The hopeless idealist in me sees this story and thinks, "Gosh, how great it is to see a politician fighting for the needs of his district." And then the cynic in me shouts, "Well, at least some Republicans are beginning to realize that a little political distance between them and Mitch Daniels is probably a good thing going into next year's election!"
Soliday expressed his concerns to state Transportation Commissioner Karl Browning in a letter on Monday, and went public with his complaints after being frustrated by INDOT's response. Soliday said he worries an initial Illiana study slanted toward a private-run tollway would poison public support for the road.
The request for proposals INDOT put out in June appears to heavily favor the so-called public-private partnership highway model. The agency sought to diffuse that concern Friday by releasing a Q & A form that informed prospective consultants "INDOT is intending to determine the overall feasibility of developing the Illiana Expressway as a tolled facility, minimizing or entirely eliminating the need for state funding contributions."
The disclosure further angered Soliday, who said he is prepared to pursue legal opinions from the state inspector general and the attorney general, as well as a potential lawsuit.
"That's very nice of (INDOT) to decide that," Soliday said. "However, there's a law. Laws are things that are voted on by the House and Senate and they're signed by the governor. And complying with those laws is not optional.'
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