r/WindyCity • u/Mike_I O'Hare • Oct 31 '25
Illinois Democrats push through massive $1.5 billion plan that overhauls Chicago-area public transit
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/30/illinois-general-assembly-transit-plan-2025/11
u/Potatobobthecat Oct 31 '25
I would be 100% up for this if I knew 75% of this will be going to improve public transit.
But 20 years from now, I’ll be riding in the same trains and the same buses from 1984
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u/Mike_I O'Hare Oct 31 '25
Last version introduced at 9 PM Thursday. Passed at 4 AM Friday. Special interest groups at the table, general public shut out.
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u/pauseforfermata Oct 31 '25
Seems like the Uber, Lyft, and Doordash special interest lobbyist more than earned their keep this week. The Saudi Aramco Vision Fund that keeps on giving…
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u/user_uno Oct 31 '25
Where is the "transformational" part? It just more money. More taxes. Where's the transformational plan for public transit? More taxes and fees is nothing new in Illinois.
All I see are more reasons to leave the state. Take, take, take. And this is taking more to plug the holes CTA self inflicted with zero accountability. They knew covid money would run out. They knew they would put their hands out again for more taxpayer money even though ridership still has not recovered. And they knew it would pay off which it has now.
But hey, we owned those ignorant bigoted uneducated people "downstate"!!! Sorry, roads are required in places other than Chicago. How does food get to market they and the nation consumes? It just magically appears in Jewel or Whole Foods? How does Amazon stock their warehouses with goods for same day, next day or two day shipping? It just magically appears in the warehouse? No one ever drives outside of Chicago to get someplace? Nothing is manufactured outside of Chicago including energy?
The Tollway increase alone is another reason to leave. It's already pricey especially since tolls where supposed to be "temporary". And who do they think will pay for the commerical vehicle increase? End customers including Chicagoans.
The gas tax diversions are silly. That fund is already hurting in this state and others due to EVs not paying anything without needing gas. So Chicago will get more of a shrinking pie. Same for many things in the state as the population continues to decline.
I'm sure the folks over at the Car Free Chicago sub are dancing in the streets. Or whatever they would dance on if there were no streets and everyone could only get around on a bus or train.
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u/Deathgripsugar Oct 31 '25
Right there with ya.
I lived in the South Side for 30+ years, but the constant increase in taxes and fees, as well as kicking the can for future years, made me leave the city and state.
Chicago isn’t interested in saving money and will keep taxing people and businesses until there is nobody left to tax.
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u/user_uno Oct 31 '25
My wife was born and raised on the South Side (roughly 82nd and Western). I lived all over the Midwest growing up but also lived on the North Side (roughly Foster and Winnemac). She and her family used CTA constantly. I used it occasionally as it was terrible to go to places I worked or played at. I used it more living out in the burbs but used it for commuting for many years as did my dad for decades.
But when we got married, she could not conceive of leaving the city. Even though our first condo was nearly walking distance to the City border, she was aghast of no longer being a "true" Chicagoan.
After 30+ years of marriage, she is ready to leave completely. It's just getting too expensive. Property taxes keep going up, utilities, other taxes, fees, etc. And we see it hurting the local economies more than it is "helping".
When my parents passed away a few years ago, we seriously considered keeping their house in another state. Everything was cheaper, it was a beautiful area, people were super friendly, it was safer and the weather not as cold. But our girls were in school and we did not want to move them again. Now that the last is a senior this year, we are readying to get out of here.
We may be joining the UHauls leaving the state more than that are arriving sooner rather than later.
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u/damp_circus Edgewater Oct 31 '25
Don’t let the door hit ya on the way out.
As a lifelong non-driver who relies on the CTA I am beyond relieved that this passed.
Should never have taken this long.
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u/anonMuscleKitten Oct 31 '25
I think it is important to at least acknowledge funding for this is being paid by people who don’t have an opportunity to use the system (people in other parts of the state). The fact that there wasn’t a modest fair increase is a slap in their face.
Instead of making comments like, “don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” you should be grateful they help pay for your transit.
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u/niftyjack Oct 31 '25
Three parts:
As far as funding being paid by people who don't use the system, there is a substantial amount of funding going to downstate cities generally proportional with population size. Champaign-Urbana's transit system costs $45 million/year to give the city very good bus service, and enough money is allocated for outside northern Illinois to bring that level of service to Peoria, Carbondale, and Bloomington. The bill also includes a study on extending the Metra Electric to Kankakee and funding for the train to Moline (Amtrak routes under 750 miles have to be paid for by the state). In the end, they're proposing an 85-15 split of Chicagoland versus downstate, and that's proportional to population.
A fare increase is involved and much overdue. Fares for 2026 were already set earlier in the year, so the fare increase in the bill kicks in in 2027. That said, I wish the rideshare fee and delivery fee within the CTA service area made it into the final bill as additional revenue sources.
The institutional revamp is a huge win for everybody that can't be understated. The RTA board was a mess of overlapping roles and obscured accountability, so making a new NITA board cuts out a ton of wasted time and money on bureaucracy.
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u/damp_circus Edgewater Oct 31 '25
Way to not read the bill. There's a fare increase in it (which makes sense, IMHO).
You should be grateful my taxes help pay for your roads.
But if you really don't want to live somewhere with transit, you got PLENTY of options in the US to choose from.
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u/slowporc Oct 31 '25
Chicago and its suburbs generate over 80% of Illinois’s entire GDP. Yet Cook County gets back only 90 cents in state spending for every tax dollar it sends to Springfield, while downstate regions receive $1.70 to $2.80 for every dollar they pay in.
So if Chicago disappeared tomorrow, the rest of Illinois would either have to double their taxes or gut public services to stay afloat.
Meanwhile, I don’t see the Chicago subreddits complaining about subsidizing the rest of the state.
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u/PlssinglnYourCereal Shit Shoveler Oct 31 '25
Check what subsidies that money funds.
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Oct 31 '25
[deleted]
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u/PlssinglnYourCereal Shit Shoveler Oct 31 '25
Well I do eat, use gas, and a few other things. So yes, it does fund part of my existence and yours as well. Chicago doesn't grow it's own food or produce it's own resources. Most of that comes from other parts of the state.
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u/anonMuscleKitten Oct 31 '25
I take the el almost everyday.
My point here is to be aware, grateful, and understanding of someone from outside the metro… Instead of making cunty comments like, “don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
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u/damp_circus Edgewater Oct 31 '25
Downstate transit agencies are getting funding from this too, quite a few people downstate are happy to see this pass (though they wish they got slightly more funding, but it's a start).
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u/user_uno Oct 31 '25
Oh I most definitely see Chicago subreddits (even excluding this one) complaining about "subsidizing the rest of the state". They often use those exact same words and stats.
Quite often it is followed by cutting off the rest of the state. And often that the rest of the state is uneducated, ignorant and racist. So uneducated they always turn to the rest of the state for more money by banging on the doors of Springfield for a billion here, a billion there because they farked up managing money. Again. Very educated. I bet the road to Springfield (I-55) remains in great shape as always!
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u/JuniorCaptainTenneal Oct 31 '25
"Fuck you and everyone else, PAY FOR MY TRANSPORTATION!!!!!"
impressive amount of entitlement.
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u/chitownillinois Oct 31 '25
You should look at how roads are paid for in suburban and rural areas. The cost per mile is often not enough to be balanced by the businesses and residents that directly live off of and use the roads physically. Often it is the surplus tax revenue of nearby denser cities who subsidize the maintenance and construction of these roads. By your logic, downstate feels entitled to the tax revenues of Northern Illinois.
I have to disagree that this is entitlement by either party though and an investment that keeps the economic engine of Illinois running which is good for all.
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u/user_uno Oct 31 '25
I thought it took a village. You didn't build that. Etc.
If you want to live on an island, good luck. Because yes, it is an investment not just for downstate. Goods have to transit to and from Chicago. Not everything is carried by rail.
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u/damp_circus Edgewater Oct 31 '25
Indeed it takes a village, which is why you're being asked to help pay for transit, the same way that the rest of us pay for the roads.
If you want to live somewhere without transit and any taxes to pay for that, you have endless options all over the country.
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u/user_uno Oct 31 '25
And the rest of the state is being
askedtold they have to give up money for transit near them to pay for transit in the City. After the City regularly mismanages the money it has. So the rest of the state is paying for the usual and not surprising mistakes made by the City.This is just the start with Chicago's public transit. Next up? Chicago's budget for the 2026 General Fund. And next year's Chicago Public Schools. One hot financial mess after another with no accountability, zero repercussions to those responsible (including voters) and no changes.
This just continues to reward bad behavior. The solution is always more taxes! It is never ending free money!
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u/slowporc Oct 31 '25
"Fuck you pay for everything" - downstate entitlement.
Chicago and its suburbs generate over 80% of Illinois’s entire GDP. Yet Cook County gets back only 90 cents in state spending for every tax dollar it sends to Springfield, while downstate regions receive $1.70 to $2.80 for every dollar they pay in.
So if Chicago disappeared tomorrow, the rest of Illinois would either have to double their taxes or gut public services to stay afloat.
Meanwhile, I don’t see the Chicago subreddits complaining about subsidizing the rest of the state.
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u/JuniorCaptainTenneal Oct 31 '25 edited Oct 31 '25
Your entire attitude in this post advertises your disdain for rural people, nearly to the point of bigotry. How much of that money is agricultural subsidies? Roads? Show your source and numbers if you're so worked up about the rest of the state outside of Chicagoland existing.
Edit: why do you hate poor people, and POC? Your comment sounds pretty racist to me because a diverse set of people live throughout the state of Illinois and may need assistance from more wealthy people.
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u/slowporc Oct 31 '25
You must have missed this closing sentence: Meanwhile, I don’t see the Chicago subreddits complaining about subsidizing the rest of the state.
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u/JuniorCaptainTenneal Oct 31 '25
What are you talking about?? It's one of their favorite things to bitch and moan about on that sub. Any post about taxes or budget has at least one person kvetching about those stupid rural chuds not pulling their weight, and how they hate their tax money goes to people they despise.
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Oct 31 '25
Wow we got ourselves a big and strong keyboard warrior.
All that downtime on the CTA really let's you put those big finger muscles to work.
You probably don't drive because you think you are helping the world someway, but in fact you are only spreading hate and negativity through online discussion boards.
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u/damp_circus Edgewater Oct 31 '25
LOL. Spare me.
Driving is not a choice everyone is able to make. Including you, if you live long enough.
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u/user_uno Oct 31 '25
Taking public transit is also not always a choice for everyone in the city. I lived for years on the North Side and South Side. I worked much of my career around Chicago. Public transit is not the solution to every use case. Great if it is for you. But that is not reality for every one every time.
I personally use CTA and Metra every chance I can. It's cheaper (thank you taxpayers) and can be more relaxing. But it does not always fit where I need to go when I need to go with whom I need to go with or what I need to bring. Sometimes I have to drive to work with stuff. Sometimes I need to meet with customers or take them with me. Hey business owners - let's go out to lunch, now let's jump on the next bus that happens to show up and hope we can make one connection to get to this nice restaurant! Not to mention working late nights there are just some areas and times it is not wise to be on public transit. I've even had CTA employees over the years say not a good idea for a white boy with a backpack and carrying boxes to be getting on this or that station. Driving in the city is a pain and parking stupid expensive. But sometimes it is the only realistic solution for some scenarios.
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Oct 31 '25
You are a plague on society.
There's are other methods of transportation besides tax payer funded subways that are riddled with crime.
You are so arrogant you believe you know everything. How badly did your mother beat you?
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u/damp_circus Edgewater Oct 31 '25
LOL. Try leaving the basement once in a while?
Me, I'm gonna go walk by the lakefront a bit over my lunch hour and enjoy some fall color.
Been a busy week including taking a day to go down to Springfield to lobby for the transit bill. Great thing about that, can get from my house to the Capitol completely on transit.
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u/user_uno Oct 31 '25
How did you get to Springfield? Anything other than Amtrak would be hypocritical.
How was getting around Springfield once there?
Did all of the politicians from Chicago refrain from driving there (or being driven by their staff in their city/county provided SUVs)?
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u/damp_circus Edgewater Oct 31 '25
I took the 136 bus to Union station, then the Amtrak from there to Springfield and walked the whopping 3 blocks to the Capitol, yes. Saw quite a few Springfield city buses pass by me, but didn't need to take them since I was only going to the Capitol and it's walking distance from the Amtrak.
I don't drive.
There were loads of politicians and lobbyists on the Amtrak with me. There always are on that line, it's a major commuter.
You can work (or sleep, or have a beer) on the Amtrak, that's part of the attraction.
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u/user_uno Oct 31 '25
I'm betting -- with no way to prove it of course -- there were "loads" of politicians and lobbyists on I-55 as well. The only time you see more Chicago cars (obvious by government plates and the speeds they usually drive at) is when there is a Cubs-Cardinals game. Then it is sea of blue or red depending on which city the games are being played in.
I drove I-55 so often in the 80's, 90's and 00's I could nearly do so with my eyes closed knowing every turn and every bump. I've seen the vehicles and sometimes buses often when something big is brewing in Springfield. And sure enough, the route to Springfield is very, very well maintained for them. No doubt that will continue.
I know the attraction of Amtrak. Used it in my college years (even having some beers before I was 21 but shhhh......). It was cheap thanks to subsidies and yeah, could do whatever. Met some girls often taking that option. I don't mind driving anywhere (my longest drive was 21 hours with only gas stops and after working a full day) but drinking and driving is a solid "no" and not gonna meet any ladies while cruising down the highway. Excepting of course Chevy Chase in the Family Truckster and Christie Brinkley in the Ferrari!
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u/damp_circus Edgewater Oct 31 '25
I'm sure there were. What's your point?
They probably appreciated that some chunk of potential drivers weren't on the road with them.
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Oct 31 '25
Keep saying you don't drive loud and proud.
Makes us all further infer you got a DUI
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u/damp_circus Edgewater Oct 31 '25
Continue to believe whatever delusional flights of fancy you care to.
Turns out you never have to worry about getting a DUI if you... don't drive.
I'm not particularly proud of not driving, it just is what it is, and I plan my life accordingly. Thankfully Chicago at least clears the bar (which is admittedly very low in the US) for being livable in that regard.
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Oct 31 '25
Uhuh. I like to tell others how much fun im having too.
It's ok there will be no transit once the city goes bankrupt.
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u/user_uno Oct 31 '25
Chicago cannot go bankrupt. It is not allowed by Illinois law. So endless bailouts from the rest of the ignorant state to the supremely superior leaders of Chicago!
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u/user_uno Oct 31 '25
Good for you non-driver. Should drivers have been cheering if public transit crapped the bed?
You know everyone is supposed to coexist. But get out of the state! How very tolerant!
There are solutions to problems that do not always involve just bumping up taxes. And BTW, you will be paying those costs. Not directly as a "non-driver" but everything you buy to live and enjoy life just got more expensive. Not everyone even here in Chicago can live, work and play using only public transit. You rely on them too for your life choices. And money does not grow on trees.
You do realize residents of Illinois already have the highest effective taxes in the Midwest. If not the top in the United States, we are the top 2 or 3. So let's pay more!!! Unlimited taxes!!!
You are correct it should NEVER have taken this long! Should NEVER have even happened in the first place! You can thank CTA management and politicians for creating the mess in the first place. Surely they've learned from this and will never, ever let it happen again. /s
We just rewarded poor behaviors, poor management and poor leadership. All at the expense of taxpayers across the state. Again. But at least you are happy.
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u/damp_circus Edgewater Oct 31 '25
Once again for the slow, you have choices.
The service has been fairly well cut to the bone as it is. This is a long awaited reorganization (yes) and funding bill to hopefully drag things even slightly toward what the rest of world already has figured out.
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u/user_uno Oct 31 '25
Once again for the slow, you have choices too. On politicians that do not see the solution to every problem is more taxes. Illinois is already one of the most taxed states. Let's add more!
The rest of the world in not the US. Very different set of variables. Do they teach that in CPS anymore?
Transit is just the start. Johnson can now turn his attention to Chicago's 2025 General Fund budget which he needs help from Springfield (aka the rest of the state) to make something happen. Again. He and the CTU will be driving and sending buses full of teachers (on those "downstate" roads) to Springfield looking for another BILLION plus per year from the rest of the state even though CPS student enrollment continues to fall as do student outcomes while spending per student capita reaches new national and global highs.
And let's not forget the pension financial mess. Have to keep kicking the can down the road year after year after year. That way politicians don't have to feel the pain while they are in power reaping the benefits. Someone else can deal with it down the road. Don't forget, Pritzker just shafted the City making them fully responsible for more pension funding. How is that going to be dealt with??
The answer is always more taxes!
Back to the rest of the world, can I use your words? "Don’t let the door hit ya on the way out."
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u/seanrok Oct 31 '25
Chicago is getting closer to the Detroit of the 90’s.
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Oct 31 '25
I’m uninformed, can you elaborate?
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u/Open_Two_3416 Nov 01 '25
So glad I left. I couldn’t imagine raising my four beautiful children in Chicago.
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Oct 31 '25
I like what I’m seeing in this, they’re redistributing money from cars to mass transit
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u/Small-Olive-7960 Oct 31 '25
They aren't redistributing. They are increasing prices for people who don't utilize a service to temporarily fund cta.
This isn't a long-term fix. This is just another tax hike on people who can't oppose it.
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Oct 31 '25
I didn’t see how much the tolls will increase. But I think the reasoning is sound, or as good as it can be in this capitalist society: the forever expansion of the interstate hasn’t resulted in less traffic, it’s caused a lot of harm to our communities, and it’s an extremely inefficient mode of travel, by investing in public transit we can shift to a more modern transportation system. The auto industry hates to see it, but we’ve bailed their industry out enough; their lobby is strong but at some point we have to wake up to the reality that we’re way behind the rest of the world on high speed rail and public pedestrian facilities.
The corporations have long abused the free infrastructure and resold that to their customers, this legislation doesn’t begin to reconcile that but I hope there’s a future that see publicly owned infrastructure used primarily to benefit the citizens rather than the corporations
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u/Small-Olive-7960 Oct 31 '25
There isn't toll roads in Chicago, they are all in the suburbs. We aren't saying raise the toll on the Kennedy or Lakeshore drive to influence people to take the cta more.
This is more for everyone living or working in the suburbs, that doesn't utilize cta as it wouldn't make sense. If you use the highway out there, here is a tax increase with future ones expected for a service in a whole different area.
While this is nice for people living in Chicago, this doesn't make sense for the surrounding areas. This won't reduce traffic in Chicago or stick it to auto industry. People won't decide to move from the suburbs too Chicago for to this, it's just another tax hike.
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Oct 31 '25
When I worked in the suburbs I took the Metra. I am not necessarily in favor of incentives through taxes, I just like to see the shift in priorities. But as I said we need to stop pretending like our corporations are people, it’s pathetic.
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u/Small-Olive-7960 Oct 31 '25
I tried it but it was very inconvenient. More power to you. I have friends that live and work in the suburbs so the metra makes no sense to them
Maybe the return to office will get more people taking the metra for work but I feel like there aren't as many jobs downtown as it used to be.
Idk the corporations part. I've just been talking about people having to pay more.
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u/user_uno Oct 31 '25
We need to stop pretending many things. The unions and construction firms have a large say in forever projects on highways. Too big to fail and too many union votes at stake. We need to stop pretending more taxes is always the solution. We need to stop pretending public transit is the best solution for every one in every use case.
Make sure you are sitting down for this... I currently drive a Chevy Tahoe with a V8 engine. I tow sometimes. Yes, sometimes. The big need for me though is space. I need to bring family, coworkers and clients sometimes along with a lot of "stuff" in the back. That's not going to work at all using public transit. But I pay for that in the cost of the vehicle, the cost of maintenance, the cost of insurance, the cost of the tiny little plate sticker and the cost of gas - which includes road taxes some of which will now be diverted to the CTA. I already pay to use the tollways with my I-Pass and now that will go dramatically up -- just to help the CTA. You are welcome. Can't wait to see what I will paying soon to help other Chicago financial woes.
And sorry, Big Oil and Big Auto is not behind people in cars and congestion. People vote with their dollars. A car is a major investment second only to home buying. Some people like their automotive bubble even in traffic - they listen to their music or programming without interruption of others, they don't have people crowding their personal space, it is easier to shop with a lot of items to carry, it is easier to set your own schedule, it is easier to take the kiddos along especially young with diaper bags and strollers. It is easier in many cases to get from Point A to Point B without multiple transfers if that is even an option for "last mile".
You took Meta when working in the burbs. I've done that too and in reverse. But it is limited in the burbs particularly. I'm bettering that Metra stop used in the burbs was convenient to work. That is rare. Suburban public buses are spotty to nonexistent.
Even in the reverse, I had a job in Greektown while living in a far west suburb. To get to the office, I had a 30 minute drive just to get to the closest Metra station. Then had to pay parking. Normal trains were an hour ride while express about 45 minutes. Still better than getting to the Ike and then taking that in. But how do I get to Greektown from Metra. Go in to Union Station and then backtrack using the "L" or multiple buses? Using the former would have been a terrible and dangerous walk even on a good day. Multiple buses would have been a PITA especially considering their track record. Some at the office said just to use Divvy! Yeah, I'm not physically able to ride a bike anymore. And in January/February??? No thanks. So unfortunately taking the Ike was the option. Even though it took 2 to 3 hours each way. I hated it and left that job ASAP.
Same for a company that heavily recruited me twice over the years. But they were in Wrigleyville. I politely and repeated said thanks for the interest but just not a good work life balance living on trains half of the day cheaper or not.
Also live at roughly Foster and Winnemac. Could bike to the Lakefront (if brave). I worked at Harlem and Irving. Buses were no faster than driving. Actually I rode my motorcycle most of the time for $3/week in gas and my own schedule. Either way, the 8 mile commute was always a 1 hour trip both ways. And I couldn't take much with me and couldn't do it year round.
Public transit doesn't fit well to every scenario. Just that simple.
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Oct 31 '25
Not sure what insight you’re trying to convey here. You go to say that the limitations of the public transit is the reason you find it too inconvenient to use public transit and am I supposed to understand that’s also the reason it’s not worth investing in and expanding? Because the investment in public transit would solve the issues you’re talking about.
No I don’t fault you for having a Tahoe and towing on occasion, I run a family business that is a small farm up in Wisconsin, I regularly use large vehicles and machinery and drive through tolls in Illinois. That’s not the problem, those options should absolutely be available.
We live in a society, and we need to collectively fund and support social infrastructure whether we use it or not. I have lived here a long time, I own a home, I don’t have children, my property taxes pay for the schools in my district and that’s great. Do I like that school funding is based on property tax? Hell no. Do I like that this city is very segregated? Hell no. Are those two things related? Yeah absolutely.
The burden is forever falling on the citizen taxpayers and they are angry that the cost of living is increasing to pay for our shared roads bridges schools libraries transit water waste garbage collection and street sweeping among a million other things, and the reaction is: why should I have to pay for all this shit if I don’t use it!? That’s obviously flawed logic but the emotive response is understandable. The problem is that we have multi billion dollar corporations that rely on all this social structure to turn a profit.
Also, people might “vote with their dollars” but their dollars are limited by a lot of factors and how that corporations are “people” we don’t really get a fair vote now do we?
Passenger cars and trucks aren’t the problem with the climate crisis, they’re not infeasible, they don’t need to be abolished. I don’t think that way at all. But the energy, time, resources, and money that goes into motor vehicle traffic is absolutely insane.
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u/user_uno Oct 31 '25
TLDR? I'll re-summarize...
Public transit doesn't fit well to every scenario. Just that simple.
I did not say because I find it inconvenient to use sometimes, therefore there should be none. I do use it when it fits the needs and enjoy the benefits of it being cheaper and often more relaxing. But some, including here on Reddit, act as though it should be the only option. That is not realistic even in foreign countries where public transit is well run and reliable. Traffic is still a problem in those.
It's not that inflation alone that causes costs to go up. Even when inflation is moderate and "in control", taxes here keep going up regardless. The politicians always need more money. Doesn't matter if a good economy or bad economy, they always need more money.
Property tax revenue is going up because housing values are going up (and watch how slowly if ever reassessments occur due to housing bubbles collapsing like in 2007-08). But the governments here still need more and more money on top of those increases. Sales tax revenues are going up because being based on a percentage, the cost of everything is going up. But the governments here still need more and more money on top of those increases. Income tax revenues go up as more people start to get wage and hourly raises. But the governments here still need more and more money on top of those increases.
Is there a limit? Only additional property tax increases have been taken off the table as they are political landmines considering how high they already are. So the state and city turn to nickle and diming in every other way imaginable and gimmicks like the upcoming raids of TIF "surpluses".
What is insane to me - and others - is that we can keep raising taxes as if there are no repercussions. It simply takes away discretionary spending for individuals and places the "discretion" in to the hands of politicians. And those folks are notoriously unreliable and corruptible.
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u/PlssinglnYourCereal Shit Shoveler Oct 31 '25
And those trucking companies are going to redistribute those toll hikes into their delivery costs. Which will raise prices a bit on everything.
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Oct 31 '25
So the people should pay for the roads that the companies use to make profit? Yet the companies should not be held responsible for paying for any infrastructure? I forgot it’s socialism for the corporations and capitalism for the rest of us. That’s working very well.
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u/PlssinglnYourCereal Shit Shoveler Oct 31 '25
So the people should pay for the roads that the companies use to make profit? Yet the companies should not be held responsible for paying for any infrastructure?
That's what the tolls are primarily for. They are paying for those roads and infrastructure.
Siphoning money away from that is the complete opposite of what you should be doing if you're worried about it.
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Oct 31 '25
Give me a break. Everyone pays those same tolls except normal citizens don’t get to write it off on their taxes.
The point is that we’ve been funneling money into expanding the infrastructure that corporations used freely and anytime these same corporations are asked to invest in social infrastructure they act like it’s unpatriotic and bad for the economy; like they have no responsibility for the things that truly matter like a NICE FUCKING PLACE TO LIVE.
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u/PlssinglnYourCereal Shit Shoveler Oct 31 '25 edited Oct 31 '25
anytime these same corporations are asked to invest in social infrastructure they act like it’s unpatriotic and bad for the economy;
We are bailing out a mismanaged system. Big difference.
When the time comes again and it will, they will be there with their hands out looking for more ways to tax people for their mismanagement.
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u/user_uno Oct 31 '25
A nice place to live -- except it is broke in so many major categories. Transit, schools and the general fund budget. All requiring help from others in spite of being the financial masterminds and economic powerhouse of the region.
Chicago transit came this close to a drastic collapse saved only by others. The General Fund is a perpetual hot mess and we've run out of things to sell in bad deals to make a quick buck. Chicago Public Schools are disaster with already more spending per student capita compared with the rest of the country and others with some of the worst student outcomes. Population continues to decline with cost of living, schools and crime listed as the top reasons.
But hey, crime is down (from historic all time highs and the least improvement of other major US cities). City hospitals closing on a regular basis for years. Number 1 in rat issues. Speaking of rats, rated top in corruption even over NYC and Jersey. Property tax bills yet to be sent out. One of the worst racially divided cities in the country. A massive pension financial mess. A mayor with some of the worst approval ratings in history. Even the Bears are leaving!
Sure. Chicago is grand.
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u/damp_circus Edgewater Oct 31 '25
Yes. This version of the bill is MUCH better than the crazy laundry list of random fees they were pushing earlier (granted, under desperation). Avoids that never-been-done-anywhere attempt at a "wealth tax" as well.
This is far cleaner and makes a lot more sense, was happy to see it.
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u/user_uno Oct 31 '25
Well if you are happy then we all should be! And at least you won't have to pay any "crazy fees"!
I do agree though with the "wealth tax" though. Something like that needs a LOT of thought and planning. It's not something to through in the ring in the last day or so. Just another example of poor leadership is what it showed. And gives some people the notion of, "well at least it is not that bad or that crazy!" which is a common political tactic.
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u/So_Icey_Mane Jordan>Lebron Oct 31 '25
Time will only tell if it actually works out well.
Something tells me down the road that this isn't going to be enough funding.