Fraudulent Free Riders

by Kate Piercy Free rides aren’t so free: According to a report from the University of Illinois, the free-rides program initiated and sent through the legislature by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich costs the CTA, Metra and Pace between $38 million and $116 million last year. On top of this, “Thousands of fraudulent free rides have been...

by Kate Piercy

Free rides aren’t so free:

According to a report from the University of Illinois, the free-rides program initiated and sent through the legislature by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich costs the CTA, Metra and Pace between $38 million and $116 million last year.

On top of this, “Thousands of fraudulent free rides have been taken on Chicago’s mass-transit system by people using passes issued to now-deceased senior citizens,” officials said.

In response, a House committee passed legislation Monday that would scale back the free-rides program by setting income limits for seniors to qualify. Although Gov. Quinn has said he would veto any legislation limiting free rides, Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago said, “There is no such thing as a free lunch or a free ride” and believes there is enough support to override a veto from from the Governor if that occurs.

Illinois is in no place to be offering anything “free” at the expense of taxpayers. There is always a cost involved, and usually its taxpayers who get hit the worst. The fraud that has surfaced within the free rides for seniors program has made this fact even more apparent.