Chicago Sun-Times Editorial; Beyond doomsday: End most of CTA's free rides

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial; Beyond doomsday: End most of CTA's free rides
Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times
February 10, 2010
http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/2038735,CST-EDT-edit10a.article


The CTA's doomsday has come and gone. More than 1,000 bus and rail workers are now unemployed, leaving our city frustrated by diminished service and extra-crowded buses and trains.

Is there any way to turn back the clock?

Yes, but it means more sacrifice by beleaguered CTA workers and a big dose of political courage by our elected leaders.

The first step is union concessions.

The CTA is $96 million in the hole, prompting Sunday's 18 percent cut in bus service and 9 percent cut in rail service. CTA workers can't be expected to fill that hole on their own -- they just began paying more toward their health-care and pension costs in 2008 -- but they must play a part.

The CTA has proposed a 2010 wage freeze and a series of furloughs and unpaid days. Though painful, these concessions are in line with what's commonplace across the public and private sector in these extraordinary times.

Non-union CTA employees didn't get raises this year or last and are slated to take up to 18 furlough days.

Consider the CTA workers idling at home. A job with less pay is better than no job at all.

We also want sacrifice -- the political kind -- from our leaders in Springfield.

As we've said time and time again, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's ill-conceived free rides for seniors program must go.

That hare-brained idea cost the CTA, Metra and Pace $37 million in lost revenue last year. The free rides should be for low-income seniors only, and Gov. Quinn -- the general election be damned -- needs to stand up and demand a rollback of this fiscally irresponsible boondoggle.

Lastly, we're looking for some help from Washington.

The federal transportation bill, the main source of the CTA's capital dollars, has expired and a full reauthorization looks to be at least six months away. An early version of it by House Transportation Committee Chair Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) tilts the funding formula away from roads and bridges, giving more to mass transit.

More dollars to modernize public transit is hugely important to Chicago, which has billions in unmet capital needs, placing constant stress on its operating budget.

We urge the Illinois congressional delegation to push for quick action on this reauthorization.