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When government is run like a private equity firm

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* The Tribune reports today that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is closing both of its vehicle emissions testing facilities in Chicago. City residents will have to go to Skokie, Addison or Bedford Park. The facilities in Tinley Park and Elk Grove will also be closed by IEPA…

The federal Clean Air Act requires that emission testing facilities must be located within 12 miles of motorists who need to get their vehicles tested. Most 1996 and newer gasoline-powered passenger vehicles are subject to testing after they are 4 years old. The emissions check is required every other year. […]

The cost-cutting closures are the result of contract renegotiations with Applus Technologies, a Chicago-based company that specializes in vehicle emissions testing.

“The new contract reflects a more efficient, more accurate and less expensive test that will result in significant cost savings to the state of Illinois,” Kim Biggs, spokeswoman for the state Environmental Protection Agency, said in a statement.

The Illinois EPA estimates savings of $11 million per year and $100 million over the life of the contract, which typically lasts about a decade. The state’s cost will drop from $6.95 per test to $2.85.

So, they get a much less expensive test, but then they also close facilities? What the heck?

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 1:36 pm

Comments

I would like to add a government that acts like a private equity firm paying millions to outside contractors and consultants.

Stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.

Hire stateworkers to do the job. Not private companies who will take us to the cleaners.

Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 1:50 pm
It is a SERVICE not a business.

When the service stinks or is incredibly inconvenient, well that is where the real complaints come from as well as the dissatisfaction.

The cuts are not helping.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 1:54 pm
From the article- “The federal Clean Air Act requires that emission testing facilities must be located within 12 miles of motorists who need to get their vehicles tested.”

So, IEPA gets their GIS out and maps a 12 mile radius around each service center, then deletes those not needed- in their analysis. Now, if actual drive time to get to a center from the furthest point is factored in… how much emissions are being spewed to save $4.10 per car, AND how much more wear and tear, downtime, and gas usage is being used to travel to the fewer sites? Honest question, not snark.

http://www.epa.illinois.gov/topics/air-quality/mobile-sources/vehicle-emissions-testing/wait-times/index

Go to the right side menu of this site, and plug in your address (if you have to have emissions testing) to see if you are within the 12 mile radius of a testing center.

Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 1:58 pm
Longer drives to testing facilities mean more emissions.

Comment by Robert the Bruce Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 1:59 pm
Not a conspiracy theorist, but is this an instance of Rauner sticking it to Mayor Rahm Emanuel by making life harder for Chicago residents?

Comment by Wally Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:01 pm
they literally cut out Chicago. The biggest city in the State. that sends a message.

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:02 pm
Set it up so we can do it ourselves on our smartphones and upload it to wherever it needs to go. It’s a simple OBD II scan. That’d be the real way to save costs.

Comment by LizPhairTax Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:03 pm
The distances don’t work to cover the whole city within 12 miles. E.g., Bridgeport to Oak Lawn is ca. 13 miles, Hyde Park to Oak Lawn is nearly 15, Austin (West Side) to Addison is 15-16, Old Town to Skokie is 13, Pilsen to Skokie 15-16, Lincoln Park to Skokie is ca. 12.5. “Within 12 miles” is a statutory requirement, not a friendly suggestion. Maybe a problem? Or are they using a special map? (Surely not “as the crow flies” for a driven distance?)

Comment by Crispy Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:03 pm
Are they going to expand the facilities in Skokie, Addison, and Bedford Park? If everyone from the City of Chicago and the south suburbs has to go to the remaining facilities will those facilities be expanded to handle the increased load?

Comment by Guzzlepot Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:04 pm
Not just the longer drive times for those having to drive further to get to a testing site. It’s also longer idle times for EVERYONE at those sites (you have to keep your car running while you wait). Granted last time I was there was at the end of the month, but it was a 20 minute wait then.

Yup, cars on the road longer and then idling in the lines for longer until they can get tested. That seems to be exactly within the goals of the emissions testing requirements. /s

Comment by Katiedid Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:05 pm
There is a huge difference between a 1971 Town and Country, and a 2016 Town and Country that has not been considered since these regulations were enacted. Consequently this has become little more than another car tax and should be reconsidered and reformed, or eliminated.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:06 pm
Wouldn’t it be just peachy if those testing facilities that were open were only open 9-5, meaning Chicago residents can’t just run over there during lunch (or even an extended lunch.)

Comment by Skeptic Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:06 pm
Monopoly in action.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:07 pm
It’s not just Chicago… Wood River is being closed, too, in the East St. Louis area.

http://www.epa.illinois.gov/topics/air-quality/mobile-sources/vehicle-emissions-testing/index

Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:08 pm
As if state workers haven’t already taken Illinois to the cleaners….

Comment by BK Bro Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:10 pm
…and I just relearned to read the article before I post. Sounds like the remaining facilities are going to be expanded. And the facilities in Riverdale, Justice, and Joliet are going to remain open. Given the savings the plan sounds reasonable.

Comment by Guzzlepot Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:10 pm
Does it cost the vehicle owner? If so, will the fee be lowered?

Comment by Present Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:14 pm
Kind of defeats the purpose of cutting down on pollution, doesn’t it? All those clunkers, sitting in traffic, crawling the extra city miles to the suburban testing sites?

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:15 pm
==It is a SERVICE not a business.==

Something those who want to run government like a business should remember.

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:17 pm
BK Bro: Ok, I’ll bite, how is the cost of State going up with this move?

Comment by Skeptic Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:18 pm
“…the cost of State workers…”

Comment by skeptic Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:19 pm
A less expensive test but with greater difficulty to access. How this is an improvement?

Comment by illinoised Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:20 pm
This may be a dumb question, but why is the state paying for testing at all? Why not open up testing to the free market? If anything, just license the inspection stations.

Comment by Jon Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:28 pm
Lots of Car-x and Midas locations in Chicago to choose from:

http://www.emissions.org/illinois-emissions-testing-locations/

Comment by lech W Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:29 pm
Elk Grove is pretty close to Addison so I get that one, but Chicago? Not sure how they can meet the 12 miles doing this.

Comment by burbanite Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:31 pm
I hate to admit it but Illinois is now a 2nd class state. I used to believe we did most things well. Not anymore.

Comment by Stones Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:31 pm
The greatest proportion of the State’s taxes come from the City of Chicago, and the state can’t leave the facilities in Chicago? This doesn’t look like efficiency as much as it looks like punishing Chicagoans for not voting for Rauner. This Governor has taken “to the victor belongs the spoils” to a whole ‘nother level. First he starves social services, which disproportionately and adversely impacts low income minority communities (who tend to vote Democrat), and now this. If nothing else, “there ain’t no shame in the Governor’ game”.

Comment by Valerie F. Leonard Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:36 pm
When every high-rise 42nd/43rd/44th ward Republican calls the Governor to complain about having to drive to Skokie just so they can keep using their car this will get fixed. Save us rich folks!

Comment by The Captain Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:38 pm
If you don’t want to deal with the cost and hassle of driving to the burbs to get your emissions checked, just do what Bruce’s pals do: never drive a car that’s more than four-years old.

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:40 pm
Thanks Bruce. We need more angry drivers to go to the polls in 2 years.

Comment by motorcycle vest Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:41 pm
I for one go to the nearest Midas for emissions and to a currency exchange for license renewal. These places are way more efficient and the staff more pleasant than the state run joints.

Comment by Lech w Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:47 pm
Take it from someone who knows. I pulled wrenches for 42 yrs. The emission test is a crock of crap. The air is way cleaner cleaner now than it was 40 yrs. ago, due to technology improvements over all these years. An internal combustion engine is nothing more than a glorified air pump. What they want is for your car to exhaust cleaner air than what goes through the intake system.

Comment by Retired 126 Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:49 pm
Hire state workers. Like it or not, that ship has sailed.

Comment by pool boy Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 2:51 pm
So next time I need an emission test and have to drive forever, maybe we can just tell them to go to ……….. well you know.

Comment by Crispy Critter Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 3:12 pm
How nicely convenient. Is this gonna be sorta like airport TSA lines? This version: Park your car in line; get your motel room; come back the next day; hope for the best? Waiting lines; we ALL love waiting lines.

Comment by sal-says Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 3:22 pm
Paraphrasing Harry Caray: ‘Ahhh, ya just can’t beat fun in Illinois, friends.’

Comment by sal-says Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 3:23 pm
===Not sure how they can meet the 12 miles doing this.===

I checked the map and it appears that all of Chicago is within 12 miles of remaining testing stations, just. I wonder of the remaining testing stations can test the additional cars without being upgraded/enlarged? If you live in Chicago it will be inconvenient and more costly to drive to one of the remaining testing stations. I would guess that those were not factors in the decision

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 3:39 pm
Perhaps Illinois EPA could have held one or two public meetings in the region to solicit feedback before making changes to the vehicle testing program. So much for transparency in the government decision-making process.

Comment by Going nuclear Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 3:55 pm
@ Skeptic I was responding to Honeybear’s suggestion that we just have state EE’s run the program because the private companies are “taking us to the cleaners.”

On a more serious note, I’d be interested to see how necessary this level of emissions testing is in the first place. Probably a 99%+ passage rate for cars over 4 year, but less than 10-15 years old.

Comment by BK Bro Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 4:07 pm
This emissions decision smells

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 5:34 pm
The State is abandoning Chicago to allow private contractors who donate to political parties such as Midas and CarX to do the required emissions testing and while you’re there, sell you goods and services.

If the State hired workers and paid them a living wage with benefits they would only spend that money and improve the local businesses and economic climate.

But the Rauner brain trust can’t grasp the thought of people spending their hard earned money locally instead of finding off shore tax havens for their vast capital resources.

Comment by Chicago 20 Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 10:12 pm
We don’t need to understand it, as long as Rauner’s superstars do.

Comment by Nobody Sent Wednesday, Oct 19, 16 @ 10:48 pm
Do people not realize that they can call the number on their notice and take it to a local automotive shop? I have never gone to one of these testing centers.

Comment by Nathan Thursday, Oct 20, 16 @ 7:31 am
The Rauner brain trust seemed to be out in force on the Chicago Tribune comment thread on the subject. Really there needs to be some kind of effort to make sure this meathead feels a political consequence. Also, @ Nathan, will a local shop do that test for free, especially once they’re flooded with thousands of people who can’t get out to the suburbs?

Comment by Angry Chicagoan Thursday, Oct 20, 16 @ 8:39 am