CTA Says Bye-Bye to Santa

The first CTA pink slip has been doled out: Santa Claus and the fabled Holiday Train. The Chicago Transit Authority announced yesterday that they would not be running the twelve year-old Holiday train, which included a sleigh car, and other El cars bedecked with lights and elves. The train would ride the rails of each of the El lines every day between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The measure was, the CTA claims, part of budget cuts to make up for the $55 million shortfall the agency will feel next year. The CTA has already announced service cuts, and expects to lay-off 1,000 employees next year unless the state legislature ponys up the cash to make the difference.

Conspiracy Theorists (or "alert political observers", you take your pick) think that the elimination of the Holiday Train is just one more move by the Daley Administration towards getting a downtown, Chicago-owned casino. How so? CTA doesn't have enough money -> state has to pay for it -> state legislature determines if casinos can be built -> Daley puts pressure on CTA -> riders put pressure on legislature -> legislature passes casino legislation -> new casino revenue in Chicago covers CTA budget shortfall.

Wacky, but possible.