Transit is inherently political...but...

[Busjack]

140-year-old topic based on the following, perhaps inconsistent posts:

Under Pennsylvania:

On 7/11/2025 at 7:03 PM, Glennwood Road Ent. said:

Is this due to political bullcrap by dumb Republicans in Pennsylvania 

Under TTC,

On 8/10/2025 at 6:31 PM, Glennwood Road Ent. said:

Everyone, please shut up with the insane political crap talk on this topic...

Transit has always been political, from when private parties wanted franchises to put horse car tracks in the streets and elevated tracks over them, and Chicago cops tried to blockade the Northwest Elevated Railroad (now the NSM to Wilson) to keep the company from meeting a deadline in its franchise to commence service), to fights over what agency has the right to regulate the companies, to attempts to collect taxes from receivers in bankruptcy court, to takeovers by public entities, to Chicago with the descent of management from businesspersons and transit professionals to political hacks and preachers, to the current fiscal mess and, in Illinois, transit reform proposal. But...

In my view, this is relevant in only two senses:

1. If the discussion is about policy. Stuff like Chicago mayors appointing persons not meeting statutory qualifications or trying to dictate who will be the CTA President involve policy. Policy is implicated, both nin Illinois and Pennsylvania, when transit advocates say "the state should give us $1.5 billion" or "the Commonwealth should give us $250 million," respectively, or service will be cut 40%, but the rubber hits the road, and the state says taxes and fees have to go up, and someone, such as tollway drivers or property sellers, has to pay it. That isn't "political cr--," @Glennwood Road Ent., but your statement quoted first above is.
2. The matter should affect the writer, directly, by analogy, or by inference. This is what I meant by my Chicago Transit Forum comment, @MetroShadow, and not necessarily a restriction onn transit news from elsewhere. That's why I asked why someone who lives in Bermuda has any interest in what a politician from Erie Pa said, and, by inference, was "Republican cr--." I admit I have departed from this occasionally, such as to refute "savants" such as @nitro, who asserted New York soluutions applied in Chicago, when MTA was in fact 52 years behind.

 Now, that I have clarified my position, back to whether bus 1862 has met its crusher. 🫠