A Senate measure to fund transit with a $1.50 retail delivery tax and real-estate transfer taxes failed to clear the legislature during the regular spring session.
As a resident of Illinois, this may be a stupid question, but do they ever have special sessions for lowering taxes or fees?
The Railroader
10 months ago
The Chicago RTA’s comprehensive ridership peaked in 2012 at 659.0 million rides. In 2024, this number was 366.3 million rides for a 44.4% loss of ridership. The political animals operating the RTA didn’t cut spending in the ensuing years, as the annual outlay to the RTA and its operating wings for operations rose every year since then, inversely varying with ridership. How does a transit agency end up spending more each year as ridership falls? Welcome to baseline budgeting. This budgeting method starts with last year’s spend and attaches a kicker to arrive at this year’s allocation. Subsequent year spending… Read more »
Deb
10 months ago
Until mass transit downsizes management, fires incompetent employees, cleanses political and DEI hires, they should not get another dime. They need to stop spending money they don’t have.
mqyl
10 months ago
It’s continually amazing what Illinois will do in terms of additional or new taxes and fees to feed its mismanagement machine. That guarantees the exodus from Illinois will continue. Greed being the driving force means revenue collected from taxes and fees will never be enough. So many of us are tired of hoping or waiting for some sort of sanity to kick in. Our standard of living keeps incrementally decreasing in this scenario. It’s unfair to force us to leave because of greedy pols and public unions.
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.
As a resident of Illinois, this may be a stupid question, but do they ever have special sessions for lowering taxes or fees?
The Chicago RTA’s comprehensive ridership peaked in 2012 at 659.0 million rides. In 2024, this number was 366.3 million rides for a 44.4% loss of ridership. The political animals operating the RTA didn’t cut spending in the ensuing years, as the annual outlay to the RTA and its operating wings for operations rose every year since then, inversely varying with ridership. How does a transit agency end up spending more each year as ridership falls? Welcome to baseline budgeting. This budgeting method starts with last year’s spend and attaches a kicker to arrive at this year’s allocation. Subsequent year spending… Read more »
Until mass transit downsizes management, fires incompetent employees, cleanses political and DEI hires, they should not get another dime. They need to stop spending money they don’t have.
It’s continually amazing what Illinois will do in terms of additional or new taxes and fees to feed its mismanagement machine. That guarantees the exodus from Illinois will continue. Greed being the driving force means revenue collected from taxes and fees will never be enough. So many of us are tired of hoping or waiting for some sort of sanity to kick in. Our standard of living keeps incrementally decreasing in this scenario. It’s unfair to force us to leave because of greedy pols and public unions.