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CTA 2013 budget


Busjack

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I think they claim they don't have the extra money .So they can try to get more money from the state.

Without see the CTA whole budget its hard to say where the waste is besides Claypool 190,000 pay.

The first problem is that while Pace and Metra have to hold a board meeting to authorize sending the proposed budget to public hearing apparently CTA doesn't, but just has "President's Recommendations," which are usually 2 or 3 weeks late, compared to the other boards.

But with regard to "state money," are you suggesting (or saying that CTA will suggest) another sales tax? Otherwise, the other budgets indicate that because the state is still $8 billion behind in paying its bills, it is behind in paying whatever match it owes to the RTA. Quinn at one time wanted to borrow out of that, but couldn't get the 60% vote needed in the legislature to do that.

I also suspect that the reason that CTA's finances haven't recovered is that it has been borrowing too much for too many years, and intends to keep doing it (such as "sales tax bonds" for most of the cost of the 5000s). As Pace points out, that eventually has to be paid out of operating.

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As you mention in previous posts. Illinois politicians are clueless.

With Quinn playing hardball with more Casinos and Slot machines.This would have been the best source of new money without adding any taxes.

Also,When will the Cta get its act together about nameing rights for the stations.

I think Pace is right all the borrow money will effect service.

You have new train cars,another 205 million for Bus Garages,95th Station,to name a few.

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As you mention in previous posts. Illinois politicians are clueless.

With Quinn playing hardball with more Casinos and Slot machines.This would have been the best source of new money without adding any taxes.

...

By mentioning slot machines, I assume you are excluding video poker, which Quinn endorsed as part of the capital bill (along with the candy, pop, and liquor taxes), but the video gambling is just getting approved by the state gaming board and is banned in most places.

If you mean more casinos, I can see the point that one in Chicago would divert business from Hammond, but there has to be diminishing returns from that (i.e. supposedly Rivers hurt Elgin). And now Preckwinkle wants to get the county's hands in that pocket.

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By mentioning slot machines, I assume you are excluding video poker, which Quinn endorsed as part of the capital bill (along with the candy, pop, and liquor taxes), but the video gambling is just getting approved by the state gaming board and is banned in most places.

If you mean more casinos, I can see the point that one in Chicago would divert business from Hammond, but there has to be diminishing returns from that (i.e. supposedly Rivers hurt Elgin). And now Preckwinkle wants to get the county's hands in that pocket.

The slot machines were for Arlington Park and all the other horse raceing spots.

Also i'm sure if Preckwinkle trys to put a tax on the machines the Casinos will take her to court.

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  • 4 weeks later...

When i read the article in Crain Chicago Business about the talks with the Unions.How can Claypool say There going to layoff drivers tells me he is more clueless on what he is doing.

He isn't worth getting pay one dollar let alone 190,000 a year.

Claypool being clueless goes beyond saying.

But for a couple of clarifications:

  • The WARN Act says that 60 days notice has to be given of a mass layoff, but doesn't mean that there will be one.
  • The references to arbitration also show another defect in Claypool's reasoning: he was counting on either concessions or not paying a raise in 2012 to balance the budget. However, if it goes to arbitration, there is no assurance that the arbitrator will see it his way, and [as I earlier mentioned] raises would have to be paid retroactively.

But, as indicated by my prior post in this thread, Claypool isn't even competent enough to get budget recommendations out on time. So, he's throwing smokescreens. And I don't see how he figures that holding the line on fares is that sacred.

BTW, based on the link in that story, Kelly's views on reaching a settlement must have really deteriorated in the last week.

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About that budget release today: nevermind.

So it appears definite that the Nov. 15 deadline for submitting it to the RTA will be violated.

I'm sure that blame it on the union is also not the real reason, as they could have done like last year and submitted a budget based on either getting concessions or not.

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So it appears definite that the Nov. 15 deadline for submitting it to the RTA will be violated.

I'm sure that blame it on the union is also not the real reason, as they could have done like last year and submitted a budget based on either getting concessions or not.

Yeah. Another story link from the homepage has the circumstances by which that deadline is missed sounding less dire. That story has Claypool and the operators union showing less animosity toward each other and more hopeful and serious about working together to get a deal in place so the budget can get released.

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We have a deal.

"This four-year tentative agreement is the first negotiated deal with ATU in decades; all other agreements were the result of binding arbitration."

Budget will be released this week.

So, I guess no problem publishing it, putting it out for meaningless public hearings, and then submitting it to the RTA by the statutory deadline of Nov. 15, 2012 (section 4.11(-b-)(1) of the RTA Act, 70 ILCS 3615/4.11).

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We have a deal.

"This four-year tentative agreement is the first negotiated deal with ATU in decades; all other agreements were the result of binding arbitration."

Budget will be released this week.

Could be out as early as Tuesday @ Noon or anytime before Thanksgiving. can the public get an hard copy of the CTA Budget Booklet?

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Could be out as early as Tuesday @ Noon or anytime before Thanksgiving. can the public get an hard copy of the CTA Budget Booklet?

Just go down to the Taj CTA at 567 W. Lake and hope they have one. I'm sure Brian Steele can give you the time. Note, however, that law says only that it has to be made available for public viewing (70 ILCS 3605/34). Brian doesn't have to give you one.

For the rest of us, the pdf will suffice, as no need to fill our recycling bins.

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Budget details are being released, but the budget has not yet been posted on the web site. The word on Twitter is that there will be no service cuts or base fare increases, but passes will go up.

Update: Higher fare from O'Hare also proposed.

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Budget details are being released, but the budget has not yet been posted on the web site. The word on Twitter is that there will be no service cuts or base fare increases, but passes will go up.

https://twitter.com/...951238034669568

Practically, what the CTA is doing is upping the fares for the monthly passes and keeping the base fares constant. Almost to what NYC is proposing (although they have multiple proposals mixing and matching base fares with passes).

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Budget details are being released, but the budget has not yet been posted on the web site. The word on Twitter is that there will be no service cuts or base fare increases, but passes will go up.

https://twitter.com/...951238034669568

Update: Higher fare from O'Hare also proposed.

https://twitter.com/...953766243692544

As for the O'Hare surcharge: What in the actual deuce is this?

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As for the O'Hare surcharge: What in the actual deuce is this?

Not quite sure what you are asking, but it would seem that if you go through that turnstile, cash media would be debited $5.00 instead of $2.25. Tracy's tweet indicates that that would not apply if a pass is used. Since the only other public transit way out of O'Hare is Pace at the Kiss and Ride, those buying cash transit cards would have to pay.

There are past precedents for this, in Chicago the surcharges that were collected on express buses downtown, or through fares from Evanston, but those all died when going to magnetic media.

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Looks like base fares will stay the same, but there will be some changes to passes and fares from O-Hare(Story). Here's the skinny...

30-Day Passes(Full Fare) will increase from $86 to $100. Nothing is mentioned about the 30-Day(Reduced Fare). Will that stay at $35?

7-Day Passes(CTA Only) will increase from $23 to $28. Nothing is mentioned about the CTA/PACE 7-Day Pass. Will that stay at $28?

3-Day Passes will increase from $14 to $20

1-Day Passes will increase from $5.75 to $10

Fares for Blue Line trains departing from O-Hare will increase to $5. Only monthly passes or Chicago Cards set up as monthly passes are exempt from this charge.

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Anyone know what work the CTA plans on doing on the Brown Line between Fullerton and the Merchandise Mart?

They said track and substation renewal. However, not said whether or why not it was done as part of the Brown Line project.

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