Can You Give Me A Ride?

Cars sales in the Chicagoland area are going to rise soon.
Our elected, ahem, leaders have been, again ahem, trying to save the public transportation services from what they like to call "Doomsday". All the, ahem sorry, important people say there is no money left to hold up the public transportation system as it exists today. Unless more money is found there will be drastic cuts to city and suburban public transportation services.

Statistically, we are talking about millions of people going from point A to point B. Those points might be work, shopping, medical, recreational, spiritual, or just going home. Many people rely heavily on public transportation. I myself have used it to get to and from work for 20 years. If it were drastically cut, it will drastically change the lives of ever person who uses and relies on public transportation.

State lawmakers are in a battle. The Chicagoland public transportation area covers only a small portion of our state. However, the service carries the equivalent of our entire state population within the span of a week. Those not effected by the public transportation services want something in return for their downstate tax dollars. I guess that's fair. Problem is these political poodles can't divvy up the pie so everybody's happy.

As important as this subject is to the whole state what are our leaders doing?
Well, the Speaker of the house, Michael Madigan of Chicago, sent people home saying "See ya next year." Our Governor is at a hockey game. I can sense the feel of Doomsday, can't you?

These wealthy wool windbags could care a less. They all make over $100,000 each year. In my 20 years using public transportation I've never seen or heard of an elected official using public transportation. That's because they're too busy taking us all for a ride.

Are You Ready For Some Donations?


People who know me know I love football. I would often imagine, if I could walk, I would have played football. As soon as I learned what a 1st down was, by playing a Mattel electronic hand held football game, I was hooked. I imagined being a linebacker like Dick Butkus. I loved the concept of stopping the other guy from moving the ball. In Chicago, many kids had the same dream. Then we had the Super Bowl Bears of '85. So many great players have come through Chicago kids could pretend being a different player everyday. Payton, Sayers, Ditka, Fencik, Hampton, Dent, Singletary and I could go on and on. The Bears have more players in the Football Hall of Fame than any other team.

Then yesterday I saw Bear great Mike Ditka talking about the other side of the game. He was talking about how many former NFL players are being left out and forgotten soon after they are done playing. Ditka detailed how the NFL and the NFL Players Association could care less about these guys when their game ends. Often, many of these players are left with life altering injuries that require tens of thousands of dollars for years. Never ending costs for injuries playing a game that generates $5.7 billion in revenues.

Many players get filthy rich playing a kids game. The average player in the NFL, while playing, make over a million dollars. The minimum salaries are a few hundred thousand dollars. While these numbers sound huge, and they are, when the game is over their medical costs can equal their former, now gone, salaries.

Ditka was telling stories about players forced to live as homeless primarily due to these former players spending their former fortunes to pay for medical bills. The NFL doesn't help after two years and the NFL Players Association does little and cares less.

Ditka was speaking on behalf of the group, Gridiron Greats. This group of former and current players help raise money to help former players pay bills and get back on their feet. Often we will see these big strong athletes donating time and money to help others. Now the proverbial shoe is on the the other foot.

I doubt when these athletes were kids they dreamed of being a disabled person like me. I know there are no Disabled Man video games for kids to play. Because the game of football gives me great enjoyment I'm giving a little back.