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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, A viable, comprehensive, and coordinated system |
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| of mass transit is vital for the quality of life and future |
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| development of the northeastern region of the State of |
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| Illinois; and
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| WHEREAS, The region is served by the Chicago Transit |
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| Authority (CTA), Metra, and Pace, with financial oversight by |
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| the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA); and
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| WHEREAS, The CTA, Metra, and Pace carry over 500,000,000 |
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| riders each year; and
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| WHEREAS, The General Assembly passed a $54.3 million |
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| appropriation to the RTA to provide, for the first time, |
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| paratransit services pursuant to the Americans with |
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| Disabilities Act (ADA); and
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| WHEREAS, All public entities have a responsibility to |
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| manage public funds with the highest level of efficiency and to |
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| eliminate waste and mismanagement; and
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| WHEREAS, The federal SAFETEA-LU
capital spending bill |
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| (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity |
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| Act: A Legacy for Users) contains funding for many expansions |
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| of service, including Metra's STAR Line and Pace's J line Bus |
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| Rapid Transit, and this federal funding will require a local |
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| match; and
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| WHEREAS, The General Assembly will have to consider the |
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| merits of these transportation expansion projects and |
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| determine the appropriation of State funds towards the most |
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| beneficial and effective projects; and
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| WHEREAS, The office of the Auditor General of Illinois is |
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HR0650 |
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LRB094 14383 AJO 49314 r |
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| highly respected throughout Illinois for the thoroughness, |
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| fairness, and non-partisan manner in which it conducts audits |
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| of governmental agencies; and
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| WHEREAS, The Auditor General is recognized as an authority |
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| upon whom the General Assembly can rely for audits that provide |
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| information that is beneficial during legislative |
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| deliberations about budgets, appropriations, efficiency of |
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| programs, and budget savings achievable through improved |
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| management; and
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| WHEREAS, There is already an audit underway for the CTA |
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| pursuant to House Resolution 479; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that |
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| the members of the House of Representatives direct the Auditor |
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| General to immediately conduct financial, compliance, and |
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| performance audits of the RTA, Metra, and Pace including, |
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| without limitation, their operations, pensions, capital |
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| programs, and identifiable areas where redundant operations |
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| between RTA, Metra, and Pace and the CTA may be eliminated; and |
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| be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the Auditor General address, in these audit |
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| reports, the extent to which the RTA, Metra, and Pace are |
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| adversely affected by mismanagement or inefficiencies and that |
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| if mismanagement or inefficiencies were corrected, to what |
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| extent the improvements would result in budget savings for the |
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| agencies; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the Auditor General's audit reports |
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| concerning RTA, Metra, and Pace be submitted to the General |
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| Assembly and the Governor; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |