"Current and former authority officials who were involved in the deal, including Marc V. Shaw, the agency’s executive director at the time, say they had little choice. 'Politicians make choices, and at the time they made a determination that it would be wrong to raise taxes and raise the fares,' Mr. Shaw said."

"David M. Catalfamo, a spokesman for Mr. Pataki, acknowledged that the governor favored keeping fares low. 'But the M.T.A.,' he said, 'is an independent authority responsible for its financial soundness, and they were always encouraged to take actions that were consistent with their needs.'"

Right.

I've said it before: Non-transit users sitting on the MTA board is like my boss running my office without ever seeing it.

Smacks of a "no-show job," which, according to TV and movies, is something they do in the--what do you call it? Oh yeah, the Mafia.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07282008/news/regionalnews/that_70s_woe_in_rerun_121880.htm

"Gov. Paterson, convinced the state faces its worst fiscal crisis since the mid-1970s, will deliver the grim news in an unprecedented special address to New Yorkers as soon as tomorrow night, The Post has learned."

Sorry Paterson, but it's all your fault. Not because of anything you have done as Governor. But because of what you were a part of in the state legislature.

Good, there must be some of Hevesi's hacks left, who produced the reports that promises everything for nothing all paid for by the "hidden billions."

And that is one of the three acceptable sources of revenue for the MTA. The hidden billions, the Brodsky state billions, and the Weiner federal billions, all to be delivered with no sacrifices and no tradeoffs. Pay up you SOBs.