Comments on: Congestion Pricing Bill: First Impressions http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/03/20/congestion-pricing-bill-first-impressions/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:07:22 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Ace http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/03/20/congestion-pricing-bill-first-impressions/comment-page-1/#comment-46404 Ace Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:03:43 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/03/20/congestion-pricing-bill-first-impressions/#comment-46404 Why don't we put this before NYC voters on the November 2008 ballot? Why don't we put this before NYC voters on the November 2008 ballot?

]]> By: Dave http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/03/20/congestion-pricing-bill-first-impressions/comment-page-1/#comment-46395 Dave Fri, 21 Mar 2008 05:15:31 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/03/20/congestion-pricing-bill-first-impressions/#comment-46395 Tolls on the East River bridges wouldn't isolate downtown; I think if they put tolls on both the East and Harlem Rivers it might even qualify for the Federal Funds and achieve the desired results. Of course our friends in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx would scream bloody murder about this is Manhattan elitism and other such bunk, all the while ignoring Staten Island whose residents have to pay a toll (albeit discounted) to leave their borough. My take on the whole CP debate is that the city is paralyzed from small-minded, petty city politicians pandering to the saddest sacks in their district (or in the case of Glick to the saddest sacks anywhere) and therefore getting no change. Add to this the city-hating upstate politicians (hello Brodsky, my buddy) who for some reason I really don't understand have a say in how we run the city (even though the city's taxes support upstate and their welfare recipients) and the city is even more sc***ed. Given the horrible politics in both NYC and NYS (aren't we typically rated 49th or 50th in terms of a functioning political system in the country?) it's a wonder that NYC is as wonderful a place as it is. Tolls on the East River bridges wouldn't isolate downtown; I think if they put tolls on both the East and Harlem Rivers it might even qualify for the Federal Funds and achieve the desired results.

Of course our friends in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx would scream bloody murder about this is Manhattan elitism and other such bunk, all the while ignoring Staten Island whose residents have to pay a toll (albeit discounted) to leave their borough.

My take on the whole CP debate is that the city is paralyzed from small-minded, petty city politicians pandering to the saddest sacks in their district (or in the case of Glick to the saddest sacks anywhere) and therefore getting no change.

Add to this the city-hating upstate politicians (hello Brodsky, my buddy) who for some reason I really don't understand have a say in how we run the city (even though the city's taxes support upstate and their welfare recipients) and the city is even more sc***ed.

Given the horrible politics in both NYC and NYS (aren't we typically rated 49th or 50th in terms of a functioning political system in the country?) it's a wonder that NYC is as wonderful a place as it is.

]]> By: gh http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/03/20/congestion-pricing-bill-first-impressions/comment-page-1/#comment-46392 gh Fri, 21 Mar 2008 04:09:29 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/03/20/congestion-pricing-bill-first-impressions/#comment-46392 One question about cp: why wouldn't tolls on the East River be the first and easiest thing to do - and wouldn't this alone be enough to achieve the desired effects? One question about cp: why wouldn't tolls on the East River be the first and easiest thing to do - and wouldn't this alone be enough to achieve the desired effects?

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