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April 3, 2006
Notes from Ferdy - Dire Repercussions on the Dan Ryan
Here in Illinois, it is often said that we only have two seasons-- winter and construction. Today the construction season opened with a big bang: the Dan Ryan expressway will be cut down to half its current width.
Many Chicagoans believe the Dan Ryan is the most congested highway in the United States. The rest actually drive on the Dan Ryan, and they believe it's the most congested highway on the entire planet. The Ryan's problem is that it's almost entirely airborne. This makes it expensive to widen, and it also means it requires more repair than the simpler earthbound highways. Finally, it's designed with a two-teir system: full-speed express lanes and slower local lanes. The express lanes will be closed this year and the local lanes will be closed next year. This means that next year you will be able to drive at full speed, but you won't be able to leave the highway, ever.
This is an off-year election, so all the major state offices are up for grabs. The advantage of starting big construction projects in an off-year election year is that the incumbent governor looks like he's helping create jobs and wealth for his constituents. The disadvantage is that people whose one-hour commute expands to three hours will be picturing the governor's smiling face while they're stuck in traffic.
This is all, of course, part of Governor Blagojevich's grand plan to get the state out of debt by spending money. Sadly, his Republican opponent-- Judy Barr Topinka-- is running on her record instead of presenting a viable alternative. Without any real way to differentiate between the two candidates on the issues, I'm afraid the election will turn on the fact that Ms. Topinka plays the accordion, and Blagojevich will easily sail into a second term.
I wish I were making this up, but this is Illinois.
Respectfully submitted,
Ferdinand T. Cat
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