mmm. CTA chief warns of fare hikes, service cuts: must be summertime!

“I can say that shortfall will cause us to raise fares. It will cause us to cut back significantly on service,” Huberman said. “There is no other way to get around $110 million.” … No frontline jobs like those held by bus drivers, train operators, janitors and maintenance workers were slashed [in the cuts two weeks ago]. But Huberman warned at the time that the cuts were just the beginning, and service reductions were possible if the state legislature did not approve additional transit funding.

yes, yes, it’s always dire news for us “if the state legislature does not approve additional funding.” well, you know what, guys, every time i’m in peoria and i get into a discussion as to why their taxes should subsidize my commute (yeah, i discuss politics with my family – it’s clearly a mistake but once in a while i just can’t seem to stop myself), sometimes i have a little bit of a hard time of it. if you guys did a little outreach and described how chicago benefits the rest of the state financially, instead of just blowing them off as irrelevant, maybe the rest of the state wouldn’t always be so resistant to handing out massive piles of cash. i’m just sayin.

seriously, it seems to me that part of the problem is that the rest of the state has no reason to be proud of having a city like chicago in illinois. on the whole, we’re pushy, we disagree politically with the rest of them a LOT which is interesting since we’re also completely politically corrupt and everyone openly acknowledges it, we’re “rich” and they’re “poor,” we think they’re hicks, et cetera. we have fine sports teams but it’s too expensive to come up from bloomington to watch a bears game, and it’s too scary to drive up and watch a cubs game (what the hell with the parking?!). we’re sort of a pain in their ass, actually. what has chicago done recently to make illinois proud of us, proud enough to want to help keep us that way? we may think we’re a world-class city, but i can guarantee you that plenty of people in sullivan, illinois think we’re damnfool idiots.