http://www.ipsn.org/indictments/levine/gov0916_285.jpg

urban politican, how can you say that about a guy, with that kind of hair :haha: :haha: :haha: :haha:

Question, is Dick Durbin or Obama trying to get federal support for mass trans?????

Good post "Matthew" I hope some of our eloquent foumers can counter the comment before matt's.

“Why should I help out Chicago when they haven’t helped out my area for the last umpteen years?” added Republican state Rep. Bill Mitchell of Forsyth." - www.pantagraph.com

:hell:

If it wasn't for Chicago, Illinois would be fricking Wyoming. We pay for everyhting.

I think its time we renew talks of sucession, because apparently the 1980 constitution didn't fix enough.

Illinois's last constitution was 1970. The question of whether to convene another constitution convention will be on the ballot in Nov. 2008. A 60% majority is required.

But Gov. Tinyteeth and three of the Four Tops are from Chicagoland.

this is the saddest part of all. it is easy to vent at suburbanites and downstaters, but the three most powerful men in the state are chicago democrats. that's just state politics, obviously when you add daley, then the situation becomes even more, well, "depressing" will have to do.

who's your your fifth, mr. downtown? senate republican leader?

ah ... watson: http://www.ilga.gov/Senate/Senator.a...rID=1015&GA=94

Funny thing you mentioned tiny teeth. I was so focused on his beedie narrow eyes I have never focused on his tiny teeth.

This man is a pure inbreed genetically from what I can make out of his features.

How is that recall amendment from coming from Lt Gov Pat Quinn coming?

How this thing got elected is a sad statement on our state govern....

And to think this fool act. had his mind on the bigger stage.

So, now we have a SuperDoomsday in January. I can just see it now. It's January 1st, it's 5 degrees outside and snowing, the wind chill is -20. But the legislators have been bickering. So...the CTA cuts 82 bus routes and raises fares to $3.25, Pace cuts all the threatened routes (close to 100, right?) and raises fares, Metra raises fares...and a bunch of people freeze their fingers off walking 2 miles to the 'L'. After a couple weeks, the Dan Ryan hits a stand still all day...

Ok, so this could never happen. But I can see the threatening news stories of December already. And I kind of think it would be awesome for it to happen...for like a week. Nobody would ever question how vital transit is to Chicago ever again. AND...it'd be kind of like the famous stories about the Blizzard of 1979....where Mayor Bilandic (sp??) got voted out because he didn't do the basic job of making sure the streets got plowed. The same thing could happen to Blagassobitch and Madigan...which would be awesome...

^^^^Yeah blag is no prize but madigan is a bitch...always has been

^^^^I believe chicago succeeds just fine :lol: :yes: :jester: now if you would like to talk of secession ...now that is another story altogether

"without spelling there is no dasein" MARTIN HEIDEGGER :jester: :)

ok a rant against this guy---
Bill Mitchell a republican from Decatur who opposes funding for public transportation because he is essentially a fan of auto-centric, oil driven sprawl. He believes that the US should be beholden to Saudi oil interests as he profits from his connections with ADM. Additionally, for some strange reason he thinks it unsafe for white people to mix with people of color on buses or trains since they could be negatively influenced by such diversity and that they should be driving to and from their destination anyway.

If there is one thing that I hope Mr. Mitchell could learn is that public transportation, similarly to his beloved asphalt projects, are a public good. Public goods are increasingly rare in dying towns like Decatur, where many people now chose planned developments, so as to hide from their fellow man. Nonetheless, public goods are not profit driven! Yes even an arch-conservative like Uncle Milty (Friedman) for those who do not know, or Friedrich Hayak would admit as much. But not Bill Mitchell he is infected with that laughing disease promulgated by the joker himself Arthur Laffer and his supply side shenanigans.

By the way Bill...every and I mean every day..you should get on your knees and ....bow to mecca....or pray ...or say kaddish...or do whatever it is you do to thank whatever it is you thank that Chicago is in your State because without it....well the whole state would be like decatur.

and he's a drunkard

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Mitchell_(politician)

arguably those redevelopments only occurred because the El was torn down. At least, that's what the woodlawn mega-church/TWO that spearheaded the developments would tell you (and arguably, they are right). What I don't understand is why that had to put the residential development right on 63rd street? why couldn't they put it on a side street and leave 63rd st. to the El and retail? Now, granted, there wasn't much retail there to begin with and there was the perception that the El over 63rd precipitated crime under the tracks. Who knows. in any case, at this point, it would be better for Woodlawn if the Metra Electric increased service and made more stops at 63rd (and re-did that hideous excuse for a station they have there). Don't know if the current demand would sustain it, however. and without a universal fare card, commuters from hyde park/woodlawn/kenwood are more inclined to cut their losses, purchase only a CTA card and just take the horribly slow No. 6 bus instead of the Metra.

my question is? is the 21 mill diversion temp or perm, and what capital projects did we lose because of this diversion?

^^^^apparently..as well

...well he likes driving & being held to ONLY driving

...I guess if you drive(die) more its more money in the DUIie coffers (coffins)

I've heard this line of reasoning before... but, i just don't see how any area ever benefits from removing an amenity. If the area under the tracks precipitates crime, why isn't there crime under all the EL tracks? The existence of the EL tracks had very little to do with crime. It is just a good example of how these neighborhoods make poor decisions for themselves. Rather than trying to get rid of the crime, they got rid of the EL. This reminds me of a problem East St. Louis had. People kept getting shot at red lights. So instead of trying to fight the gun crime, they timed their lights to have shorter red lights.

I agree with you on 63rd street development. It has a very weird feel to have those little rowhouses along that street. But i suppose that is the only thing those communities can actually get built. Retail and black neighborhoods in chicago seem a bit like oil and water. Also, you are very right in saying the Metra Electric needs some attention.

A Lake-Midway or a Cermak-63rd route would not be able to make a full circuit of the Loop. If both of those services were implemented, the Wells and Van Buren legs of the Loop would see only Brown and Pink line service, which is an under-utilization.

I computed the riders per route mile (actually I computed the route distance per rider, in feet) a few days ago, using the length and ridership data from the Wikipedia page. Combining Brown and Pink would still give a better ratio than the Purple, Yellow, Orange, or Green Lines. It would have the 3rd-best ratio after Red and Blue.

i would imagine there is support for transit in the 600,000 strong metro east of st. louis. they for the most part seem to embrace transit there with open arms. i don't know how many miles of rail there is exactly, but it's over 20 miles i think. design work for further Illinois extensions is complete, and awaiting funding...

downstate isn't a total lost cause. i think a lot of people from the metro east visit chicago and want the positive aspects of its transit emulated there (more like metra in the metro east of course). the small urban faction in the metro east is probably drowned out in the small city rural thinking downstate illinois, and chicago doesnt hear it.

hell, sometimes i think i would pay taxes for chicago transit funding, im tired of breakdowns and delays of what should be a world class system in an indisputably world class city. it just doesnt make sense.

There is a great new article in the Trib about the stopgap funding measure that just passed - here's a good quote from Huberman:

Too true

The more I hear from Huberman the more respect I have for him. He'd make a great mayor someday (wait Daley has kids. nevermind).

Yes, but who cares if any train line doesn't make a full circuit of the loop. People can walk. It is absurd that the loop has 9 stations. It makes the "circuit of the loop" incredibly inefficient. I once traveled from downtown to Belmont, and, because I was near the Quincy station, thought it would be faster to hop on the Brown Line rather than walk over to the State St. subway. Wrong. Why? because the train made 7 stops before exiting downtown and must wait for various other trains as it makes its way around the loop. The CTA should combine lines where possible and eliminate stations. One on each side of the loop is enough. I propose eliminating Adams, Randolph, Lake/State, and Washington (can't eliminate LaSalle b/c of transfer to Metra; can't eliminate Library because it's renovated).