CTA Tattler

Please don't tell you are for the propoganda train running this year. I heard that it costs about $200,000 a year to operate, that comes out to the equivaliant of 4 workers who would not get laid off. This train is nothing but an insult, and the middle finger towards the 2400 soon to be laid off workers.

Where did you "hear" that, Bill? Just asking, because it's wrong.

Bill, think before you type. What aspect of the holiday train could possibly lead to a cost even remotely similar to $200k? You think it takes four staff-years to decorate a train? $200k of fuel? Come on.

Bill -
please don't presume to speak for CTA employees (or employees who will be laid off) unless you are one.

There are several of us who volunteer to work on the train who are tagged for January layoffs. Yes, it's a big weight hanging over heads, but working on this train is a rewarding experience.

And if your dollar amount was anywhere near accurate, that would amount to 4 people out of 2400 operating and admin staff who will be laid off. What is that - like 1/3 of one percent of the total layoffs? It's always unfortunate when any hard worker is laid off but most of us understand the minimal cost of the Holiday Train wouldn't make a dent in the deficit.

You're are certainly entitled to your opinion, but please don't call it an insult to us.

Less than 10% of the capital bill is for transit projects. And don't think there's going to be another capital bill anytime soon if that thing passes.

We're riding around on 30-year-old rail cars, the tracks are falling apart, and the rail system needs to be expanded for future decades. As painful as the service cuts will be, the capital needs are more important to the long-term success of public transit in this region.

And let's not forget, the transit funding that's on the table is really pretty bad. It's $90M too little, and so there are still going to be fare increases and perhaps some service cuts. And the CTA is still under-funded compared to Metra.

So while I appreciate her work on getting better operating funds for transit, I think Rep. Hamos is just wrong to buy into that capital bill in order to get it. We're talking about giving up the farm to get half a loaf! It's time to say "no."

The capital bill has to do with what the system will look like for the next 20-40 years. That's too important to give up in exchange for only moderately less insufficient operating funding.

And let's not forget - we're in special session land right now. When the legislature comes back in January it can pass stuff with a majority vote again and we won't be hostage to extortion by a minority of downstate legislators. A majority of the legislature supports increased transit funding regardless of whether the capital bill is "linked" to it. And when real cuts are imminent (or in place) in January, you can bet that same majority will vote to fund transit.

So let's wait until the rules empower the majority again and deal with the problem then.

But if the choice is this capital bill or no new operating funds, the latter is the better choice.

I have a question about the voting info as posted on the savechicagolandtransit site. I looked up how my rep voted & it says NV; he's the only one. "no vote"? That's not too good either.

I meant to ask if anyone knows what that means? Am I right about it being no vote?

This comparison might be a stretch, but this propaganda train reminds me of the orchestra playing while the naxi's led the prisoners to their death. Joseph Goebells lives, and he works for cta.

Dee:

NV does mean "no vote." It could mean a number of things.

Usually when someone abstains in the Illinois General Assembly, they push the button at their desk to abstain (P for PASS would appear on that sheet, I believe).

A "no vote" means that they either didn't push any button to vote while the bill was called for a vote. They could have chosen not to, but more likely were not present for the vote.

An excused absence is noted with an E, so, it could be a number of things. It could range from legitimate extranneous circumstances that didn't get the person excused in the proper way to just not being there.

Bill, that comparison is not a stretch. It's absurd -- not to mention, a genuine insult to millions of people who died. To compare the CTA mess to the Holocaust is neither clever, nor funny, nor accurate.

As for me, I'm working late tonight just so I have an excuse to catch the Santa Train. And nobody's over-the-top vitriol, and no legislative politicking, is going to take my Santa Train joy away. Santa Train, Santa Train, Santa Train!

Regarding how representatives have voted, I'm pleased to see that my rep (Harry Ostermann) consistently votes positively for transit. In fact, he called me back in August and left me a message about the situation (ironically I missed the call because I was underground in the subway).

p.s. I love the Holiday Train. Sorry to all you grinches. I especially like when it goes by my window at night.

The train goes by my window too! I like the Holiday Train! People are so down and grumpy, get over it! How many of your grinches actually contacted your elected state officials at least once? Huh? Fess up! Lazy bums!

I saw the Holiday Train for the first time last week. It was awesome! There were about 15 of us on the car, and everyone was tired and blue...then the driver announced that the Holiday Train was passing us on the left, and the "weight" in the car noticeably lifted. Everyone smiled, and people actually starting talking to each other! Imagine that - total strangers on the CTA being friendly and warm. Thanks, CTA for the wonderful, warm, beautiful Holiday Train. (P.S. - and Santa waved at me! Yay!)

Why would the "driver" be making any announcements when you have the pre-recorded ones?

Um, perhaps because there isn't a pre-recorded announcement regarding passing the holiday train?

That driver made an unnessary, insidious announcement.

If we're going to dredge-up WWII references to compare with the Holiday Train, a better one would be that Hollywood still continued to make movies to entertain people even while so many commodities were being rationed.

Even bankrupt people celebrate holidays. Nearly all of us have had years when we could barely afford food and rent, but yet we still managed to spend a little money on something fun to raise our spirits.

But I'm sure this is all falling on deaf ears. There will always be people like bill and The Grinch who'll go out of their way to piss on the corn flakes of people looking for a little holiday cheer. But you know what, bill? Dispite your sour, dehumanizing attitude, many folks in Chicago will, like the Whos in Whoville, will rise above your crap, and will enjoy themselves.

So either grow-up, like The Grinch eventually did, or take your misinformation (200K!), and your insulting hyperbole comparing the CTA to Nazis somewhere else. You're being an ill-informed, anti-social grump. Your comments are more indicitive of your own shortcomings than they are of any problem with the CTA.

And to the CTA workers who volunteered to work on the Holiday Train, thank you for sharing the joy in your hearts.

I guess 90% percent of cta front line workers are wring.

I mean wrong.

I got to ride the holiday train last week, on the blue line to o'hare.

and, in a case of divine intervention, the train broke down!

Thanks Governor!!!

LOL

And there was also Roosevelt's decision to keep baseball going during WWII for the sake of national morale.

The "holiday" train would be ok if there was a Diwali train, a ramadan train, a passover train etc, but there isn't, so it's state sponsorshop of religion; CASE CLOSED.

A Diwali train, a ramadan train, a passover train, etc. would be examples of state sponsorship of religion. A Holiday Train that celebrates the season of giving -- the one that fuels the secular economy -- is not.

Remember that many of the symbols of Christmas are secular symbols that have nothing to do with the holy day of the birth of Jeasus.

What the hell could a pine or spruce tree have to do with the birth of a prophet in a dessert state? Or a jolly old man that brings toys to children? Or flying deer? With glowing red noses?

If there were a nativity scene on the train, then that would be a state sponsorship of a religious holiday. But the symbols on the train are not religious.

Just because some churches may have co-opted some of those symbols into their celebration doesn't turn them into religious symbols. If that were the case, gothic architecture couldn't be a part of government buildings. And those benches that resemble pews in courtrooms would have to go, too. But that's just silly.

Anyone who thinks that the Holiday Train is a religious symbol of any sort is simply uneducated, or a troll -- or both.

Long live the celebration of retail known familiarly as Christmas, but more accurately known as the Holiday Season.

And perhaps someone might give Scrooge a Theology 101 textbook so he might someday understand the difference between the celebration of the birth of Christ, and the Holiday Season.

I'm down with a Passover train. I like matzoh.

Here is the New York City Transit Holiday Train. They spare no expense!

http://www.subchat.com/read.asp?Id=526908