(The following article by Doug Wilson was posted on the Quincy Herald-Whig website on May 10.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Several of the biggest issues facing the nation also are big issues for the Quincy region, said U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.
Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, said Amtrak funding is the top priority for him. The Bush administration has pushed for a budget that would eliminate most Amtrak service.
“It’s extremely critical for our state. We’ve got 3 million riders every year (on Amtrak) and there are 2,000 employees in the state,” Durbin said.
Quincy Mayor John Spring, who did some joint news interviews with Durbin Monday afternoon, also considers Amtrak funding the most pressing issue for the region. Spring plans to attend a rally in Chicago Wednesday to spotlight support for train service. Spring will tell those at the rally how important the Illinois Zephyr route is between Quincy and Chicago.
“Thirty-seven percent of ridership is for Western Illinois University (at Macomb) and lots of other schools, like Quincy University, put lots of riders on that route as well,” Spring said.
Durbin said he’s not certain whether Democrats in Congress can overcome the numeric advantage of Republicans who oppose all Amtrak funding, but he pledged to keep trying.
Members of Congress also reached another apparent impasse Monday as they worked on the federal transportation bill. The old funding plan was to expire Oct. 1, 2003. But extensions have kept the old level of money rolling in for states that get back part of the fuel tax dollars collected on gasoline and diesel.
Durbin said the latest battle involves a difference of $10 billion between Senate and House negotiators. The House wants to see $284 billion over six years. The Senate wants $295 billion. President Bush’s staff says he would veto the higher funding level.
“When you consider we had a supplemental appropriations bill for over $80 million that came scooting through here (for other parts of the federal budget), this $11 billion should be hardly enough to stop the federal transportation plan,” Durbin said.
In Western Illinois, Durbin hopes to see federal transportation dollars go to Ill. 336 work between Carthage and Macomb. Durbin said he made that four-lane highway project a priority after the state completed I-72 in the early 1990s.
Durbin repeated his pledge to support lock and dam improvements along the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers. He also confirmed his opposition to closure of military bases in Illinois and said other members of the state’s congressional delegation are doing all they can to prevent those closures.