This post is a part of the “What Democracy Looks Like” weekly column, which covers left-wing movements and activism. Formerly known as “The Active Left.”
Occupy Wall Street and the rest of the Occupy Together chapters have been calling for everyone in the 99 percent to come together and have also tried to grow a more diverse movement.
Here in Chicago, two very successful events might have helped out in both those regards. Continue reading →
It’s budget time again, and CTA officials are back at it – trying to drive a wedge between transit workers and the riding public. In 2010, CTA passed another Doomsday, chopping over 1000 transit jobs, almost 1/5th of bus service and 9 express bus routes!
In a replay of 2010, CTA President Forrest Claypool is trying to blame recurring deficits on front-line workers. He says if the union doesn’t take concessions, fares go up, service might get cut.
But we won’t be fooled! Bus drivers and rail operators ensure the system keeps running as best it can with the resources it has. CTA’s budget problems were caused by decades of disinvestment, mismanagement and abuse. For example, Crain’s Chicago Business exposed Theresa Mintle, a cousin of Daley who used to work at CTA’s main office. Now Mayor Rahm’s Chief of Staff, Theresa Mintle helped enact a special early-retirement plan at CTA that entitled her to a $65,000 annual pension after just 8 years of service!
Now as the 1% of corporate America and political cronies enjoy bailouts and bonus pay, the rest of us are told we must make sacrifices. CTA Doomsdays are now part and parcel of the broader trend of school closings, post office shutdowns, reduced library hours, and rising costs of living for the poorest among us.
This will only stop if we build organization and movement to fight back. And people are. The Campaign for the 31st Street Bus is working to restore service on a street that CTA has all but forgotten. We secured over $1 million toward a new crosstown bus route.
We are organizing to gain the respect and bus service we deserve.
You can join us.
For more info (773)762-6991, publictransit[at]lvejo[dot]org
Come out for next Monday’s or Thursday’s CTA Hearing and add your voice in this conversation!
Over the last month Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CTA President Claypool have demonized rail and bus workers of the Chicago Transit Authority, publicly blaming them for the financial woes of the city.
The real problem is former bankers like Mayor Emanuel, who made $18 million dollars on Wall Street, are trying to pit the transit workers against the 99% of people in Chicago who are struggling to make ends meet.
The Amalgamated Transit Union stands with the Occupy Movement across the country – we hope you can join us in solidarity and send a strong message that we will not be divided.
Please contact Dan Sundquist with the Amalgamated Transit Union, at dsundquist@atu.org for more information!
More info and news articles are below!
Other opportunities to weigh in are at the regular Board meetings;
11/9/2011
10:00 am
Regular Board Meeting
567 W. Lake Street, 2nd Floor, Boardroom,
11/15/2011
1:30 p.m.
Notice of Special Board Meeting
567 West Lake St., 2nd Floor, Boardroom,
You have to register in advance for the Board meetings above here is how you do it;
Chicago Transit Board – Public Comment Process
The procedures set forth below apply to public comments made before the Board. These rules are subject to change without notice.
1. DATE AND TIME
Regularly scheduled meetings of the Chicago Transit Board take place on the second Wednesday of each month, at 10:00 a.m., in the Board Room on the 2nd Floor of the Chicago Transit Authority’s headquarters, 567 W. Lake St., Chicago, Illinois. Meeting dates are subject to change, so please access www.transitchicago.com to confirm the actual date and time of each month’s meeting.
In most cases, the public comment period will be the first item on the Board’s agenda. A maximum of five speakers may appear before the Board each month, with each speaker allotted three minutes to address the Board.
2. SPEAKER SELECTION
Individuals who wish to speak at Board meetings must contact the Office of the Secretary of the Board no more than seven days in advance of each Board meeting. Individuals will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis; they will be allowed to address the Board only once every 12 months. Speakers may contact Gregory Longhini, Assistant Secretary to the Board, in any one of the following ways:
d. Mail: Gregory Longhini, CTA–Office of the Secretary, P. O. Box 7567,
Chicago, Illinois 60680-7567
Potential speakers must include some form of contact information in order to receive confirmation as to whether or not they may address the Board.
3. SPEAKER IDENTIFICATION AND QUALIFICATION
Before the meeting begins, each speaker is required to sign two short forms. On one form, s/he must supply her/his name, address, and phone number (address and phone number will remain confidential), as well as the topic of her/his comments. The second form is a statement certifying that the speaker (a) does not represent in any way–either as an owner, member, employee, agent, or attorney–a company, person, or other entity that has submitted a bid to conduct business with the CTA within the last 12 months, (b) does not represent, in any way, a company, person, or other entity that has filed, participated in, or had an interest in a claim or lawsuit involving the CTA, and (c) will not address any matter which is the subject of a bid, contract, claim, or lawsuit involving or referencing the CTA. Anyone who does not agree to these terms will not be allowed to speak. More-over, persons who fail to abide by the terms of this policy while addressing the Board may be escorted from the proceedings.
4. WRITTEN COMMENTS
The Board also accepts written comments at its meetings, whether from speakers during the public comment period of a meeting or from all individuals who wish to speak to the Board but are not selected. The comments will be distributed to the Board members at the Board meeting. As with the terms for spoken comments, matters relating to bidding, contracts, claims, and litigation will not be accepted.
Individuals may provide written comments via fax, e-mail, or regular mail as outlined above.
5. RECORD KEEPING
Transcripts of all spoken comments and copies of all written comments will be kept in the Office of the Secretary and will be made part of the permanent record of the Board proceedings. Individuals who wish to access the public comments must contact the CTA’s Freedom of Information Office.
