Not saying I like the idea, but it's the kind of thing that starts to make a sort-of perverse sense when you think about it for a minute. If this is the way to East River tolls, I'll take it.

As I discussed the moment I read the Ravitch Plan, it didn't provide all the money the MTA "needs" either.

It needs to pay for operations, accrued rights to pensions and retiree health care, and ongoing normal replacement portions of the capital plan, with current, ongoing revenues, not debt. It could probably do so with its current revenues and reasonable fare increases.

But it is also stuck with the massive debt load and unfunded pension and retiree benefit costs run up in the past 15 years.

The Ravitch Plan did not provide enough revenue for both. It assumed running up the debt, and then needed just as much in additional taxes and fees five years from now.

Well, the numbers aren't totally made up.

The Ravitch Commission called for tolls equal to those on the already tolled East River crossings (Queens-Midtown Tunnel, Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, Triborough/RFK Bridge). At present, the toll on all of these (with an E-ZPass, is $4.15. Weiner's plan to kowtow to the motorist minority was probably to go with that number but simply not charge the people he wants to vote him in as Mayor.

Silver's plan (also to kowtow, but a much more politically defensible way) was to charge everybody but to take a rate that is half of what the panel of experts said was needed $2.00 - the same as the base fare on the subway. Either way you cross the East River or Harlem River, you pay the same amount. It makes a lot more sense, even though it is not high enough of a toll.

The part that is more conjecture is the part where these pols start estimating how much revenue such a charge would bring in. Weiner has to be the ultimate cynic to propose something like this. At some level, he has to know better.

(I do like the idea of giving the mayor more control over the MTA though.)

Those coming from father away have fewer options, generally, although I don't think that should exempt them from paying tolls.

I doubt Albany would ever be willing to give up power.

That is the understatement of the year.

So now he promises that Albany will have the rest of Downstate New York pay for the transit system so NYC residents can have something for nothing. I wonder how that will work out?

Weiner for Mayor: no taxes, no tolls, no fares, and lots of services and benefits for everyone! All we have to do is elect him and our most selfish and irresponsible impulses will be take care of! Promise!

That plan worked for ambitious pols for 25 years, backed by debt. The result will be bankruptcy. Weiner is an amoral opportunist.