Sun-Times:
If the CTA is forced to raise fares in 2009 for the first time in three years, blame Gov. Blagojevich.
Mayor Daley didn’t come right out and say that on Tuesday. But, he might as well have.
One day after the CTA tightened its bureaucratic belt by another $40 million to lay the political groundwork for a fare hike and service cuts, Daley complained about the free rides for seniors that exacerbated the CTA’s budget crisis.
The problem was made $16 million worse by the governor’s veto of the state’s reduced fare subsidy, his executive order mandating free rides for low-income people with disabilities and the City Council’s decision to extend the freebie to active military personnel and disabled veterans.
“You want to give everybody a free ride, but who pays for it? CTA has to pay for it. … Everybody’s lining up. Where do you get the money? … You don’t get it from heaven,” Daley told reporters.
“You want to help people. So, why don’t you give the money to help. It’s great to sit there and say, ‘I want to mandate everybody.’ I sound like a great politician. I gave everything away. But, it costs somebody else some money. That’s what they do in the state and federal governments. They mandate it. They want to look good in the eyes of the public. And they say, ‘Let someone else pay for it.’ That’s truly unfair.”
Someone has got to say it. Free doesn't necessarily mean free. It costs money still. If I was getting a free ride, I may not have to pay a cent, but it still costs someone a cent to allow me to take a free ride. It's a fact!
Yea, people minus well get mad at Blago. I mean, he is to blame with this program of his, right? I mean, I think it's a great program - as long as it doesn't make my travel budget increase.
ReplyDelete