Free CTA Rides For Seniors

[sw4400]

I noticed this poll on the Tattler, and being that I'm not sure how many of the chicagobus.org members visit this site, I thought I'd bring the poll to you to get your input. Personally, it should be based on a set income, with the rest above the income paying half fare as they did before.

[rotjohns]

I noticed this poll on the Tattler, and being that I'm not sure how many of the chicagobus.org members visit this site, I thought I'd bring the poll to you to get your input. Personally, it should be based on a set income, with the rest above the income paying half fare as they did before.

Agreed. I've never been a fan of that because there are people that abuse the system.

[Busjack]

For once, last night I watched Channel 2 News, and Bill asked Walter if he was taking advantage of the old folks' pass, to which Walter said yes. However, IIRC, Walter had been pinched for drunk driving, so maybe he should.

[sw4400]

I'm really tired of the Illinois Government coming up with the right idea(repealing Free Rides for Seniors), only to have it shot down by a high-ranking member of the Legislature(in this case, now our Senior Citzen Governor, Pat Quinn, who I'm willing to bet has a Free Senior Pass in his wallet). It would make me so happy if they can somehow squeeze this through his veto threat, but with Hendon still around, I doubt that'll happen. He's now the Governor, he shouldn't have to worry about this being an election year... that passed, but it's same old, same old for our Governor. When will things finally be made right here in Illinois, and get some normalcy back to CTA, Metra and PACE? You don't need that Free Ride if you're making $50,000+/yr!!! IMO, $40,000/yr. should be the cutoff(and that's being generous, the Legislature wanted it to be about $38,000/yr). If those above the cutoff can't pay a simple $1.00 to ride the bus or train, then cut down on Bingo night or going on expensive cruises, sell that Cadillac and get a cheaper car, etc...

Story here, and yes, Busjack, Hilkevitch did write the story, FWIW.

[Busjack]

....

Story here, and yes, Busjack, Hilkevitch did write the story, FWIW.

I saw to the same effect on Fox News. However, based on prior stories, it was that Quinn had said that free rides was "good public policy" and the bill wouldn't reach him, and Cullerton put Hendon on the committee to derail the House bill. There apparently is still a Senate Bill which the house can pass, but I can't see Quinn teeing off the seniors who just voted for him and gave him such a great "mandate."

[Busjack]

Here's one sw would like: Dead People Riding CTA According To Seniors Ride Free Investigation.

Update: Also a FoxChicago story, which is probably the original source.

[sw4400]

Here's one sw would like: Dead People Riding CTA According To Seniors Ride Free Investigation.

Update: Also a FoxChicago story, which is probably the original source.

It's not just me, Busjack. Everyone 64 and under(including yourself until you hit the magic 6-5) will eventually see more scale back of bus and rail service and more increase of fares unless the right and proper thing is done, and that is make a cutoff for the CTA Senior Free Ride Program. The Legislature wants it to be linked to the Circuit Breaker Program, which means a Senior who makes under $27,000 will get the Free Ride. Well, I'm being a bit more generous... $40,000 and under, unlike that defunct leader of that Senior Board who says it should be $55,000 and under... SERIOUSLY?!?

As far as people using deceased Senior's passes, of course. Think of it as the gift that keeps on giving... while taking more and more service away. I'm an honest person, but I could probably take my Father's Free Pass, board buses and trains with it and nobody will even notice. This program is about as loose as our former disgraced Governor Elvis, and the bolts need to be re-inserted and tightened!!!

[artthouwill]

It's not just me, Busjack. Everyone 64 and under(including yourself until you hit the magic 6-5) will eventually see more scale back of bus and rail service and more increase of fares unless the right and proper thing is done, and that is make a cutoff for the CTA Senior Free Ride Program. The Legislature wants it to be linked to the Circuit Breaker Program, which means a Senior who makes under $27,000 will get the Free Ride. Well, I'm being a bit more generous... $40,000 and under, unlike that defunct leader of that Senior Board who says it should be $55,000 and under... SERIOUSLY?!?

As far as people using deceased Senior's passes, of course. Think of it as the gift that keeps on giving... while taking more and more service away. I'm an honest person, but I could probably take my Father's Free Pass, board buses and trains with it and nobody will even notice. This program is about as loose as our former disgraced Governor Elvis, and the bolts need to be re-inserted and tightened!!!

Perhaps the "dead" voters are the ones who put him (Quinn) in office. He's gotta protect his constituency. :rolleyes:

[Guest DevalDragon]

Personally, I think they should end the Seniors Ride Free and the Reduced Fare Program, and just reduce the fare for everybody.

That way we all benefit...

[Busjack]

Personally, I think they should end the Seniors Ride Free and the Reduced Fare Program, and just reduce the fare for everybody.

That way we all benefit...

The kink here is that federal regulations require half fare for the elderly or handicapped, if using federally-funded vehicles or facilities. However, the regulation is limited to nonpeak times, while I don't believe that local transit authorities so limit it

Besides that, at some point lowering the fares means that somehow you are going to have to get the taxpayer to pay for that (including for the cost of increased demand caused by the lower price).

[Busjack]

In a rather strange development that might be of interest to sw, the Roe Conn Show with Richard Roeper in now on TV channel 5.2, and televised their Christmas show there. Anyway, #1 of their "Top Five at Five"for the year was Blago's "fn' grandma" speech. Unfortunately, Roe didn't have live video for it, so, on TV, they used a Conan O'Brien still with a moving mouth.

[Kevin]

Haven't seen any news about this yet, but Rep. Greg Harris just posted the following on his Facebook page:

House just approved changing Gov. Blagojevich's "Free Rides For Seniors" to free rides only for low-income seniors or persons for disabilities. Higher income seniors will receive half price rides. (effective 6 months after approval).

[sw4400]

Haven't seen any news about this yet, but Rep. Greg Harris just posted the following on his Facebook page:

Kevin, this'll definately put a BIG smile to my face if this does happen!!! *crossing fingers*

Here's the link to a report in the news. It has passed the House, but it needs to pass the Senate, a.k.a, the House Of Hendon... If I know this scumbag, he'll get the others to shoot it down however the hell he does it(e.g: pays them off, threatens to badmouth them to the general public, etc...) Then there's Gov. Quinn himself. Nobody can tell me he doesn't have a Free Pass in his wallet. I remember when he was showing us how safe Public Transit was that one time by taking the Green Line to his Chicago Office. You can bet your bottom dollar he didn't put one dollar-anything for that ride. He has it, if his wife lives anywhere in the CTA, PACE, or Metra area, she has one. These are prime examples of people who don't need that pass. He make six figures easily and can afford prescriptions, food, a house, a BMW, Mercedes, and/or a Cadillac easily, with money to spare for trips to other states/countries and time at expensive casinos, etc...

[Busjack]

Basically, this is the usual dupe. The last time around, the House passed a bill, the Senate killed it, then the Senate passed a bill and sent it to the House. If the House had passed the Senate bill, it would have gone to Gov. Jello and embarrassed him on his inauguration day. Instead, they passed a House bill to be killed in the Senate.

You know that with Quinn, Cullerton, and Madigan negotiating among themselves whether to make the income tax 5.25%, oh that won't fly, let's try for 6%, they don't have the time today to pass this

If you really want to speculate, Quinn could veto it next week, and then the constitutional "scholars" could debate whether the new General Assembly could override a veto of a bill of the previous one.

So, sw, you are correct that the odds on this are probably slim to none, and slim has left the building.

[Kevin]

Sent to the Governor.

[Guest]

I caught one person a couple weeks ago illegally using a Senior Card on the #606.

[Busjack]

Sent to the Governor.

Well, obviously fooled me. However, we'll see if he signs.

But on further review:

• How many are on paratransit vs. how many are on the bus? Would this bloat the paratransit deficit or not make any difference in that regard, either way?
• Trotter said that not too many would be disqualified.
• How are they going to get the transit cards back from those who suddenly become ineligible, I assume on Aug. 1, 2011?

I have the feeling that other than those like the guy I mentioned a couple of years ago who might take a discretionary ride on Metra (and he's dead) this isn't going to make much of a difference in the CTA or Pace farebox. So, maybe sw shouldn't get his hopes up.

[sw4400]

Sent to the Governor.

Well, he better do the right thing and sign that bill!!! I can see the Seniors that need the Free Ride because they have to choose between prescriptions and food, fine. But those that can easily pay for both, and a house, car, cruise, trip.... hell flippin' NO!!! Limit the rides already!!!

BTW: on the 54-2 Senate vote, I bet that one that said "Nay" or "Present" to this bill is Sen. Hendon, and the other Emil Jones. I was going to say Deborah Mell, but I don't see her on the Senate. Wasn't she though?

[Kevin]

BTW: on the 54-2 Senate vote, I bet that one that said "Nay" or "Present" to this bill is Sen. Hendon, and the other Emil Jones. I was going to say Deborah Mell, but I don't see her on the Senate. Wasn't she though?

No votes were Sen. Sandack and Sen. Silverstein. Hendon did not vote.

[Busjack]

No votes were Sen. Sandack and Sen. Silverstein. Hendon did not vote.

I clicked on the link, and the reference to the Senate concurring with House Amendments might have indicated that the legislation was not passed in the manner I thought. However, going to the legislative history page, apparently the House amendment was to strip some other bill and substitute this language, putting things back to square one. Hence, I was correct in my original analysis that the House could have passed the bill on this subject that had been passed by the Senate, but did not. Why the legislature is engaged in all this bill stripping is beyond me.

Basically, though, the bill essentially says that the Dept. of Aging has to certify the list of circuit breaker recipients and then only they are eligible for free rides.

[sw4400]

I'm kinda doubting Gov. Quinn will put this into law. My main reasons are he doesn't want to anger the Senior Voters, and he and his wife probably have these passes, which they'll have to forefeit in the future. But with a 95-15 vote from the House and a 54-2 vote from the Senate, do we have enough to make this veto-proof? Those with some Legislative knowledge, please chime in your thoughts....

Looks like the Seniors are getting angered about this. Read the CBS2 story about the possible repeal, more importantly, the comments.

Looks a little tense on ABC as well

Can't find a link to check FOX, and NBC has no comments, although 57% of the people who read the story are thrilled and 30% are angered.

[Busjack]

As far as one can tell, Quinn doesn't have a wife, at least at the moment.

I started a war, but then retreated on this on the CTA Tattler. However, the way this looks, Quinn ends up being a liar in either event. As you note, he may tee off the senior voters by signing, but, like advocating for a bigger tax hike than he even promised, figures that the seniors won't remember (or will die or move to Florida) by 2014.

On the other hand, if he vetoes, besides the risk of being overriden (the vote margins indicate more than the 60% needed), he becomes a liar to those who posted on the CTA Tattler that his opponent didn't give a [expletive deleted] about transit.

[sw4400]

The wait is agonizing... Quinn has to be in Springfield... he's got the Death Penalty bill on his desk, he's got the Tax Increase bill on his desk, and he should have the Free Rides bill on his desk. How long does it take to look these documents over and either put his "John Hancock" on them or stamp "VETO"?

Will things finally be made right, or is the battle of reducing these Free Rides continuing? :unsure:

[Busjack]

How long does it take to look these documents over and either put his "John Hancock" on them or stamp "VETO"?

Will things finally be made right, or is the battle of reducing these Free Rides continuing?

All reports about when Blago got bills indicated that the gov. has 60 days after it gets to his desk. In fact, Article 4 section 9 of the Constitution so provides. Also, under that provision, the legislature has 30 days to get it to the governor.

As far as "things finally be made right," they won't even if he signs.

[sw4400]

As far as "things finally be made right," they won't even if he signs.

Then at the very least, things might stop taking backward steps(e.g smaller chance of fare hikes and service cuts then with nothing done to the Free Rides program)