not so fast. senate needs to approve it, too. if they do, i will be absolutely elated. this gives me hope:

Link, Springfield State Journal Register

i know that sullivan, head of the downstate democratic caucus, voted against the measure in the senate last time, and that he will be voting for it this time around, per the article and a call i just placed to his springfield office.

true but the senate is suppose to me more supportative than the house and it passed the house easily it looks.

edit:
when does the senate vote on it?

haha, found this comment:

For once let Cook county solve there own problems instead of robbing down state of funds needed badly elsewere

Ummm, I think this is the entitlement mentality going on.

Taxes are to be only raised in metro Chicago, NOT downstate, and downstate actually gets millions a year from metro Chicago in this bill. Free money, yet they still bitch. Jesus Christ.

Poor transit doesn't just embarrass Cook County, it embarrasses all of Illinois. Some nitwits just don't understand that.

the trib threads on transit stories are bad enough, so i don't even bother with the belligerently ignorant opinions of downstaters on this issue.

as for when the senate vote happens, i have no idea, but i am on tenterhooks. i can't take this anymore, but i've been trying to do whatever i can in terms of calling legislators, the governor and sending out mass emails to my friends and family.

*fingers crossed*

They're voting right now....

Mass-transit crisis averted; lawmakers pass funding bill

Link, Chicago Tribune

phew ...

now i don't have to move heh heh.

julie hamos for sainthood.

Julie Hamos for governor.

Woohoo!

despite blago's best efforts, this thing actually passed. i cannot believe it.

i wish our state had re-call like california so we could kick this douche bag out on his ass.

worst. governor. ever.

What was his plan (aside from the stupid free-for-seniors thing)? Why was there disagreement in the first place?

i actually wrote something to that effect to her office after it passed and before blago nearly screwed the whole thing up. i said i wasn't a constituent (rep greg harris), but she has my email address if she ever needs a volunteer for any of her campaigns.

well, this state did the right thing, finally. reading the trib comments board is staggeringly painful, and i hope it is more to do with franklin's "here comes the orator! with his flood of words and drop of reason," than a representation of the area's intellect. however, in the end, when it came down to it, this state, region and city, did what they should in funding mass transit, which is not a given in this country.

now for that $10B for the rta ...

"close corporate tax loopholes," was his mantra over the summer fall, and i never heard him name one example. of course, one of his babies is the tax break/loophole for film companies that has seen an uptick in movies made here. as hamos said in rebuttal, 'one man's loophole, is another man's business ... development ... opp ..." i don't remember what she said, but it was good.

Left work and just got home to this.

a saying stolen from one of our favorite forumers-sarcasm
bangin

well, halelujahh!

since the "senior" makeup on the CTA probably isn't entirely significant (compared to other age groups), the only immediate pain the CTA will feel from the passing of this bill is zero revenue from them. But if the funding bill already accounted for the loss of the current senior revenue, then fine. and in that case, the only real cost the CTA will see is from a quicker wearing down of their trains and buses. But thats incredibly hard to track down any kind of numbers on.

Overall, the bill having passed, I don't mind seniors riding free, and I don't think anyone else does either. those "against seniors" before the bill was passed were probably just against that aspect because it decreased the likelihood of the bill passing.

uhm, i guess i'll do one of those :banana: things

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/...1/34794577.jpg
Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston), sponsor of the Chicago-area mass-transit funding bill, is congratulated by Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston) after the Illinois House passed the bill that includes free rides for senior citizens. (Tribune photo by Charles Osgood / January 17, 2008)

Link

heh heh, look how relieved she looks.

thank god. i thought it was mighty silent on his part ...

Doomsday averted!

Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today commended the General Assembly for accepting his improvements to a long-term mass transit funding bill that provides free public transportation to Illinois seniors. The CTA, Metra and Pace had planned for drastic service cuts, fare hikes, and layoffs if no solution was passed by Sunday.

http://www.illinois.gov/

jackass.

Don't the free rides for seniors still leave them with a $25 million budget hole from the lost ticket sales?

The Trib mentions that a second bill will come around limiting the eligibility for free rides based on income. So we're shifting from a huge budget hole to a small one with less public and legislative interest.

Yippie!

Now I don't have to worry about having my fabulous transit lifestyle CANNED if I move to Chicago. Great as hell news on so many levels...