House Infrastructure Committee Hearing Considers the Stimulus Bill (check Chicago's list)

The Transport Politic ^ | 1-22-09

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Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Holds Hearing on “Infrastructure Investment: Ensuring an Effective Economic Recovery Program“

At a hearing this morning, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee discussed how the stimulus bill would be used most effectively. The hearing, titled “Infrastructure Investment: Ensuring an Effective Economic Recovery Program,” featured as witnesses the Governor of Wisconsin, the New York State Commissioner of Transportation, and the Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Transit Authority. Each witness argued not only that states and municipalities would be able to distribute funds from the federal government quickly and effectively, but also that more money would provide only added benefit. Each stressed the fact that the cost of overall infrastructure needs is far more vast than the total amount of funds proposed in the stimulus bill.oberstar

From the start, members of the committee used their platform to again criticise the existing state of the infrastructure bill, which shortchanges transit and rail in favor of continued high levels of highway funding. Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN) was direct: “Unfortunately, some of our proposals came victim to the tax cut, and to the Congressional Budget Office, [which is] very conservative.“

*snip*

Finally, Carole Brown, Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Transit Authority, made her statement:

“I need to echo my other panelists to say that we definitely could spend whatever money could come to our system in a 90-day framework. The reason I say that is because our system is so old… We have a $6.8 billion infrastructure need to get to a state of good repair…

“We have always looked at this package as not only a jobs bill but also an economic recovery bill… we need money to flow quickly and directly to CTA…

“We believe a robust investment in transit is critical… I don’t need to ask you what you would think the inauguration would have been like if Metro hadn’t been there…“

*snip*

n response to a question from Mr. DeFazio, Ms. Brown said “We are ready to go… the more the better.” She repeated that she was unable to go forward with projects without funding, but if she were given the funding, she would be capable of getting started very quickly. Mr. DeFazio pointed out that operating assistance to transit agencies had been stripped from the package, and Ms. Brown responded that she has to take money from capital funds to pay for operating costs, saying “the operating assistance was something we were very excited about.”

Mr. DeFazio seemed to be in favor of using federal funds to pay transit agencies for their operating funds, arguing that no transit agencies in the world operated entirely based on fare revenue.

*snip*

Representative Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) argued that the proposed funds for transit were too small. He pointed out that Ms. Brown had said $500 million could be spent in 90 days for the Chicago Transit Authority alone, but that the CTA would only be getting around $250 million from the stimulus bill.

Ms. Brown replied that the capital need is $6.8 billion, and suggested that she “needed” that money from Congress, for capacity increases, renovation of tracks, and replacement of rolling stock.

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CTA's Brown hopes to join Obama in D.C.

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'I WOULD BE HONORED' | Chairwoman could land in Treasury

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Already searching for a replacement for Chicago schools chief Arne Duncan, who is President-elect Obama's choice to serve as U.S. education secretary, it looks like Mayor Daley will soon have another top job to fill thanks to Chicagoans heading for Washington.

CTA Board Chairwoman Carole Brown is itching to join the Obama administration -- possibly in the Treasury Department. Last year, the Harvard-educated Brown, whose background is in municipal finance, lost a high-paying job here after the demise of Lehman Brothers, only to land on her feet at Mesirow Financial.

"Like anyone, I would be honored if asked to serve," said Brown, who succeeded Valerie Jarrett, the longtime Obama family friend and now assistant to the new president, in chairing the CTA board. "So far, that has not happened. . . . I have not been offered any position in the Obama administration.

Like most Americans, I'm just so proud of our president-elect. Anything I could do to make his administration a success, I would want to do."

If Brown goes to Washington, a possible replacement would be former Chicago Housing Authority chief Terry Peterson, who managed Daley's 2007 re-election campaign and turned down an offer to become the mayor's chief of staff shortly after Daley's landslide victory.

Two years ago, Daley appointed Brown to a new term on the CTA board that expires in 2013. A few months later, Brown's days appeared to be numbered, after the mayor dispatched his then-chief of staff Ron Huberman to the CTA to become its president and day-to-day boss.

Brown and Huberman had clashed during his days as chief of staff. Huberman asked to work with a new CTA chair. Brown also had a tense relationship with former CTA President Frank Kruesi.

But Brown, who started writing a blog to CTA riders, and Huberman evolved into a compatible team. They made a series of budget cuts and technology and customer-service improvements, survived the threat of "doomsday" fare hikes and service cuts with a Springfield bailout and raised fares when expenses rose, revenues declined and Gov. Blagojevich ordered free rides for seniors.

At board meetings, Huberman and Brown sometimes seem like an old married couple, even finishing each other's sentences.

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Carole Brown

*snip*

Those who know her say her honesty and candor will help.

"If she says she's going to do something, she delivers," says Valerie Jarrett, CEO of Habitat Corp., who preceded Ms. Brown as CTA chairwoman. "That gives her a level of credibility with the Legislature and the public that will allow her to build political support for the financial support the CTA needs."

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She's candid, alright. I heard her testify .. she wants that $500M ... somehow, sickeningly, as part of "the network," I think she'll get it.

I've just about given up that Chicago will lose the Olympics .. with the O-man at 1600 Penn, I'll bet it'll happen and the standard pockets plus, plus, plus will be lined, the Chicago way.

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~~PING!

[penelopesire]

What is the left’s obsession with ‘public transportation’?

Most of us don’t care for it...we have cars! Is it a fascist enviromental thing....a true need for the ‘poor’ to ‘get around’....a back door plan to take private property away for the ‘greater good’...or a slush fund for politicos to skim off the top and use for political pay offs/ bacon for the ‘home state’?

All of the above?

I just don’t get it. The poor get around ok on buses..do they not? I see buses all the time with 2 or 3 people on them in our neck of the woods.

Granted..passengers went up a bit during the high gas price period...but still..it was low. Now they have a rail system in our city. No-one rides it! It goes back and forth between our metro area and no-one is on the damn thing!

What is going on? Is the government subsidizing this venture in various places?

Just because it ‘works’ in DC and New York doesn’t mean it is going to ‘work’ for the rest of the country. It hasn’t ‘worked’ here.

Just curious what my fellow freepers think.