The Chicago Tribune thinks having the Illinois Auditor General audit the CTA, Metra and PACE will shine the light of day on internal affairs.

In Thursday’s Chicago Tribune editorial entitled, “State of Corruption,” there is a section on Metra that might be of interest:

“Lawmakers will need to be reminded that malfeasance at the Metra commuter rail system didn’t die with Phil Pagano.  The executive director made off with nearly a half a million dollars in improper vacation pay and other compensation and, when he got caught, committed suicide by stepping in front of one of his trains.

“Metra’s directors, clueless for decades, somehow thought the public would be reassured after they hired themselves an internal auditor.  A measure that would put all of the region’s transit agencies under the eye of the Illinois auditor general has passed the Senate. The House must finish the job.”

Unmentioned in the editorial is that the Regional Transportation Authority was audited by the Auditor General in years past.  That office decided it didn’t want the job.