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* Sun-Times…
Governor Pat Quinn today said he is preparing to appoint an independent panel of experts to offer ways to restructure the RTA and scandal-ridden Metra.
“I am anxious to work on a fundamental overhaul of Metra and the RTA,” Quinn said at a news conference. The governor had signed three bills today strengthening traffic safety.
Quinn hasn’t appointed the panel members yet but mentioned the names Ann Schneider and George Ranney as possibilities.
Quinn said he would take recommendations from an inspector general’s report — which is still under way — as well as from the new panel.
The governor, who has in the past called for a new Metra board, said he will give legislators an overhaul proposal by Oct. 22.
* Tribune…
The governor would not say when he plans to officially name the group, but said he hopes they can begin working soon in order to produce suggestions for lawmakers to act on when they are scheduled to return to the Capitol in October. Quinn said he thinks the panel would be able to do its work at the same time the inspector general’s office is looking in to any potential wrongdoing without compromising that investigation.
Just like pension reform. Craft a solution before getting the full analysis back.
* More Trib…
Still, creating a group to take on the Metra scandal could play well in mailers and advertisements as Quinn runs for re-election next year.
That might work, except Gov. Quinn believes direct mail is a complete waste of money and won’t send it.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 2:42 pm
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Ready, Fire, Aim
Comment by BIG R. Ph. Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 2:55 pm
I should’ve used Big’s comment as the hed. Next time.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 2:57 pm
It is Fire, Ready Aim
Secretary Schneider is a solid person, but has zero (0) mass transit experience — perhaps PQ could learn from the Clifford experience
Ranney is just a blowhard who will see the need for “more planning” - betcha
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 3:11 pm
I will take a predictable commission for $500 Alex..
If this governor liked Commissions any more he would be salesman..
Who is Pat Quinn Alex?
Correct.
Comment by OneMan Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 3:17 pm
First, if they re-struture the relationship between Metra and the RTA, they should do the same for CTA and Pace.
Second, the underlying problem that is the root of the dysfunction between the RTA and the CTA/Metra/Pace is that the people who appoint the boards for the three service boards are the same people who appoint the RTA. If a service board is upset at the RTA for “sticking their noses where they don’t belong” they call their appointing authority, and the appointing authority calls their RTA appointee and tells them to stop it, and since the RTA requires a super-majority for everything, nothing gets done.
Comment by Just Me Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 3:25 pm
In fairness, Quinn is just getting the broom and rug ready for the eventual sweeping. It’s actually very forward-thinking for once.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 3:33 pm
“If this governor liked Commissions any more he would be salesman..”
I wonder if he will give the committeemembers the retirement benefits he stripped from the Metra board?
Comment by Chris Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 3:38 pm
This has been going on for too long already. Perhaps the Governor’s paycheck should be withheld until he solves this problem…and the next…and the next…and the next…
Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 3:42 pm
Reminds me of a coupel of political appointee managers I worked for … who knew the solution before the problem was defined.
Comment by RNUG Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 3:51 pm
The appointment of Ranney is a bad sign. He’s proposed merging the RTA with another transit planning agency (CMAP). CMAP has pretty much the same appointment structure as RTA. So you would have a tax-eating bureaucracy twice as large as before, appointed by the same people who helped get us into the current mess!
Comment by Rider in the Storm Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 3:57 pm
We don’t need four transit boards. Period.
Comment by Chavez-respecting Obamist Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 3:59 pm
Hmmm. Will we see the birth of “Metty, the Transit Tarantula” to kick off a grassroots campaign to show the bite on taxpayers’ wallets caused by Metra?
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 4:08 pm
I’m sure Mike and John will have some good recommendations for the Guv.
Comment by Mokenavince Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 4:14 pm
What was the Metra scandal again? It sounded promising at first, but has been kind of a dud up to now.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 4:50 pm
word, I think somebody got a raise.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 5:01 pm
AA, lol, I think somebody had somebody ask for a raise and didn’t get it.
If you’re going to pay someone $500K for a non-disclosure, I expect a lot more.
So far, the biggest scandal has been the buyout package.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 5:05 pm
===So far, the biggest scandal has been the buyout package.===
Am I the only one here who still reads the Tribune?
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-08-02/news/ct-met-metra-flyover-rush-20130802_1_englewood-flyover-project-rail-project-metra-scandal
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 5:19 pm
47th is right. We haven’t heard the last of the Englewood Flyover shakedown. Rahm wouldn’t have kicked his African American Metra Board appointee to the curb if there wasn’t smoke and fire. Huggins and Rush are looking at some pretty serious consequences for their racial stunts.
Comment by phocion Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 5:27 pm
word, 47th may have a point but no-body, even Patrick, Saint of Fitzgerald and his successors, wants to hop right in the middle of MBE contract hinkiness claims.
Seems like everything was going swell at Metra until something hit the fan, and my guess it wasn’t somebody’s somebody’s pay. We’ll hope 4 investigations, a couple million bucks, and a board purge answer the question.
If not, they need our con$ulting firm! Paging Oswego Willy.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 7:58 pm
AA - I think you missed quite a few MBE charges out of the US Attorney’s Office including Duff, Villazan/Siemens, Venegas/Azteca, Brunt Bros./Duffy, Perino/Cappello, and Roland Harper/Monahan.
Comment by Anonymour Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 8:21 pm
Everything was going swell at Metra until the former executive director hit the train. Now it’s Katy bar the door and the board members are tripping over themselves trying to find the exit. This isn’t about Patrick Ward or the National Black Chamber of Commerce. This is about the transit service boards being concerned primarily with patronage and not, you know, transit services. It’s a metaphor for the “This is Illinois” political culture and it’s bipartisan and it stinks to high heaven.
This is why Illinois can’t have nice things.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 8:30 pm
The Pagano story, now that was a scandal — epic, even by Illinois standards.
Up to now, this current one has a lot of smoke, but I’m not seeing the fire. Where’s the big money payoff, other than the buyout?
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 8:35 pm
word, my comment was inarticulate. I meant to say that Fitz was the only one who ever reached into MBE fraud but it certainly didn’t come out that way.
Long day.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 9:41 pm
This type of crap is going on in all agencies. Quinn only wants to fix something when it hits the papers. Try being proactive instead of Ready, Fire, Aim.
Comment by WOW Monday, Aug 5, 13 @ 10:29 pm