' happen in this state. And if you've got the right political connections you can get away with anything here, including murder.
I understand that Maddigan is the boss of Illinois just like Boss Tweed was in New York. But as stated earlier. Even if no state money is put into the project, if they receive the federal grant money the high speed rail will occur. I would think that Illinois would be glad to get the money, as this crezte a lot of jobs, but temporary during the consturction and permenent. I do not understand why Mike Maddigan is so opposed to the second track. Can someone from Illinois please explain his position on the isssue?
I really love this one since it is the State of Illinois against the State of Illinois. No matter what happens one gang of politicians is going to loose. Popcorn for all!
Mac
Gentlemen, the thread will be locked unless you can find a way to limit the discussion to the proposed outcomes that the legislation appears, upon analysis and discussion, to bring to railroading in the state. In other words, let us deal strictly with the likely effects, and not with the assumed defects in either morality, logic, or intent of the person(s)/group proposing the legislation.
That is as plainly as I can put it. Any fancied needing or desiring to understand the state of Illinois's politics is unnecessary for the debate to continue. That can be done privately out of the posts or on other applicable fora.
Please keep it on the assumed problems for railroaders, and on possible alternatives.
-Crandell
Well, before this thread gets locked, when I worked on the former GM&O (even worked at Springfield while on the extra board) there were two tracks on the main line from Mazonia through Springfield down to Rinaker where there was some CTC on single track.
A lot of the r-o-w is now single track, and perhaps the current double track requirements call for wider r-o-w, but there has been double track through Springfield in years gone by. Taint nuthin' new.
Art
Crandell. Here are a FEW things Mike Madigan has BLOCKED that are Railroad Related as IL Speaker of the House. Came out Against the CN EJ&E Merger. Has blocked numerous efforts by Metra to upgrade its car fleet why because the shells would not be built by UNION Employees. Fights CREATE why because the State has NO SAY ON HOW THE MONEY GETS SPENT therefore no chance for HIM TO GET HIS CUT FROM THE UNIONS. He also until it became a Political NEED that either he backed it or he would LOOSE THE NEXT SPEAKER ELECTION IN 2010 refused to even think about bringing IL into the 21th century on the Split Speed Limit law. Hell he refused to allow trucks heavier than 73280 on regular roads which put IL at a Economic Disadvantage.
I can go on and on how Mike Madigan is WORSE than Bladgoelbich Obama and Daley combined when it comes to Corruption however it would result in the banning of me and the locking of this thread.
Since it seems like we're not going to be able to make this a thread about a politician's effects on railroading, only one about politicians, and politics, I am going to lock this one. Enough politics. Can we talk about trains?-Norris user/moderator.
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