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| RAKESTRAW: No longer suburban |
We’ve
all heard of the enclaves of city workers (with a large percentage of police
and firefighters) on the southwest and northwest edges of the city – allowing them
to live within blocks of the city limits and suburban communities.
NOT
THAT I have anyone choosing to live in a suburb. It’s their life, and if they’re
willing to endure the lengthier commute to get into downtown Chicago, so be it.
But
it is a reality that makes the current residency controversy on the Metra
commuter railroad board all the more ironic.
For
in that board’s case, there is a member being asked to resign his post because
he is not in compliance with the residency requirement. For the Chicago Tribune
has figured out that the board member actually lives not only in Chicago, but
is one of those people living in a high-rise that gives him a wonderful view of
Millenium Park.
He’s
right in the heart of the action.
BUT
SINCE HE was given a seat on the Metra board by Cook County Board President
Toni Preckwinkle, it seems she believes he must have a suburban Cook County
home address – even though he believes he merely has to live somewhere within
the county (either city or suburb).
For
the record, I have never met Stan Rakestraw (the Metra board member in
question). He used to be a nursing home administrator, but now operates SCR
Medical Transportation, Inc., along with his wife, Pam. I don’t know how good a
performance he provided in his service on the board that oversees those
commuter trains taking people from the outer suburbs into downtown Chicago (and
include some stops in the Far South and Southeast sides of Chicago).
Published
reports indicate that Rakestraw got the appointment back at a time when he
still had a home address in suburban Flossmoor. Although the Tribune reported
that the house was damaged by fire, and his response was to move to a downtown-based
condominium.
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| PRECKWINKLE: Needs a Metra member |
Not
that there’s anything wrong with that. In my wildest fantasies, I wouldn’t mind
living that close to the action of urban Chicago. If he can swing it
financially, more power to him.
AND
HE CERTAINLY isn’t gaining that wealth from the political appointment – the Metra
board post only pays $15,000 annually.
But
there is the fact that the Metra board was meant to be a suburban dominated
entity; as a counterpart to the Chicago Transit Board that oversees the CTA
buses and elevated train lines and has a Chicago-dominant board.
In
the case of the Metra board, Mayor Rahm Emanuel gets one appointment to
Preckwinkle’s five – with the understanding that only the mayor gets to pick a
city resident. The heads of county government in the five surrounding counties
each get one appointment.
Which
makes for a 10-1 suburban/city ratio on the Metra board. That may be a bit much
(and goes a long way toward explaining why Metra is willing to let its stops in
the city deteriorate).
BUT
I ALSO comprehend the idea of regulations that ought to be followed. Maybe we
ought to consider a change in the composition of these boards? To that end, Gov. Pat Quinn created on Thursday a 15-member commission to study mass transit boards -- one of whose members is former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. A move that had many political cynics pleased.
But until some sort of action is taken, the regulations are going to have to be followed. Which is why Rakestraw peacefully resigned his post Thursday afternoon, instead of putting up a political fight. He does, after all, serve at the pleasure of Preckwinkle, who to her credit asked for Rakestraw’s resignation once the situation
was brought to her attention.
Although
we all should admit that, relatively speaking, this is a minor infraction by a
government appointee. We can only fantasize that this is the worst thing we
will see one of our officials commit.
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