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Please allow me to post this off-Amtrak but on-Passenger Rail topic here.
As good as certainty, by "Six O'Clock News" tomorrow, Illinois will have a new Governor. By the constitution, such will be Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn; also a Democrat but be assured no "pal" of the incumbent.
Allow me to editorialize; even though I am a holder of a Seniors Ride Free pass (age 68; reside in DuPage County) - a pet program of the incumbent, I would like to see this program repealed at first opportunity.
In its present form, it quite simply is discriminatory and further has presented the Regional Transit Authority with an unfunded $30M annual revenue shortfall. Suffice to say, the RTA is "broke', but what else is new.
First the program is available only to residents of the six counties served by the RTA. If you are from out of area but otherwise eligible, "sorry Charlie". There are no "litmus' tests to establish need. As noted I reside in "the land of the Burlingtons"; what likelihood is there that I or too many of my fellow DuPage residents have "need"?
If we the people of Illinois desire to offer free mass transit to certain Illinois residents, we have an existing program called Circuit Breaker. In order to be a participant in this program, a resident must establish "need". The guideline is age 65 and somewhere around $20K or less of annual income and financial assets of $5000 or less. Existing benefits range anywhere from a free Driver's License to free pharmaceuticals. Free mass transit regardless of where one resides within the State could be incorporated as a benefit of the program.
If such were enacted, a needy person residing in, say, Decatur or Rockford would benefit.
In closing, I admit I am a passholder; I simply cannot look a gift horse in the mouth (even though I know one lady, a former client, residing in Arlington Heights who uses METRA yet declines to sign up on principle). But if the existing program is to be repealed, I'll surrender my pass without any hard feelings whatever, in fact it will be with pleasure.
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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As a fellow Chicago suburbanite I'm with you on this one, GBN. It's an unnecessary and unsolicited entitlement, and even liberals are appalled by it.
It's enough for seniors and PWD to ride at half fare, as had been the earlier policy, and the Circuit Breaker program will serve the neediest.
Can't wait for Mr. Blagojevic to be sent packing, but as John Kass observed in the Tribune this morning, observing the State Senate pass judgment on Blago is like "watching a swarm of flies condemn a brother fly for having dirty feet."
(Neil Steinberg in the Sun-Times characterizes Illinois legislators as "bowl haircuts.")
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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I was saying farewell to Bob from MA last evening in the the CUS Met Lounge when I learned from an HDTV (yup, they got 'em in there) that pariah's "whacking' was unanimous.
Please, no one say 'gee he could have used Amtrak....":
CHICAGO — As the nine-seat airplane raced through the skies on Thursday somewhere between Springfield and here, an onboard telephone began to ring.
Rod R. Blagojevich, the soon-to-be ex-governor of Illinois, instructed his aides not to answer. It might be the news, he said, that he had been removed from office and that he no longer controlled the state’s thousands of employees or even, especially pertinent, the state-owned airplane taking him home.
“I’ll tell you what,” Mr. Blagojevich said, laughing, as the phone went on ringing. “I’m not jumping out. Not for those people, no way. I don’t like heights.”
Honestly, I would not have put it past him to have pulled something like surround the Capitol with the National Guard while he was still their Commander-in-Chief, hold everyone inside hostage and otherwise say "come 'n git me'. I guess that could have been quickly resolved either by finding some way to get Quinn sworn-in then he would give the order to stand-down or the alternate scenario designed to please the State's Rights crowd, that Obama would Federalize the Units and he would give the stand-down order.
Either way, it would have been quite the spectacle.
Dakguy201 Member # 10360
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I love Mr. Norman's vision of the Gov holding the Capitol.
What are those of us who are not from Illinois going to do for entertainment now that Blago is gone?
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Well Mr. DakGuy, I see you have decided to come over here as well.
You always post in a mature and respectful manner over at Railroad.Net; as the case over there, I'm sure your worthwhile contributions will be well received around here.
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