[arenn]

How about some basic information:

- The CTA does not control any material funding lever except fares, which are already high and for which it takes a lot of grief if it raises them.

- Transit is a more or less fixed cost system to operate, but we fund it with variable revenue streams (sales/stamp taxes). That's a recipe for problems unless there is a major reserve fund maintained.

- The RTA funding formula overweights suburban services on a per rider basis. The CTA carries 80% of total regional transit ridership.

- The CTA has long been historically underfunded for capital needs

- The CTA did do something about pensions when it issued a billio+ dollar bond to top of its pension fund. The payments on this escalate significantly in the next couple years, which is going to produce more funding crises. By law the CTA cannot do anything about accrued benefits.

- Let's give the CTA some credit for operational improvements that have been made starting with Ron Huberman. It was a major step up.