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* Lynn Sweet at the Sun-Times…
President Joe Biden signed the historic $1 trillion infrastructure bill into law Monday, passing to Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot — at the White House for the ceremony — the massive job of spending the billions in new money flowing to the city and state in the next five years. […]
In terms of timing, Pritzker, in a Sun-Times interview, said “We won’t see those dollars until the first quarter of the calendar year. So sometime in January, February, March.”
Illinois is in “an unusually good position” to move ahead with projects, Pritzker said, because the federal money will piggyback on the $45 billion ReBuild Illinois program the Illinois General Assembly approved in 2019.
“This money will help us accelerate some of those projects that are in our multiyear plan,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker cited as examples the road and bridge project on a 16-mile stretch of I -80 “in very bad shape” in Will County and the I-190 turnoff to get in and out of O’Hare. He said he backed rebuilding parts of the Eisenhower in Chicago and nearby suburbs.
* Joe Cahill on transit spending…
Federal money for transit is available now, thanks to President Joe Biden’s massive infrastructure plan and COVID-relief dollars. The RTA already is divvying up $1.5 billion among CTA, Metra and Pace.
Funds will go first to overdue maintenance and replacement of aged rolling stock, as they should. But billions more are available—the infrastructure bill authorizes $66 billion for passenger rail and $39 billion for public transit generally. We’d have to compete for the money, which in any case isn’t enough to fund all of our transit needs. But there’s enough to finance some projects that would improve service and demonstrate possibilities.
* Quad Cities…
“It’s going to allow us to take a better look at our system and how we can better inject cash into a system that probably underserves those who need it the most,” [General Manager of MetroLink, Jeff Nelson] said.
According to Nelson, MetroLink hopes to receive funding which will help it continue to convert its mostly diesel fleet, in to an electric one.
It’s not just more electric buses, but officials hope the plan will allow better electric vehicle infrastructure. Since I-74 and I-80 run through the area, both Bustos and Nelson mentioned cities will be able to invest in charging ports in their public parking lots.
* And speaking of electric vehicles, here’s more from Crain’s on yesterday’s electric vehicle incentives bill signing event…
The move is aimed not only at wooing manufacturers and suppliers—Samsung has been eyeing a possible battery factory across the road from electric truck-maker Rivian’s plant in Normal—but also at keeping existing producers happy. That includes Rivian and Stellantis, which reportedly may shift production of Dodge Challenger and Charger muscle cars to Belvidere in 2024, and Ford, whose plant on Chicago’s South Side now produces only gasoline-fueled vehicles.
Much of the state’s attention lately has been focused on wooing a battery plant, which could employ several thousand people. Though the buzz about Samsung has died down, industry sources report that at least two other battery-makers are in serious conversations with Rivian about building a plant in Illinois, with an announcement possible later this year or in the first quarter of 2022.
Illinois is not considered a likely location for the second assembly plant that Rivian has indicated it wants to build, with the Atlanta area bidding for the facility. But some here are still pursuing that facility, too.
In comments at Pritzker’s event, James Chen, vice president of public policy at Rivian, sounded optimistic. “This bill will propel Illinois…bringing increased electric vehicle production and investment,” he said. The state and company now “will work together to attract new investment.”
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 10:27 am
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It’s so refreshing that IL has a governor who is working on expanding market opportunities in the state. Good for the environment and good for business.
Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 11:05 am
Would you dang progressives make up your mind on taxing corporations.
Comment by Blue Dog Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 11:19 am
Blue Dog, what exactly is so confusing to you? It seems entirely consistent to demand corporations pay their fair share of corporate taxes while also providing incentives for breaks to encourage targeted investment in industries you want to grow. That isn’t even a particularly progressive concept
Comment by SWIL_Voter Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 11:29 am
Would have been nice to have Lip on the committee dishing out that money, wouldn’t it?
Comment by Fav Human Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 11:40 am
Blue Dog, you always ask this as if we’ve never heard it before, but you don’t seem to like the answer I’ve given you. Maybe get a new drum to beat?
Comment by Jibba Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 12:23 pm
Here’s what I know about incentives to certain industries you want to grow. They never end. Do I need to list them for you. Heck we give incentives to corporations that kill people. BTW, did Rivian sign that UAW contract yet? How’s those subsidies to corporate farms? Petroleum industry? The list goes on and on. Meanwhile, individual taxes keep going up. Sales tax. Gas tax. Property tax. User tax. Always looking out for the little guy those progressives are.
Comment by Blue Dog Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 12:54 pm
I thought business incentives were really tax loopholes?
Comment by Just Me 2 Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 12:55 pm
Here’s another one. Didn’t we give a certain cookie manufacture some breaks. How’d that work out.
Comment by Blue Dog Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 12:56 pm
How much incentive did we just give to keep the nuclear plants open. It. Never…ends.
Comment by Blue Dog Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 12:58 pm
Tell me it’s not so. Incentives to the coal industry? Didn’t know we are trying to grow that industry.
Comment by Blue Dog Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 1:11 pm
@Blue Dog:
Then move. Because frankly I’m tired of your constant bellyaching on the subject.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 1:11 pm
Dem. Nice response. Progressives can’t face disagreement when confronted with hypocrisy?
Comment by Blue Dog Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 1:13 pm
BD, I’ll restate my answer since you have trouble remembering it. Dems are not the party that want to give away the farm to corporations. However, since we are in a race to the bottom driven by red states, we can’t unilaterally disarm. There are times we have to play the game, especially when the potential rewards are high, such as starting a new game-changing industry. I’d rather have not incentives at all, but I am not the king of everything.
Comment by Jibba Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 1:28 pm
Jibbba. Your response was civilized. Thanks. Repubs are no different than Dems when it comes to corporate giveaways.
Comment by Blue Dog Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 1:39 pm
To really get more people to buy electric cars, the state should waive sales tax on new EVs.
Comment by DuPage Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 1:47 pm
Did the electric vehicle rebate program in CEJA get modified to include the whole state like was promised in the last minute or still limited by county? I looked for it but couldn’t find it, not sure if I’m looking at the final version of the bill here. (https://ilga.gov/legislation/102/SB/10200SB0018eng.htm)
Comment by Slumbering Suburbanite Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 1:52 pm
Thanks BD. All good.
Comment by Jibba Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 2:27 pm
I think it’s great that Illinois will lead the world in producing cars that run on coal.
Comment by Franklin Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 2:54 pm
We’ve been making our efforts great, but we should hold our horses about companies like Rivian until they’ve managed to have a profitable quarter.
We usually only tax businesses that have a net income to report.
Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 3:30 pm
=== did Rivian sign that UAW contract yet? ===
Contract? Are they at the contract stage? I wasn’t aware they were even at the organization stage.
In 2019 From WGLT.org: “ Ron McInroy, regional director for the United Auto Workers of America in Illinois and eight other states, said no one has contacted the UAW about possible union representation for the Rivian plant.
He said union leaders won’t be reaching out unless they are asked. “Let the workers decide what’s best for them and let them make that decision in a level and fair playing field,”
Comment by Da big bad wolf Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 4:46 pm