Kiss n' Ride on the CTA

Another year brings another round of threats of huge fare increases to the CTA. And while I understand a lot of it is just the standard political dance, it still sucks. I just don't get it. There are certain things that only the government can provide and it would be hard to argue that public transportation is not one of those things. Yet for some reason the CTA is supposed to cover their expenses with their own revenues. And this occurs while our government subsidizes farming and even the oil companies while they make recent profits. It's just sickening at times. One of the things that makes Chicago a world class city is it's public transportation system. That doesn't mean it shouldn't try to make as much in revenues as possible. However, it's only goal shouldn't be making money. That's exactly where our country has gone. All that matters is money. Stemming pollution? As long as it doesn't interfere with profits. Providing health care to children? As long as I don't have to contribute. It's this simplistic Macroeconomics 101 bullshit that has taken hold of our country. If the goal of our government is based solely on profits, then fine. Let's institute tolls everywhere - why should I pay taxes if I don't use my fair share of the roads. Why should my taxes go to public schools if I have no children or choose to send my kids to private schools. Why should my tax money go to Medicare, Medicaid, welfare when I don't plan to ever use those programs? Why should my tax money fund a war I disagree with, that I thought was unnecessary? How come my taxes go to pay for firemen when I have never been involved in a fire?

I'm being extreme above, I know. Most if not all of the programs/services are not considered outrageous. Yet the city of Chicago is constantly holding the CTA to a higher standard than most other programs and services. You want to make the price of CTA ridership so high as to make it irrelevant? Have fun watching the city of Chicago become less relevant. It can happen. Detroit was once a world class city, now it's a dump. For sure some people who do not use the service may be funding it, but I already help fund a ton of shit and I don't have a problem with it.

Tags:

*Chicago*CTA *government *funding *budgets*macroeconomics *The L *public transportation