Blagojevich Creates New Homeless Shelters - Rolling Ones
With Governor Rod Blagojevich announcing that those over 65 can ride the rails and buses for free, I see an unintended consequence.
You’ve heard about Charlie, who had to ride Boston’s MTW forever because he didn’t have the dime to get off?
Well, with free fares, homeless seniors can ride CTA buses and trains and Metra trains for as long as they want.
Now, they will have to schedule their route so they don’t end up in Harvard, at the end of the line, without a way back, but, with some skill, the homeless will be able to keep warm on frigid days.
Certainly, some homeless advocate group will provide such schedules.
Here is the House roll call.
Here is the Senate roll call.
9 comments:
Thanks Cal!
Now, if only he could get nurse-practioners on the trains, paid for by slots at all Metra stations of course, then he'd have his healthcare plan!
Great minds think alike. This popped in my head this morning too as an unintended consequence.
I made my mistakes, but in all my years of public life, I have never profited from public service. I’ve earned every cent. And in all of my years in public life I have never obstructed justice. And I think, too, that I can say that in my years of public life that I welcome this kind of examination because people have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook. I’ve earned everything I’ve got.
Richard M. Nixon, In a press conference, November 11, 1973
The nurse practicer idea is so good that I am adding to my story on McHenry County Blog.
Not to mention the new market of fake Senior ID cards.
Or how about all the poor seniors getting robbed for their cards?
What percentage of the homeless are seniors?
My guess is that it's low.
Living as a homeless person reduce life expectancy. And seniors get a check from the gov't every month, so they have some advantages in paying rent.
What do you think this means for the "reduced fare subsidy" the state gets for providing reduced fares to seniors and people with disabilities? More subsidy, because the fare amount is decreasing? Or less subsidy, because fewer people are paying "reduced fares.?" The gov would have been better to find a way to get dial-a-ride provided all over the region uniformly, rather than incomplete patchwork it is now. Who is he asking for policy recommendations?
I meant to say "the reduced fare subsidy" the state pays TO RTA for reduced fares.
lets see, there's multiple problems with your argument there cal, besides your inane hatred of public transit.
One, homeless already ride trains for extended periods of time. They ride the blue and red lines all night long. Those trains run all night long. Fixed route Metra trains, though more comfortable than the CTA, aren't likely to be invaded, as homeless persons will be kicked off routinely, and be left without a ride for extended periods (as metra trains don't run 24/7).
Most homeless people can beg enough change as is to get on the CTA. One sob story to a tourist about not being able to get back out to their family in Joliet (it's always Joliet) and they get $5. A couple of tourists later, and you've got dinner, and an all night trip on the blue line.
So what really changes? A senior homeless person saves $0.85? (Last I checked, that's a senior fare on the CTA). Wow, now that's just a horrible unintended consequence.
And, late at night there are plenty of CTA employees who fall asleep sitting in the booth at the station, so if a homeless guy is especially hard up, they can jump the turnstile when the employee is snoozing.
I think the guv's proposal is rather ridiculous due to the fact it was not thought out at all, and that it was sprung at the very last minute so Rod could get his name in the papers.
But this is the stupidest argument against the proposal I've seen yet.
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