I make the point that I wasn’t there to say that my reps were representing my well-thought-out point of view rather than buying into the asthma-reduction claim by Bloomberg. I don’t have a car, I use the subway every day and it is already overcrowded. The money won’t come in fast enough to make a difference. Setting up tolls on the East River is easier, less costly and will reduce traffic but CP is flashier, novel and so English-like. So trendy! but so impractical and a lie.

I hae suggested that while the dollar is soft, a fact which strongly impels foreigh tourism in NYC, we can add a small surcharge on the Hotel Occupancy Tax. Going from 5% to 8% will not deter any foreign tourist while the dollar is soft. And it will raise about $220 million without hitting a single New Yorker in the pocket.

Lew from Brooklyn

Ben, Since you must know as you were sitting right in front of me, I testified almost immediately on arriving and stayed for over an hour and half listening to the testimony.

Most everyone who got up said they were from one group or another, most of which I had not heard of.

As to the disingeuousness of it all—-it is the COMMISSIONERS who were the ones there to hear testimony. I assure you that I will be present for MANY hours of testimony when the plan gets to the Council. THAT is when it is my job to sit and listen to testimony.

As a CM who has gone to several communities other than my own to debate this issue, it is kinda snarky to suggest that I have not been around to hear from people. Should I remark that you have not come to a Community Board meeting in my neighborhood to report on the give and take between MY ordinary constituents and their elected on the issue? Of course not. Its not your job. And at this stage, despite the fact that I remained for 90 minutes, it wasn’t my job to be there to listen. It was the Commissioner’s. And I believe I used the first two of my four minutes commenting on the disgracedful fact that there were only four of them there…whether you were FOR or AGAINST.
If you didsaggree, go to the videotape, please.

Lew from Brooklyn

I have to echo what Gary said: Decrying the number of ordinary citizens present seems disingenuous, to say the least, when you got up and left before any of them had a chance to testify. Plenty of people took a turn at the mic after the advocates spoke.

As to the disconnect, there is none. I invite Mr Fried to come to ANY civic meeting in my district and see for himself.

Finally, the ridiculously ill publicized hearings, planned so as to have 6 going on on the same night meaning that we got to talk to three commissioners—much as I have come to like Ms Schlessinger—was an affront to BOTH sides of the debate.

Clearly, advocates wree well organized and present. ORDINARY citizens were scant and scarce. There was NO notice to anyoen in my district save my public announcement at 2 meetings a week before that the eharings would be EITHER Wedns or Thurs and they should call my office for more info.

Isuppose I could say that few came because they were totally satisfied that I, and Assemblymemebers Weinstein and Maisel were fully representing their position.

Nice seeing you all. And I was disappointed that wehn Mr Naoprstek’s name was called form the speaker’s list, he too was absent. We really do have to meet so you can give me my award.
Lew from Brooklyn

Yeah, from $1.6 billion to $1.2 billion. Until the last few years, it was running at about $300 million to $400 million per year. The anectdotal reports are that commercial property transactions have come to a screaming halt. I’ll be looking with great interest when my firm releases 4Q data on the subject on February 1.

The future of the transit system may rest on this: does the government assess MRT and real estate transfer taxes on foreclosure sales?

And, the MRT has had its own sort of split personality identity crisis in the last couple years. The suburban portion has stagnated, then fallen, in concert with the slumping real estate market in the burbs while the high density urban portion of the MRT has continued to grow although at a slower rate. Real Estate density has been paying by far the bulk of the MRT.

The down-zoning frenzy in the outer boroughs portends badly for long-term growth of the MRT in the city. The same neighborhoods that so resist congestion pricing are thereby shirking their MRT responsibilities. Not surprisingly they are also the neighborhoods that least support the MTA farebox.

Some sort of attitude credit ought to be given to the billionaire real estate moguls, Kalikow, Mack and Hemmidinger, who sit atop the MTA board. Although it is their industry that supplies the MRT revenues and those monies are the only thing keeping the MTA budget afloat,
they are the only ones consistently without their hand out to the MTA, the only group not crying about their deal.

Right, and speaking of Bloomberg, the company not the Mayor, you all should do so reading over there. We are heading for bad times. The MTA operating budget (no, not capital) is dependent on sky high real estate transfer taxes. My guess is that those have disappeared. There is a credit crunch on in commercial real estate, as a result of the mortgage crisis in residential.

FYI, it isn’t just congestion pricing.

But let’s look at the good news. The leaders of the worst group of poltiicans in the bunch, the state legislature, have been responsible. Far from just throwing up red herrings, the commission collected facts, and the proposal may very well end up better than Bloomberg first proposed.

Moreover, the Commission looked at the big picture — we’re broke, and how are we going to finance transportation? Everyone else has refused to do that, and not just with regard to CP.

No guarantees. But for the moment, the legislature is acting like one, rather than whatever the hell it is.