SPRINGFIELD – A group of road building-related companies, associations and labor unions are funding paid advertisements on broadcast TV and the Internet – notably a popular Democrat-sympathizing political blog – with hopes of encouraging "Yes" votes on the November 8th ballot.
As of the end of September, Citizens to Protect Transportation Funding raised nearly $3 million towards changing the Illinois Constitution to guarantee a source of public funding that lawmakers or the governor cannot touch – no matter what needs may come up.
Voting "Yes" on the amendment will set into motion a provision similar to the state employee pension that cannot be changed without a constitutional repeal.
Read Illinois Review's editorial on the Lockbox Amendment HERE, the Better Government Association's view HERE and the Chicago Tribune's.
All three of the above sources agree that the way to make sure transportation funds are available are to elect trustworthy lawmakers, rather than to remove the responsibility of spending taxpayer funds out of their hands.
