‘You Didn’t Use the Money We Gave You Last Time’

August 6th, 2008 at 09:18am Aaron Chambers

As you probably know already, the powers that be in Springfield are more interested in battling egos than in reaching a compromise over a new statewide capital construction plan.

What isn’t clear is whether the state’s failure to adopt a new capital plan might compromise its ability to attract millions in federal matching dollars earmarked for Illinois building projects in the last federal highway bill. In other words, will Illinois forfeit federal dollars because it doesn’t have its own money to spend first?

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin helped answer that question in a recent WTTW interview with Carol Marin.

“Next year we start negotiating the next federal highway bill,” Durbin said. “What do you think I’m going to say walking into those meetings, that Illinois needs more money? They’re going to say, ‘You didn’t use the money we gave you last time.’”

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Entry Filed under: Illinois politics