Blagojevich scales back capital plan

CHICAGO - Gov. Rod Blagojevich tried to revive his proposed statewide construction program on Thursday by ratcheting down the price tag and abandoning gambling expansion to pay for it. But the concessions may not be enough to resuscitate the plan stalled by his feuding with lawmakers and legislative infighting.

Top lawmakers met with Blagojevich for nearly two hours about the overhaul that shrinks the program to fix Illinois' infrastructure and more to $25 billion from $34 billion.

But a surrogate who attended the meeting in place of House Speaker Michael Madigan said the plan still has problems.

The proposal relies in part on a partial lease of the state lottery, an idea that Democratic House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie called "a hard sell."

Blagojevich's proposed overhaul of the capital plan is a testament to just how much relations have devolved in Springfield where both chambers and the governor's office are controlled by Democrats. Republican former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and former Democratic congressman Glenn Poshard, now Southern Illinois University's president, worked for nearly five months to try to put together a deal.

Blagojevich didn't miss a chance to blast Madigan - again - for skipping a meeting with him - again - and the other three top lawmakers about the stalled capital plan.

"He sends minions who admittedly say they have no authority to negotiate or make any decisions," Blagojevich said. The governor said he would try to pass a law requiring Madigan to come to meetings if he could.

Madigan and Blagojevich have a running feud and the state House's top Democrat has refused meetings with the governor.

Other leaders were quick to pile on Madigan after their meeting with Blagojevich.

"All they do in the House is just sit and criticize. So let the bridges fall, let our roads crumble, you know, let our schools go without the capital needs that they deserve and all they do is complain," Democratic Senate President Emil Jones said.

It's "a travesty" the Democrats can't agree on how to do a capital bill or how to pay for it, said Senate Republican Leader Frank Watson.

"The inability of these people to agree on anything is just incredible, it's criminal, it's outrageous. We can't stand for this," said Watson of Greenville.

Currie contends many fellow House Democrats don't trust Blagojevich to fulfill project commitments in a capital plan no matter its size.