Reading F.K. Plous Jr.`s guest column on Dec. 28, I was staggered to learn that the ”survival of Chicago” is at stake because the CTA might manage the proposed downtown circulator.
Mr. Plous` solution for preventing this nightmare is to appoint a separate board for the downtown trolley line. And who, pray tell, would appoint this board? Northwestern University? The University of Chicago? No, the board would be appointed by the mayor and maybe the governor. No matter who is the nominee to the trolley board, that person will be beholden to the political power structure. Do we, the taxpayers, need two boards and two administrations in Chicago`s transit operation?
Let`s modernize the management of the CTA to deal with its mission. But we don`t rid ourselves of ”bloated” management by creating yet another new management.
