Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Daley: Ryan got more done in Springfield

From Clout Street. This has got to hurt:

Mayor Richard Daley, seeking more cash for Chicago Public Schools and construction money for the CTA, sounded Tuesday as though he's longing for the good old days of Gov. George Ryan.

Though the mayor declined to single out Gov. Rod Blagojevich or any particular legislator for criticism at the lack of progress in Springfield on those two fronts, Daley did concede more business got done under Ryan, the former Republican governor whose felony-conviction appeal the U.S. Supreme Court rejected earlier in the day.

"He understood that infrastructure is always important the first day you arrive, because he had the experience in government, and he always knew it was important," Daley said of Ryan. "And people trusted him, they did."

That trust isn't there in Springfield these days, said Daley, likening the competing Springfield factions to the Hatfields and McCoys.

"The General Assembly has been in session for five-and-a-half months," Daley said. "The regular session is supposed to end in another few days, and so far, I must report, they haven’t accomplished what we’ve asked on behalf of the people of Chicago...It seems that Springfield accomplishes less and less every year."

Daley noted it’s been four years since the Chicago Transit Authority or CPS received capital funding, adding that money also was needed for roads, bridges and environmental programs across the state.

Chicago’s schools need $180 million in additional funding for day-to-day operations in the next school year, the mayor said.

“Without any new money from Springfield, our educational progress is at risk,” he said.

It was mentioned here but let's just read a separate article that upheld Ryan's conviction from last year.

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