There will be more than a little irony if Fox River Valley State Senator Don DeWitte is a leader in the effort to bail out the RTA.
DeWitte of St. Charles has served on the RTA Board and was appointed to the State Senate in September, 2018.
He now serves as the Republican leader on the Transportation Committee.
He is not adverse to increasing taxes, having been a leader to raise Motor Fuel Taxes in 2019.
In today’s Daily Herald the following two paragraphs are found:
“‘We need to solve the ($770 million) budget fiscal cliff first, and that, I believe, is possible by the end of May,’ Republican state Sen. Don DeWitte of St. Charles said.
“The $1.5 billion ‘that will allow the system to expand and improve … can happen a little bit down the road,’ said DeWitte, Senate Transportation Committee minority spokesman.”
On the table are, according to the Daily Herald are
- Raising the RTA sales tax or the motor fuel tax.
- Putting a tax on services, which would be complicated.
- Hiking vehicle registration fees.
- Increasing tolls, an idea that’s likely DOA.
- A pilot project to collect a miles-traveled tax to capture EV revenue.
We apparently are in for a re-run of the proposals made prior to the 1974 enactment of the Regional Transportation Authority.
Tax people who have to drive to work and back to benefit those fortunate enough to be able to ride a train or bus to and from work.
And the irony?
We legislators in the Fox River Valley led the opposition to creation of and taxation for the RTA in 1973-74.
