Blagojevich rhetoric changes on sales tax for mass transit veto threat

For the better part of a year, Gov. Rod Blagojevich consistently has vowed to veto a proposed sales tax increase to fund mass transit in Chicago and the suburbs.

Today, the governor didn’t repeat that veto threat when given the opportunity at a news conference aimed at heading off the CTA, Metra and Pace service cuts and fare hikes that loom Jan. 20.

Asked if he would sign legislation that increased the sales tax, Blagojevich hinted he might be able “to improve” a bill so that enough constituencies are satisfied. If it’s a bill that includes an increase in sales taxes to fund transit, then so be it, the governor said – just send it his way.

“If, however, the legislature believes in that (sales tax) bill, they ought to pass that bill and give me a chance to improve it,” Blagojevich told reporters in Chicago.

“There are a lot of creative things you could with the ability to rewrite legislation and I’ll leave it at that,” he added. “If they believe in that bill, they ought to pass that bill. We want them to pass something and give me the ability to act.”

When pressed on how he would “improve” the bill if he remained dead-set against increasing the sales tax, Blago said only: “Stay tuned. Stay tuned.”

Blagojevich aides also would not elaborate on how the governor would alter a bill that raises the sales tax.

So, reading the tea leaves on this one remains difficult, but Blagojevich’s rhetoric has changed, if nothing else.

House members could pass a transit bill as early as Wednesday. Though other legislation has stalled in recent months, Senate President Emil Jones will call a vote on any transit bill that makes it out of the House, said Jones spokeswoman Cindy Davidsmeyer.

For many lawmakers, the big question is whether any transit bill can move forward if legislative leaders haven’t also agreed on a massive public works package that would be paid for by a major gambling expansion.

Keenly aware of the governor’s no-new-taxes stance, lawmakers have been working on another measure Blagojevich backs that would steer $385 million to the transit system by diverting all the money the state collects on the gasoline sales tax in Cook and its five collar counties.