And when the poor or disabled want to ride free, are they any less deserving? He is a nightmare.

If this reported deal goes through, at least the taxes will sort of fall on the people using the service, and those benefiting from the decreased road traffic and construction.

Collar county people commuting in and out travel further than Cook County people on the system. And downstate people surely don't get much use out of the CTA. Now if we can only whack them on highway projects.

I think that public transportation is actually mostly a bargain as is, so my preference would have been to raise fares, even though my wife commutes by Metra every day. Roughly $100 a month (deductible, as it comes out of her salary pre-tax) for a ~20-mile commute each way seems like a steal to me. She'd spend that in a week driving, not to mention parking, and it's faster.

So, tonight he's saying he wants to add even more free riders. What an idiot. Judy Barr Topinka could never have been THIS bad.

Yeah, it's enough to make a Republican out of you.

Oh, wait... I already am.

Well, better the worst Governor ever, than the worst President ever, but that's a couple dozen threads in another forum.

Uh oh -- evidently Blago reads this, since he's already offered free rides to disabled people.

Part of the entire point of transit is that it's cheaper than driving. Heck, it's nowhere near as fast or convenient, and it's environmentally superior, so at the very least it should be cheaper.

Yes, well, at one time Abraham Lincoln was the worst President ever, and so was Harry Truman.

Opinions change over time.

Well, apparently, with the bailout there will still have to be a fare increase because of all the free rides.


Uh huh. I'm sure that's a statement in support of the Governor.

No, Blago DEFINITELY sucks. Bad. Not much apparent disagreement there, no matter what your party.

Remember a few years ago all the speculation about him having a national future, perhaps as VP candidate? Boy, does that look funny now.

He never was this nuts when he was in Congress. I think winning governor went to his head.

So I am a bit lost and slow tonight. The funding or at least band aid is on it's way but the CTA is still making cuts or the funding/band aid is on it's way and there are no cuts? Either way from some of the cities I've been to in this country Chicago is by far superior (can't say about NYC haven't been there yet) then the rest! I get out to Chicago quite a few times a year probably almost 5 times a year. Would it help for an out of towner non resident to tug on some of the big wigs ears? This really worries me because I am trying really really hard to convince the Mr. to move back out to Chicago, I'm from Seattle. First time in 2002 I was out in Chicago and I felt like I just came back home from a very long trip. I love it out there and wouldn't object to growing older out there either and I care about what's going on in the city. So yeah should I give those pansy butts down in Springfield a tongue lashing? Oh yeah I'll be more then happy to head down to Springfield when I am out there at the end of the month YOU WANT MY TAX MONEY? YOU WANT ME TO MOVE OUT THERE? FIX CTA PUNKS! Or maybe bribe them with some pizza or hot Italian beef samich

There were rumors that Patty wanted him close to home, if you know what I mean. He's not even allowed to spend a night in Springfield.

I wouldn't assume that the funding is on the way at all. The governor's 11th hour buffoonery may very well kill the entire bill. Further, if he does get his way, the CTA will get the money, but STILL have a fare increase because they can't afford all the free rides.

80% of Illinois politicos would find this "unappetizing". They would, however, love C-notes in a shoe box.

Riding home on the Metra last night, my wife got a flyer saying that as of Feb 1, fares are going up 10%.

I didn't get to read anything other than the headline yet.

More evidence that Blagojevich is a putz of the highest order: He goes to Chicago's "The Hallmark" (http://thehallmark.com/the-hallmark.aspx) to deliver the good news to the seniors about the free CTA service he wants to "give" them. This is one of Chicago's finest and most expensive retirement communities, costing thousands of dollars a month. Residents are more likely to take a limo than some scuzzy bus for free. They must think he is insane.

What a tool.