Posted on 06/15/2007 11:47:19 AM PDT by ChicagoConservative27
ping
Here’s a list of key Senate contacts for EVERYONE to email regarding immigration. Many offices are putting calls straight to voicemail and they can just trash faxes (and letters take weeks to get through due to security). Let’s hit Hill staff where they are so codependent - their Blackberries. Send email directly to staff - not just the
generic Senator’s mailbox. Contact their Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, and Press Secretary. Make your voice heard!!
Make sure you cut and paste the email addresses, instead of just clicking on them, as the HTML is only picking up half the email address (for some reason it cuts off the first name of the recipients).
Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Chief of Staff
tom_ingram@alexander.senate.gov
Legislative Director
david_morgenstern@alexander.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
scot_montrey@alexander.senate.gov
lee_pitts@alexander.senate.gov
Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO)
Chief of Staff
sean_conway@allard.senate.gov
Legislative Director
charles_cogar@allard.senate.gov
Communications Director
laura_condeluci@allard.senate.gov
Press Secretary
steve_wymer@allard.senate.gov
Senator Robert Bennett (R-UT)
Chief of Staff
maryjane_collipriest@bennett.senate.gov
Legislative Director
mark_morrison@bennett.senate.gov
Press Secretary
emily_christensen@bennett.senate.gov
Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond (R-MO)
Chief of Staff
brian_klippenstein@bond.senate.gov
Legislative Director
kara_smith@bond.senate.gov
Communications Director
shana_marchio@bond.senate.gov
Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS)
Chief of Staff
glen_chambers@brownback.senate.gov
Domestic Policy Advisor
brian_robertson@brownback.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
john_rankin@brownback.senate.gov
brian_hart@brownback.senate.gov
Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY)
Chief of Staff
blake_brickman@bunning.senate.gov
Legislative Director
kim_dean@bunning.senate.gov
Press Secretary
mike_reynard@bunning.senate.gov
Senator Richard Burr (R-NC)
Chief of Staff
alicia_peterson-clark@burr.senate.gov
alicia_petersonclark@burr.senate.gov
Legislative Director
Natasha_hickman@burr.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
laura_caudell@burr.senate.gov
mark_williams@burr.senate.gov
Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Chief of Staff
charlie_harmon@chambliss.senate.gov
Legislative Director – Monty Philpot
monty_philpot@chambliss.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
annelaurie_waters@chambliss.senate.gov
Angie_Lundberg@Chambliss.Senate.gov
Lindsay_mabry@chambliss.senate.gov
Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Chief of Staff
jenny_manley@cochran.senate.gov
Legislative Director
ta_hawks@cochran.senate.gov
Press Secretary
margaret_wicker@cochran.senate.gov
margaret_mcphillips@cochran.senate.gov
Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Chief of Staff
Jennifer_lowe@coleman.senate.gov
Deputy Chief of Staff
lucia_lebens@coleman.senate.gov
Legislative Director
lorianne_moss@coleman.senate.gov
Communications Director
tom_steward@coleman.senate.gov
tom_stewart@coleman.senate.gov
Press Secretary
leroy_coleman@coleman.senate.gov
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
Chief of Staff
steve_abbott@collins.senate.gov
Deputy Chief of Staff
Marybeth_carozza@collins.senate.gov
Legislative Director
jane_alonso@collins.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
elissa_davidson@collins.senate.gov
jen_burita@collins.senate.gov
kevin_kelley@collins.senate.gov
Senator Bob Corker (R-TN)
Chief of Staff
todd_womack@corker.senate.gov
Legislative Director
paul_palagyi@corker.senate.gov
Press Secretary
laura_lefler@corker.senate.gov
Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)
Chief of Staff
peter_olson@cornyn.senate.gov
Legislative Director
russ_thomasson@cornyn.senate.gov
Counsel
chip_roy@judiciary.senate.gov
matthew_johnson@judiciary.senate.gov
Ramona_mcgee@judiciary.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
brian_walsh@cornyn.senate.gov
don_stewart@cornyn.senate.gov
john_drogin@cornyn.senate
Senator Larry Craig (R-ID)
Chief of Staff
mike_ware@craig.senate.gov
Legislative Director
brooke_roberts@craig.senate.gov
Senior Policy Advisor
travis_jones@craig.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
dan_whiting@craig.senate.gov
Senator Michael Crapo (R-ID)
Chief of Staff
peter_fischer@crapo.senate.gov
pete_fischer@crapo.senate.gov
Legislative Director
Kenneth_flanz@crapo.senate.gov
Senior Policy Advisor
staci_lancaster@crapo.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
susan_wheeler@crapo.senate.gov
Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Chief of Staff
bret_bernhardt@demint.senate.gov
Legislative Director
matt_hoskins@demint.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
Wesley_denton@demint.senate.gov
Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC)
Chief of Staff
greg_gross@dole.senate.gov
Legislative Director
al_garesche@dole.senate.gov
General Counsel
ryan_meyers@dole.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
Katie_norman@dole.senate.gov
Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM)
Chief of Staff
steve_bell@domenici.senate.gov
Legislative Director
edward_hild@domenici.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
chris_gallegos@domenici.senate.gov
Immigration LA
tara_shaw@domenici.senate.gov
Senator John Ensign (R-NV)
Chief of Staff
john_lopez@ensign.senate.gov
Legislative Director
pam_thiessen@ensign.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
tory_mazzola@ensign.senate.gov
jack_finn@ensign.senate.gov
don_tatro@ensign.senate.gov
Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Chief of Staff
flip_mcconnaughey@enzi.senate.gov
Legislative Director
randi_reid@enzi.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
coy_knobel@enzi.senate.gov
elly_pickett@enzi.senate.gov
Immigration LA
wendy_gnehm@enzi.senate.gov
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Chief of Staff
richard_perry@lgraham.senate.gov
Legislative Director
jennifer_olson@lgraham.senate.gov
jen_olson@lgraham.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
wes_hickman@lgraham.senate.gov
kevin_bishop@lgraham.senate.gov
Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA)
Chief of Staff
david_young@grassley.senate.gov
Legislative Director
kolan_davis@grassley.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
jill_kozney@grassley.senate.gov
beth_pellett_levine@grassley.senate.gov
Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Chief of Staff
joel_maiola@gregg.senate.gov
Legislative Director
nancy_perkins@gregg.senate.gov
General Counsel
christopher_gahan@gregg.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
erin_rath@gregg.senate.gov
Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
Chief of Staff
louann_linehan@hagel.senate.gov
Legislative Director
paul_kong@hagel.senate.gov
General Counsel
steve_taylor@hagel.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
mike_buttry@hagel.senate.gov
jordan_stark@hagel.senate.gov
Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Chief of Staff
patricia_knight@hatch.senate.gov
Legislative Director
jace_johnson@hatch.senate.gov
Deputy LD
chris_campbell@hatch.senate.gov
Counsel
bill_castle@hatch.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
peter_carr@hatch.senate.gov
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
Chief of Staff
marc_short@hutchison.senate.gov
Legislative Director
matthew_acock@hutchison.senate.gov
james_christoferson@hutchison.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
jamie_loftus@hutchison.senate.gov
geoff_embler@hutchison.senate.gov
General Counsel
beto_cardenas@hutchison.senate.gov
Senator James Inhofe (R-OK)
Chief of Staff
glenn_powell@inhofe.senate.gov
Legislative Director
aloysius_hogan@inhofe.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
ryan_thompson@inhofe.senate.gov
Immigration LA
john_bonsell@inhofe.senate.gov
Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Chief of Staff
heath_garrett@isakson.senate.gov
Legislative Counsel
glee_smith@isakson.senate.gov
Senior LA
michael_quiello@isakson.senate.gov
Senior Policy Advisor/Communications Director
joan_kirchner@isakson.senate.gov
Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
Chief of Staff
tim_glazewski@kyl.senate.gov
Legislative Director
elizabeth_maier@kyl.senate.gov
Chief Counsel
Stephen_higgins@judiciary.senate.gov
Judiciary Counsel
joe_matal@judiciary.senate.gov
Legislative Counsel
lucy_murfitt@kyl.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
Andrew_wilder@kyl.senate.gov
Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)
Chief of Staff
bret_boyles@lott.senate.gov
Legislative Director
jim_sartucci@lott.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
susan_irby@lott.senate.gov
nick_simpson@lott.senate.gov
Legislative Counsel
hugh_gamble@lott.senate.gov
National Security Advisor
mitch_waldman@lott.senate.gov
Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN)
Chief of Staff
marty_morris@lugar.senate.gov
Legislative Director
chris_geeslin@lugar.senate.gov
Deputy LD
joe_o’donnell@lugar.senate.gov
Senior LA
Shellie_bressler@lugar.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
andy_fisher@lugar.senate.gov
Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL)
Chief of Staff
john_little@martinez.senate.gov
Legislative Director
michael_zehr@martinez.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
ken_lundberg@martinez.senate.gov
Senator John McCain (R-AZ)
Chief of Staff
vacant
Legislative Director
ann_begeman@mccain.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
eileen_mcmenamin@mccain.senate.gov
andrea_jones@mccain.senate.gov
Counsel
lee_dunn@mccain.senate.gov
Senior LA
chris_paul@mccain.senate.gov
Judiciary LA
joe_donoghue@mccain.senate.gov
Foreign Affairs LA
richard_fontaine@mccain.senate.gov
Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Chief of Staff
billy_piper@mcconnell.senate.gov
Legislative Director
scott_raab@mcconnell.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
robert_steurer@mcconnell.senate.gov
julie_adams@mcconnell.senate.gov
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Chief of Staff
donna_murray@murkowski.senate.gov
Legislative Director
Isaac_edwards@murkowski.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
danielle_holland@murkowski.senate.gov
kristin_pugh@murkowski.senate.gov
Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Chief of Staff
Jackie_cottrell@roberts.senate.gov
Legislative Director
mike_seyfert@roberts.senate.gov
Deputy LD
Jennifer_swenson@roberts.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
sarah_little@roberts.senate.gov
molly_mueller@roberts.senate.gov
Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Chief of Staff
rick_dearborn@sessions.senate.gov
Legislative Director
alan_hanson@sessions.senate.gov
Chief Counsel
cindy_hayden@sessions.senate.gov
Deputy Counsel
charles_campbell@sessions.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
michael_brumas@sessions.senate.gov
emily_mathis@sessions.senate.gov
Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL)
Chief of Staff
vacant
Legislative Director
laura_friedel@shelby.senate.gov
Office Manager
anne_caldwell@shelby.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
katie_boyd@shelby.senate.gov
Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR)
Chief of Staff
john_easton@gsmith.senate.gov
Legislative Director
rob_epplin@gsmith.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
rc_hammond@gsmith.senate.gov
Other Key Aides
beth_stewart@gsmith.senate.gov
dan_knezevic@gsmith.senate.gov
lori_prater@gsmith.senate.gov
Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
Chief of Staff
john_richter@snowe.senate.gov
Legislative Director
ray_krncevic@snowe.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
jake_ward@snowe.senate.gov
david_snepp@snowe.senate.gov
Senior Policy Advisor
ginny_worrest@snowe.senate.gov
Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA)
Chief of Staff
scott_hoeflich@specter.senate.gov
Deputy Chief of Staff/Legislative Director
thomas_dower@specter.senate.gov
Legislative Counsel
seema_singh@specter.senate.gov
seema_singh@judiciary.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
vacant
Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Chief of Staff
george_lowe@stevens.senate.gov
Legislative Director
karina_waller@stevens.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
aaron_saunders@stevens.senate.gov
courtney_boone@stevens.senate.gov
steven_wackowski@stevens.senate.gov
Senator John Sununu (R-NH)
Chief of Staff
paul_collins@sununu.senate.gov
Legislative Director
mike_o’rielly@sununu.senate.gov
michael_o’reilly@sununu.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
barbara_riley@sununu.senate.gov
Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY)
seat is currently vacant due to Senator Thomas’ death.
Senator John Thune (R-SD)
Chief of Staff
m_zabel@thune.senate.gov
matthew_zabel@thune.senate.gov
Legislative Director
david_schwietert@thune.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
kyle_downey@thune.senate.gov
jessica_ferguson@thune.senate.gov
Senator David Vitter (R-LA)
Chief of Staff
kyle_ruckert@vitter.senate.gov
Legislative Director
tonya_newman@vitter.senate.gov
Legislative Counsel
wendy_fleming@vitter.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
joel_digrado@vitter.senate.gov
mac_abrams@vitter.senate.gov
Senator George Voinovich (R-OH)
Chief of Staff
phil_park@voinovich.senate.gov
Counsel
george_callas@voinovich.senate.gov
doug_dziak@voinovich.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
chris_paulitz@voinovich.senate.gov
Senator John Warner (R-VA)
Chief of Staff
ann_loomis@warner.senate.gov
Legislative Director
chris_yianilos@warner.senate.gov
Legislative Counsel
angela_stewart@warner.senate.gov
Senior LA
conrad_schatte@warner.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
john_ullyot@warner.senate.gov
‘Allo! ‘Al...... oooohhhhh Hello what do we have here??? Ahhhh ... a very pleasing sight for a Friday afternoon
Ann Coulter in her tighty whitey t-shirt.
Outrage! Mel Martinez Condemns U.S In Latin America (Debbie Schlussel Open Borders RINO Alert)
Republican Party Chairman and Florida U.S. Senator Mel Martinez needs to get out of politics before he single-handedly (well, actually with the help of President George W. Bush and other Senators like Jon Kyl) destroys the Republican Party forever.
Today's Wall Street Journal Washington Wire reports that--despite the GOP's jilted lover stalking of the Hispanic vote (including such tactics as the Illegal Alien Amnesty Bill)--more Hispanics than ever identify themselves as Democrats rather than Republicans. A new Wall Street Journal/NBC poll finds that they identify 51% to 21% as Democrats to Republicans.
But, instead of facing the music that open borders advocacy doesn't help the GOP even from a pragmatic, vote-whoring point of view, Martinez instead BLAMES America for "past foreign interventions in Latin American countries" for the downward decline in Hispanic GOP identification. And, Martinez maintains, "a skillful 2008 Republican candidate can recover.
Thanks for sharing.
Daley wants gun outcry
He derides ‘silence’ on 30,000 deaths
By Gary Washburn
Tribune staff reporter
Published June 15, 2007
If the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq equaled the number of people — including children — cut down by guns on America’s streets, the outcry would resound across the country, Mayor Richard Daley said Thursday.
But Daley questioned why there seems to be little concern for the approximately 30,000 victims of U.S. gun violence each year and so little effort to push for firearms controls.
“If 30,000 people were killed in Iraq, there would be demonstrators downtown,” he said. “There would be people shouting and screaming, ‘End it! End it! End it!’ You wonder where are all these well-educated people in regard to this issue. Why are they silent on the issue?”
Daley turned the focus to gun violence at a South Side news conference where he made his annual plea for a violence-free summer for Chicago youngsters.
The mayor, who annually pushes for a package of gun-control measures in the General Assembly, said that everything possible to curb violence on the streets must be done in Springfield and Washington.
But “no one’s aroused,” he said. “No one’s upset, no one is picketing. No one is putting out [victims’] shoes like some people want to put out the boots of those killed in the line of duty in Iraq. No one puts [them on display] because there are too many, I guess.”
Meanwhile, gun victims who are disabled are “nameless faces,” the mayor said. “We don’t know them. They go unrecognized. They are in wheelchairs. They are in retirement homes at the age of 18 because they can’t move because of a bullet in their spine or in their head.”
The mayor called on parents to be vigilant this summer.
“Adults have responsibility,” he said. “I want parents all over to know where their kids are, where their children are at all times. It isn’t up to Chicago police at 11 o’clock to walk around and look for their kids.”
Police this year already have cited more than 11,000 curfew violators, said First Deputy Police Supt. Dana Starks. For all of 2006, the total was just less than 13,000.
“No child should be out after 10:30 p.m. on weekdays and 11:30 p.m. on weekends,” Starks said. “Last year, 78 percent of all [city] murders occurred outdoors,” and murder victims included seven youngsters between 10 and 16 who were killed after curfew hours, he said.
In all, 783 juveniles in the city were shot last year, 25 of them fatally, officials said.
“When unsupervised children are on the street late at night, they are potential victims of crime or offenders of crime,” Starks said.
Youngsters have opportunities for constructive activities, officials said.
More than 100,000 children are expected to take summer classes in the public schools; the city’s summer jobs program will have 18,600 participants; at least 45,000 are expected to participate in a summer reading program at public libraries; and more than 11,000 will take part in educational and recreational programs funded by the city’s Department of Children and Youth Services and the After School Matters program.
In separate action Thursday at City Hall, Daley announced the appointment of Richard Rodriguez to head the city’s troubled Buildings Department. If approved by the City Council, Rodriguez would become the fourth buildings chief in a little more than three years, assuming his post after revelations of breakdowns in code enforcement and arrests of some current and former employees on bribery charges.
Rodriguez, 36, has served as head of the Department of Construction and Permits since last year. That department has a long history of problems issuing permits in a timely manner, but Daley said that under Rodriguez’s tenure, the time frame for permit issuance was cut by about 40 percent even though the volume of permit application reviews climbed by 10 percent.
Daley said that a merger of the Buildings and Construction and Permits Departments is being considered, but no decision has been made.
Daley wants gun outcry
He derides ‘silence’ on 30,000 deaths
By Gary Washburn
Tribune staff reporter
Published June 15, 2007
If the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq equaled the number of people — including children — cut down by guns on America’s streets, the outcry would resound across the country, Mayor Richard Daley said Thursday.
But Daley questioned why there seems to be little concern for the approximately 30,000 victims of U.S. gun violence each year and so little effort to push for firearms controls.
“If 30,000 people were killed in Iraq, there would be demonstrators downtown,” he said. “There would be people shouting and screaming, ‘End it! End it! End it!’ You wonder where are all these well-educated people in regard to this issue. Why are they silent on the issue?”
Daley turned the focus to gun violence at a South Side news conference where he made his annual plea for a violence-free summer for Chicago youngsters.
The mayor, who annually pushes for a package of gun-control measures in the General Assembly, said that everything possible to curb violence on the streets must be done in Springfield and Washington.
But “no one’s aroused,” he said. “No one’s upset, no one is picketing. No one is putting out [victims’] shoes like some people want to put out the boots of those killed in the line of duty in Iraq. No one puts [them on display] because there are too many, I guess.”
Meanwhile, gun victims who are disabled are “nameless faces,” the mayor said. “We don’t know them. They go unrecognized. They are in wheelchairs. They are in retirement homes at the age of 18 because they can’t move because of a bullet in their spine or in their head.”
The mayor called on parents to be vigilant this summer.
“Adults have responsibility,” he said. “I want parents all over to know where their kids are, where their children are at all times. It isn’t up to Chicago police at 11 o’clock to walk around and look for their kids.”
Police this year already have cited more than 11,000 curfew violators, said First Deputy Police Supt. Dana Starks. For all of 2006, the total was just less than 13,000.
“No child should be out after 10:30 p.m. on weekdays and 11:30 p.m. on weekends,” Starks said. “Last year, 78 percent of all [city] murders occurred outdoors,” and murder victims included seven youngsters between 10 and 16 who were killed after curfew hours, he said.
In all, 783 juveniles in the city were shot last year, 25 of them fatally, officials said.
“When unsupervised children are on the street late at night, they are potential victims of crime or offenders of crime,” Starks said.
Youngsters have opportunities for constructive activities, officials said.
More than 100,000 children are expected to take summer classes in the public schools; the city’s summer jobs program will have 18,600 participants; at least 45,000 are expected to participate in a summer reading program at public libraries; and more than 11,000 will take part in educational and recreational programs funded by the city’s Department of Children and Youth Services and the After School Matters program.
In separate action Thursday at City Hall, Daley announced the appointment of Richard Rodriguez to head the city’s troubled Buildings Department. If approved by the City Council, Rodriguez would become the fourth buildings chief in a little more than three years, assuming his post after revelations of breakdowns in code enforcement and arrests of some current and former employees on bribery charges.
Rodriguez, 36, has served as head of the Department of Construction and Permits since last year. That department has a long history of problems issuing permits in a timely manner, but Daley said that under Rodriguez’s tenure, the time frame for permit issuance was cut by about 40 percent even though the volume of permit application reviews climbed by 10 percent.
Daley said that a merger of the Buildings and Construction and Permits Departments is being considered, but no decision has been made.
Ann has literally got some nice hooters.
Fun to play with.
Oh for heaven’s sake - it’s frat day
How about some year-round schools to go with year-round work for us adults?
My bad. Hi Sweets.
Daley needs to retire. Brain is rotting. That 30,000 dead in Iraq comment was way out there.
“Fun to play with.”
A little on the smallish side but considering to whom they are attached it’s an acceptable tradeoff ;)
Hush - and hi ;-)
“Oh for heaven’s sake - it’s frat day”
TO-GA! TO-GA! TO-GA!
Senate wants to pass this bill, so matter what. They are out of touch. American people will make them pay in 2008. Amnesty is not an option.
Let us Pray it doe’s not pass.
CTA and Blagojevich talk possible funding
Governor hints he’s open to options for state aid
By Jon Hilkevitch and Ray Long
Tribune staff reporters
Published June 14, 2007
Gov. Rod Blagojevich signaled he may be ready to address the transit funding crisis facing the Chicago area by meeting Wednesday with the Chicago Transit Authority’s top two officials.
The positive development prompted the CTA board to postpone a vote on a contingency plan of service cuts and fare increases, to be implemented in mid-September if no new state transit funding is provided. The board did approve the elimination of 27 administrative positions, part of $18.1 million in previously announced cost savings.
The governor’s invitation to meet came after Blagojevich made it clear his spending priorities are expanding health care and improving education. The governor provided no new transit funding in his proposed state budget, and he threatened to veto a regional sales-tax increase to help fund the CTA, Metra and Pace, which face a combined $226 million operating deficit for 2007.
Blagojevich’s meeting in Springfield included CTA Chairwoman Carole Brown, CTA President Ron Huberman and the legislative leadership — House Speaker Michael Madigan, House Minority Leader Tom Cross, Senate President Emil Jones and Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson.
Brown and Huberman made a presentation detailing the transit agency’s approximately $100 million operating shortfall and offered some partial self-help solutions such as reforming the CTA’s employee pension fund and paring administrative costs.
Deputy Gov. Sheila Nix said after the meeting that Blagojevich wants to give $100 million to the CTA to help stave off service cuts and proposed closing “corporate loopholes” to raise the money.
But House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) said Blagojevich’s proposal relies on ideas that lawmakers have rejected.
Nix said the governor is open to other possibilities.
Madigan said he would support the regional sales tax increase and a real estate transfer tax in Chicago that transit agency officials have proposed but does not expect to call the legislation for a vote in the House as long as the governor stands by his pledge to veto the measure.
While no immediate breakthrough was expected, CTA officials were encouraged.
“They [Brown and Huberman] thought it was a good meeting. The fact there was a meeting was a good thing,” said Carl Lingenfelter, Brown’s chief of staff.
Without about $100 million in new funding, Huberman has said the CTA will be forced to eliminate service on 63 bus routes, suspend the Purple Line/Evanston Express and Yellow Line rail routes and raise fares to as high as $3.25 per ride.
Brown and Huberman made it clear during the meeting Wednesday that they weren’t looking for a short-term bailout, officials said. They stressed that even larger public subsidies would be needed next year and beyond if the state failed to address structural budget issues.
The CTA board met after it concluded the last of four public hearings on the planned service cuts and fare increases.
About 120 people testified, many blaming the CTA’s problems on poor management and on rude bus drivers and train operators.
CTA rider Rudolph Ochoa complained that he could not afford the proposed fare increase in the monthly pass.
“I wish you would wake up and smell the Folger’s,” Ochoa told the board.
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