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posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Apr 16, 21 @ 8:24 am

Comments

I started a conversation with some buds yesterday about public transportation. A hypothesis was that it should be treated as a public service and be free of charge. I couldn’t really find arguments on why this is a bad idea and I thought it would be a boon to the working class of the city of Chicago

Comment by Bothanspied Friday, Apr 16, 21 @ 8:35 am
I am waiting to see if action will be taken soon regarding Region 2, where I am located. The region is up to 7.6% along with 7 consecutive days under the 20% ICU bed threshold and 28 of 30 days seeing increases in COVID-19 hospitalizations. People have such an everything is fine attitude while numbers are headed in the wrong direction, I am thinking governmental intervention is just around the corner.

Comment by Downstate left-wing libertarian Friday, Apr 16, 21 @ 8:49 am
Downtown Seattle busses will quickly provide a reason not to do this. Free buses sometimes turn into mobile homeless shelters. People pay $2 per ride the subway just to avoid the stench of the urine and vomit on the “free” busses.

Comment by Vttk17a1 Friday, Apr 16, 21 @ 8:52 am
Well, ATA announced the International Grand and US Open would indeed be held at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex this year. Tourism dollar driven folks are rejoicing, those still cautious about COVID not so much.

Comment by DownSouth Friday, Apr 16, 21 @ 9:10 am
Bothanspied - how would you raise the $3-4 billion that would be needed to pay for that? Once you make a service free the demand for it explodes. (ie: Seniors Ride Free Program)

Comment by Just Me 2 Friday, Apr 16, 21 @ 9:15 am
DownSouth-it’s good news for our region, hopefully things are looking better by August.

Also, I remember the hue and cry from the anti-closers last year when the announcement was made they were moving to Missouri. So much was made about how Illinois would never host it again.
Come to find out, the Sparta facility was far superior to the one in the Ozarks.

Comment by Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter Friday, Apr 16, 21 @ 9:33 am
To the question the other day about if they should threaten to send vaccines to Chicago as a ploy to get people vaccinated that are hesitating to get one. I decided to conduct a little experiment on a Facebook friend that is antivax and always ranting about Chicago. I sent him a message that I heard this might happen and this morning on facebook he posted that he got his first dose because he didn’t want someone else to get it. So the tactic worked and we got one more person in region 2 with their first dose. A victory!

Comment by QuadCitian Friday, Apr 16, 21 @ 9:34 am
==I am waiting to see if action will be taken soon regarding Region 2, where I am located. ==

Peoria Journal Star is speculating on that possibility:

https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/coronavirus/2021/04/15/covid-19-cases-surging-peoria-officials-warn-mitigations/7164058002/

Comment by EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham Friday, Apr 16, 21 @ 9:37 am
= A hypothesis was that it should be treated as a public service and be free of charge. =

It might be free to the immediate user, but it wouldn’t be free to operate.

Which isn’t to say it’s a bad idea, but you still have to figure out a way to pay for it.

Comment by JoanP Friday, Apr 16, 21 @ 9:40 am
Maybe if the homeless folks had a place to go that was non-judgemental where they could just be left alone privately, maybe shower and get a change, they might prefer that to using trains or buses. I know there would be issues of security perhaps a locker for each resident but even that would then require maintenance people.

Comment by cermak_rd Friday, Apr 16, 21 @ 10:16 am
The endless lure of “free stuff”….that somehow must be paid for to get it. Whether public transit, homeless shelters, highways, or tax breaks, or anything else, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Sadly, everyone likes the “free” part, not the “pay” part.

Comment by thisjustinagain Friday, Apr 16, 21 @ 11:05 am
==Maybe if the homeless folks had a place to go that was non-judgemental where they could just be left alone privately, maybe shower and get a change, they might prefer that to using trains or buses.==

Springfield tried that in late 2019 with a proposed Helping Hands facility on South 11th, but was abandoned after strong neighborhood opposition.

Then last summer we had the “Tent City” just north of downtown too (IIRC near St. John’s). I would sadly not be surprised if Tent City makes a return this summer.

https://www.illinoistimes.com/springfield/go-home/Content?oid=12814742

Comment by EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham Friday, Apr 16, 21 @ 11:24 am
I know neighborhoods don’t want homeless shelters. But then the result is homeless people living in public, on mass transit, on streets, in any public facility. The homeless don’t just disappear if provision is not made.

I have no problems paying for homeless shelters. Especially ones that are hooked into systems where the homeless can get clothes for interviews, job training etc. to help them up. I object to most church based homeless shelters because I don’t think help should be contingent on a religious doctrine. Unfortunately, because the need is so great and the public unwilling, the churches and other houses of worship wind up providing this service to the community.

Comment by cermak_rd Friday, Apr 16, 21 @ 1:24 pm
WREX in Rockford is now releasing dash-cam police video of an officer-involved shooting last Sunday in the city:

https://wrex.com/2021/04/16/watch-rockford-police-releases-dash-cam-video-of-april-11-officer-involved-shooting/

Comment by EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham Friday, Apr 16, 21 @ 2:45 pm