State change makes Metra's $84,000 report worthless
It was among the nicer reports I've seen as a journalist.
Wire-bound, glossy paper stock, a three-page table of contents.
Too bad it went nowhere.
Metra paid $84,780 to security consultants Hillard Heintz to craft the August 2010 report, “Launching the New Metra Office of Inspector General.”
Trouble is, Metra never created an office of inspector general. Partly because of disagreements on who the inspector general should be accountable to, the Illinois legislature passed a law that instead gave that authority to the office of state inspector general Ricardo Meza.
Meza, whose milelong title is actually executive inspector general for the agencies of the Illinois governor, takes over investigative duties for the CTA, RTA and Pace, as well.
“Launching the New Metra Office ...” was a bit dry to read, despite the color pictures and graphics. It included a somewhat self-promotional snippet about Hillard Heintz, four pages on the history of the evolution of inspector generals in the United States, and lots of recapping of how other agencies such as Amtrak fulfill that role.
Toward the end of the 100 pages, Hillard Heintz concluded an in-house IG would cost up to $1.5 million in the first year.
The good news is, Metra doesn't have to pay this now — a bonus given the agency's projected $100 million deficit and looming fare hikes.
The bad news is, $84,000 was spent on a report that now makes a nice paperweight.
Metra board Director Jim LaBelle said it's important to look at the expense in the context of 2010, when former Executive Director Phil Pagano killed himself amid allegations of financial swindling of agency assets. With a corruption cloud hanging over Metra and scrutiny from an outraged public, not to mention state senators and prosecutors, the board hired an interim inspector general — Hillard Heintz.
“We were faced with a situation where we needed to bring internal controls and accountability into practice as soon as possible,” LaBelle said.
Metra ended up paying Hillard Heintz about $1.07 million for its IG contract in 2010 and 2011, which included $84,000 for the “Launching” report. During that time, the agency engaged in negotiations with state senators on establishing an IG's office.
The sticking point was who would have authority to appoint the inspector general. Lawmakers balked at the idea Metra directors would have authority over a supposedly independent watchdog.
“We couldn't wait to see if someday the state would act,” LaBelle said. “We needed to do something to right the ship and Hillard Heintz was an important part of that work at that time. That work was part of what's provided a basis for the reform agenda that (new CEO) Alex (Clifford) has been implementing since he came.
“In the end, we were able to work with the senators and the state and find a solution that will have the least direct cost to Metra going forward,” LaBelle said. “We ended up with a better resolution of that legislation than anyone expected.”
You should know
On the subject of Metra, conductors say they're getting a bad rap in the press for not collecting fares. Metra officials recently launched a public-relations campaign, “Be Fair, Pay the Fare,” asking riders to alert them if a conductor skips ticket collection. CEO Alex Clifford said while the problem is limited to a few employees, it's a significant enough concern that Metra's got undercover spotters on trains to look out for lapses.
Conductor Kevin J. King said the public is getting a wrong impression of the profession. Conductors don't just collect tickets but also are responsible for the safe operation of the train in tandem with engineers, watching out for signal issues and work crews among other jobs, he said.
“Passengers have no idea of all the responsibilities we have,” said King, who is the chairman of Local 653 for the United Transportation Union. “All these duties ensure the safety of the train and are done simultaneously with collecting.”
So Metra riders, what do you think? Drop me a line at mpyke@dailyherald.com.
Gridlock alert
If you live in DuPage or Kane counties, chances are you're gritting your teeth every time you hit the Congress Parkway bridge bottleneck. Stay strong. What's another seven more months or so? IDOT estimates the bridge rebuild will be done by mid-May 2012. In the meantime, traffic has shifted to the new lanes carrying inbound traffic while work on the outbound bridge gears up.
Your voice
Comments are still rolling in on the Illinois tollway's rate hike coming Jan. 1.
Wendy Michaelsen of Gurnee isn't taking it lying down. “In the past year, the state has nearly doubled my income tax and now they plan to almost double the cost of my daily commute. At the same time, the raises I receive have not kept up with the increased costs from the state. In order to save our family almost $500, beginning in January, I will use the tollway for my daily commute only during bad weather or if I am running late. Unlike the government, we are forced to cut back when our costs increase.”
Coming soon (actually today)
Got some free time this lunch hour? Feel like macaroni and cheese with an electric car on the side? General Motors is bringing the groundbreaking electric Chevy Volt to the Loop between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. today. Test drives are open to the public outside the Merchandise Mart's south driveway. And, the first 200 Volties get a free snack from The Southern Mac and Cheese truck.
Chicago third worst in congestion
Third-worst congestion in the nation. That's the proud title the Chicago region bears, according to the <a href="http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/report/">Texas Transportation Institute's Annual Urban Mobility</a> report.
The TTI studied 101 urban centers and found the average suburban driver spends about 71 extra hours on the road a year because of traffic jams.
And as a result, we rank 11th out of 101 urban areas for stress levels.