CTA 2013 budget

[Busjack]

If you guys dont like it buy a car and drive it, see how much you spend on that in a week! I should b***h at bp that i have to spend $80.00 a week in fuel just to drive to work!

I don't know where you live and work, and shouldn't ask.

However, whatever happened to using one's employer's services?

______________

Since you mention bp, my father used to always buy Standard (Amoco) until he was laid off, at which time he vowed never to do so again.

[jajuan]

Depends on the perspective. You see only 1/4 of the fleet, I see at least 408 buses, maybe 458, 200-250 new.

Theoretically, there are 110 or so routes, so making a few (maybe 5) all artic doesn't make much a dent into that.

Perhaps. But I'm also looking at how the current 208 that are already here are deployed and used in addition to taking into account there may be a wider spread of how the next 200 to 250 are deployed after taking into account that there is a strong possibility they keep a fairly concentrated deployment of the ones they already have. So that leaves less available to do a full arctic coverage on up to five routes. Long story short, I'm seeing a less concentrated deployment of the next 200-250 than what's done with the current 208.

[mkohut]

I found it interesting reading the tribune article Where Claypool claims no more dooms day.

Unless,he is going to church services and praying the CTA gets its money.

What is the backup plan if tax revenue falls short?

[Busjack]

I found it interesting reading the tribune article Where Claypool claims no more dooms day.

Unless,he is going to church services and praying the CTA gets its money.

What is the backup plan if tax revenue falls short?

Claypool is basically engaged in semantics, and of course, patting himself on the back before The City Club while not being accountable to the taxpaying public, including to the extent of not even posting a President's Report on transitchicago.com.

Maybe he got some cost issues under control, but an outsider would want to have an audit to verify that.

The tax revenue issue you raise was implied by the question about "Reminded afterward by a reporter that CTA and Regional Transportation Authority officials turned out to be wrong when they predicted four years ago that transit doomsdays were over as a result of a small increase in the sales tax and CTA employee pension and health care reforms..." which Claypool, predictably did not answer.

As you imply, the proof of the pudding might be like in the case of the Kruesi administration, i.e. whether the [expletive deleted] hits the fan in another 3 years, such as the discovery of defective buses, that the Red Line fell apart, etc.

[mkohut]

The most scarey thing is not just The CTA or RTA.

Look at the entire state.

Instead of paying down debt.You have POLITICIANS wanting to raise money for there pet project,

Then Quinn wanting more money for schools.

Til a POLITICIAN wants to get rid of debt and stop thinking of pet projects your not going to have the money.

[Busjack]

The most scarey thing is not just The CTA or RTA.

Look at the entire state.

Instead of paying down debt.You have POLITICIANS wanting to raise money for there pet project,

Then Quinn wanting more money for schools.

Til a POLITICIAN wants to get rid of debt and stop thinking of pet projects your not going to have the money.

Well, they think they can raise the license plate sticker another $2, probably raise the liquor tax again, and think that a casino will be a panacea.

Maybe all that can be read into Claypool's remarks is that he recognizes that he can't go back to the sales tax again. But the budget seems to indicate that he thinks he can borrow his way out of the capital deficit. Update:I just saw an ad for auto title loans, but based on all the leases, CTA has already done that.

[mkohut]

The one thing for sure is that both Claypool and Emanuel were full of something i can't type here.For nameing rights to stations.

[geneking7320]

I was on a Pace route 290 bus recently and heard an audio commercial(not for Pace!) with the text shown on the interior LED sign. My prediction: CTA will sell audio ads to merchants keyed to the GPS system. When you approach a stop with paying merchant their store gets mentioned when the stop is called.

Gene King

[mkohut]

Here is another example of CTA mismanagement.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/12/11/cost-to-repair-brown-line-rehab-mistakes-swells-to-5-7m/

All that occurred under a prior administration, Steele noted.

So what is being done to these people?

[Busjack]

Here is another example of CTA mismanagement.

http://chicago.cbslo...swells-to-5-7m/

All that occurred under a prior administration, Steele noted.

So what is being done to these people?

If you had read the article, the answer is nothing:

Asked whether the people responsible were held accountable for the [what?], Steele said, "The staff that worked on that project are no longer with CTA. … They've moved on to other employment. They retired."

For instance, Kruesi is now a goat farmer in North Carolina, according to the CTA Tattler.

However, this reinforces my point that whoever said yesterday that more capital money has to be put into transit, I said that with that record, twice as much.

[mkohut]

If you go by what Steele says That there retire.That means not only did they mismanage.But,also probably collecting a pension.

[Busjack]

If you go by what Steele says That there retire.That means not only did they mismanage.But,also probably collecting a pension.

The pension is vested.

There isn't any cause of action for incompetence. Say, the NABI suit fell apart, do you think that CTA could sue Frank for $49 million in Bulgarian Feta and recover that amount? The goats' udders would be mighty sore.

[i8itall4u]

The pension is vested.

There isn't any cause of action for incompetence. Say, the NABI suit fell apart, do you think that CTA could sue Frank for $49 million in Bulgarian Feta and recover that amount? The goats' udders would be mighty sore.

... ... that's fall-down funny, Busjack.

[mkohut]

The pension is vested.

There isn't any cause of action for incompetence. Say, the NABI suit fell apart, do you think that CTA could sue Frank for $49 million in Bulgarian Feta and recover that amount? The goats' udders would be mighty sore.

Without knowing if they have liability insurance for there incompetence its hard to say.

I'm not sure if you remember Robert Belcaster When he was with the CTA.He was makeing money with stocks that the

CTA brought buses from.

[Busjack]

Without knowing if they have liability insurance for there incompetence its hard to say.

I'm not sure if you remember Robert Belcaster When he was with the CTA.He was makeing money with stocks that the

CTA brought buses from.

And the only thing they could do is force him to resign.

Mike Madigan similarly forced Daley's hand in 2007, as the reports were that Frank had to be out or the legislature wouldn't pass the tax bill. Frank was out, but Daley gave him some lobbying job.

[mkohut]

State needs more money for transit and other projects

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/20342286/quinn-in-secret-talks-with-legislators-about-potential-new-taxes

And of course no talks to pay current bills

[Busjack]

State needs more money for transit and other projects

http://www.myfoxchic...ntial-new-taxes

And of course no talks to pay current bills

Saw this. Apparently, since they can't get video poker going, there goes some of the money for Quinn's capital plan.

I guess one thing on which you can be assured is that a lame duck session is the time to raise taxes. I remember what they did 2 years ago, so they are about to do it again.

[mkohut]

Saw this. Apparently, since they can't get video poker going, there goes some of the money for Quinn's capital plan.

I guess one thing on which you can be assured is that a lame duck session is the time to raise taxes. I remember what they did 2 years ago, so they are about to do it again.

Correct me if i'm wrong.But,didn't Quinn give jobs to some of the people who voted to raise the taxes 2 years ago.

[MetroShadow]

Correct me if i'm wrong.But,didn't Quinn give jobs to some of the people who voted to raise the taxes 2 years ago.

Yes.

[mkohut]

Saw this. Apparently, since they can't get video poker going, there goes some of the money for Quinn's capital plan.

I guess one thing on which you can be assured is that a lame duck session is the time to raise taxes. I remember what they did 2 years ago, so they are about to do it again.

I wonder with Moody down gradeing the State credit will make the College Clowns do something to correct it

[mkohut]

The RTA rejected the CTA Budget.

It should be interesting to see if this is a Power Play.

[Busjack]

The RTA rejected the CTA Budget.

It should be interesting to see if this is a Power Play.

I said it could have happened, but I am totally shocked that it did.

However, according to the Tribune story on the home page, it is only for a small reason that I cited, i.e., it hasn't been clear for several years what funds would be used to pay the mountain of debt at the back of the budget, to which the CTA wished to add. It wasn't for the direct reasons that the budget was not submitted on time, nor that it might have become unbalanced when the fare hike at O'Hare was deferred.

As indicated by the prior stories that the RTA delayed setting marks for a month because of the squabble over discretionary funds, maybe suburban directors aren't going to take it any more. On the other hand, the power play may be only on the point stated in the article, that being whether the CTA should be allowed to pile on debt independent of the RTA (but Pace got legislative sanction to do that, too; the difference maybe being that the legislation doesn't allow Pace to obligate RTA tax money).

[mkohut]

I'm not sure if this is playing into it.

If there is a increase in Para Transit cost due to more people takeing it.Because of Lincoln Ave.Which will result in less money for Pace and Metra.

[Busjack]

I'm not sure if this is playing into it.

If there is a increase in Para Transit cost due to more people takeing it.Because of Lincoln Ave.Which will result in less money for Pace and Metra.

According to the current news story, no.

As previously noted, paratransit has legitimately become a football, with CTA saying that the off the top will eventually hurt CTA and Metra, and the people on Lincoln Ave. saying that if they can't use the bus, they'll call paratransit, which is less efficient. But this delay in passing the RTA budget seems only related to bonds.

[mkohut]

According to the current news story, no.

As previously noted, paratransit has legitimately become a football, with CTA saying that the off the top will eventually hurt CTA and Metra, and the people on Lincoln Ave. saying that if they can't use the bus, they'll call paratransit, which is less efficient. But this delay in passing the RTA budget seems only related to bonds.

I think what it get down to is The RTA doesn't want to lose the tax revenue for its bond.

If this tax revenue falls short.Something is going to hit somebody face or fan.