Critics concerned about costs, fairness of Blagojevich free-rides proposal

CHICAGO (AP) - Gov. Rod Blagojevich's proposal to make Illinois one of the first states to offer free rides on public trains and buses to senior citizens sounds good, so who, the governor himself has asked, could possibly oppose it? Plenty of people. Some critics question the proposal's costs and fairness, while others say it amounts to a naked ploy to win political points by handing out freebies. Still others say it's something they might otherwise support, but they fear the last-minute initiative could lead to the defeat of a funding bill meant to bail out mass transit, which had seemed close to becoming law. Surprisingly, some seniors are among the detractors. "Why give all seniors free rides?" asked Helen Paullin, 87, taking a microphon