>> THANKS, AMANDA.
>>> NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE
PLANNING FOR WILL OBAMA
PRESIDENTIAL CENTER.
IS THE STATE OF ILLINOIS READY
TO PONY UP $100 MILLION TO
ASSIST THE PROJECT IN JACKSON
PARK ON THE SOUTH SIDE?
"CHICAGO TONIGHT" LEARNED A
PRELIMINARY PLAN TO DO JUST
THAT.
BUT HOW WOULD A PROPOSAL LIKE
THAT FLY IN A STATE THAT IS
BLEEDING RED INK ESPECIALLY WHEN
THE OBAMA'S PROMISE 100% PRIVATE
FUNDING?
PARIS SCHUTZ JOINING US WITH THE
DETAILS.
>> PHIL, SOURCES TELL US THERE
HAVE BEEN PRELIMINARY BIPARTISAN
TALKS ABOUT THIS GIVING $100
MILLION IN STATE AID FOR THE
OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER.
IT'S SIMILAR TO A PROPOSAL THAT
HOUSE SPEAKER MICHAEL MADIGAN
DANGLED A YEAR-AND-A-HALF AGO
WHEN THE STATE AND THE CITY WERE
STILL TRYING TO LAND THE MUSEUM
FOR CHICAGO.
OBVIOUSLY CHICAGO GOT THE MUSEUM
AND THAT PROPOSAL FOR THAT MONEY
DID NOT GO ANYWHERE.
MADIGAN SAID IT WAS A GOOD USE
OF THE MONEY TO HONOR THE SON OF
ILLINOIS BUT THE OBAMA LIBRARY
PLEDGED FROM THE BEGINNING NOT
TO USE ANY PUBLIC FUNDING FOR
THE PROJECT.
>> ARE THEY BEING INCONSISTENT
WITH THE PLEDGE?
OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE THE
MONEY WOULD GO TOWARD?
>> NOT NECESSARILY BEING
INCONSISTENT.
THE MAYOR SAID THERE'S GOING TO
BE NEED TO BE LOTS OF
INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSIT
UPGRADES AROUND THERE TO MAKE
THIS PROJECT HAPPEN AND THAT
INCLUDES THE CLOSING OF THE
STREET, CORNELL DRIVE, THE
HIGHWAY THAT THE CAMPUS WOULD BE
BUILT OVER.
AND AS A RESULT THERE WOULD HAVE
TO BE REALIGNMENT OF OTHER
STREETS TO TAKE THE EXCESS
TRAFFIC.
ALL THAT WILL COST A LOT OF
MONEY.
THERE HAVE BASKETBALL RUMBLINGS
ABOUT EXTENDING THE L ALL THE
WAY TO JACKSON PARK AS WELL AS
OTHER TRANSIT OR INFRASTRUCTURE
UPGRADES THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO
MAKE THIS MUSEUM POSSIBLE.
NOW, WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE TALKS
AMONG LAWMAKERS A SPOKESPERSON
FOR THE OBAMA LIBRARY MAINTAINED
THAT QUOTE CONSTRUCTION AND
MAINTENANCE WILL BE FUNDED BY
PRIVATE DONATIONS AND NO
TAXPAYER MONEY WILL GO TO THE
FOUNDATION.
BUT THAT STATEMENT DOES NOT RULE
OUT ANY OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE
AND OTHER UPGRADES THAT WILL
HAVE TO HAPPEN AROUND THE
MUSEUM.
SOURCES TELL US THAT MAYOR RAHM
EMANUEL'S TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING
THIS TODAY.
BUT HE WAS MORE COY WHEN WE
SPOKE TO HIM.
SAID IN SO MANY WORDS YES, WE
WOULD LIKE THE STATE MONEY.
>> LOOK, WHEN IT HAPPENS, WE ARE
GOING TO WORK TOGETHER.
BUT I'M NOT GOING TO ANSWER ON
ANY ONE HYPOTHETICAL BUT I HAVE
UP FRONT FROM THE DAY WE WERE ON
THE SOUTH SIDE THERE WILL BE
NEEDED INVESTMENTS JUST LIKE WE
DO IN THE LINCOLN LIBRARY.
AND I THINK THIS IS A TREMENDOUS
GAIN FOR THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND
UNBELIEVABLE BOOST OF ECONOMIC
ENERGY AND CULTURAL ENERGY TO
THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO AND I
HAVE BEEN A SUPPORTER OF IT.
>> THE STATE HAS A $16 BILLION
BACKLOG IN UNPAID BILLS.
GENERALLY IN TERRIBLE FISCAL
SHAPE.
WHERE WOULD THE MONEY COME FROM?
>> NOT UNDER A COUCH CUSHION.
THE TALKS ARE IT WOULD BE PART
OF A NEW CAPITAL BILL THAT WOULD
HAVE TO BE PASSED BUT THOSE
TALKS HAVE NOT GONE VERY FAR.
THERE ARE OTHER TALKS ABOUT
HAVING EXISTING CAPITAL MONEY
SOMEWHERE THAT THEY COULD USE TO
FUND THIS.
IT CERTAINLY WOULD BE A TOUGH
SELL FOR SUBURBAN AND DOWN STATE
LAWMAKERS.
TODAY REPUBLICAN STATE
REPRESENTATIVE DAVID McSWEENEY
ISSUED THIS STATEMENT QUOTE...
>> SO IF THERE IS CAPITAL MONEY
OUT THERE, IT'S VERY HARD TO
IMAGINE THAT THERE IS $100
MILLION SOMEWHERE IN SOME FUND
SITTING AROUND TO BE UTILIZED.
THE CIVIC FEDERATIONS LAURENCE
MSALL SAYS THE GENERAL IDEA OF A
NEW CAPITAL BILL IS GOING TO
HAVE TO BE DEBATED.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE PRECARIOUS
GIVEN THE STATE'S FISCAL
POSITION.
HE TOLD THE CITY CLUB THAT THE
STATE IS GOING TO HAVE TO COME
UP WITH FINANCING FOR THIS NEW
CAPITAL BILL.
>> FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SELL A
BIG CAPITAL PLAN THEY NEED TO
IDENTIFY HOW THE STATE IS GOING
TO PAY FOR IT, AND THAT IS GOING
TO REQUIRE SOMETHING A LITTLE
BIT BETTER THAN THE VIDEO POKER
AND THE CANDY TAX THAT THE LAST
CAPITAL PLAN THAT WENT THROUGH
ILLINOIS HAS.
BECAUSE WHAT WE FOUND WHEN WE
USED THOSE AS OUR SOURCE FOR
CAPITAL INVESTMENT THEY DID NOT
COME FORWARD AND THE STATE HAD
TO TAKE OPERATING CASH AND PUT
IT IN TO PAY THE DEBT SERVICE.
>> SOURCES TELL US THAT A
PROPOSAL LIKE THIS COULD BE
READY FOR THE FALL VETO SESSION
IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS.