Comments on: Blame Game Continues: Smith Swipes at MTA, Monserrate Goes Anti-Toll

By: Niccolo Machiavelli

Niccolo Machiavelli — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:01:11 +0000

The way this works is that with a Democratic majority so slim the holdouts have all the clout. As the others watch them being rewarded for saying no they want in on the action. They have clearly determined that the most valuable thing to do with that clout is to wait until the budget battle begins and see what they can lever their support for. And, unfortunately I think Smith’s point of view probably does represent a majority of NYC voters. They have been misled by the tabloids on serious issues like this for so long who can blame them? And, in the end, when Pataki was handing out his tax “rebates” during his election campaign he was cheered on by the voters. Plenty of people sounded the alarms but who cared?

By: Benjamin Kabak

Benjamin Kabak — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:45:14 +0000

The Daily Politics reports that Monserrate now opposes new tolls, and faults the MTA for “failing to explain ‘specifically’ how toll revenue would be used to pay for service and capital improvements.”

I’m a little confused by Monserrate’s idiocy. What does he want the MTA to tell him? It’s really quite simple. The East River bridges get tolled; the MTA collects the revenue — as it current does from its own Bridge & Tunnel division; the money goes into the budget; and out comes a better-funded transit agency.

Is he really asking for a specific count of how the MTA plans to spend all of the few hundred million dollars it stands to earn if the East River bridges are tolled? Or is he just being dumb and dense and obstructionist?

By: Josh

Josh — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:46:16 +0000

“The public didn’t cause their failures in terms of how they managed their budget.”

No, but our elected representatives did by failing to properly fund the MTA for years.

By: Rhywun

Rhywun — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:19:15 +0000

Oh they’ll pass that tax.

Yeah, on second thought that money would go into the general fund (i.e. into government worker pensions) rather than into infrastructure, so you’re right, it could happen.

There’s nothing personal to gain by saving transit so why bother. The collapse will happen long after they’re out of office (or have moved up).

By: Larry Littlefield

Larry Littlefield — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:10:30 +0000

Oh they’ll pass that tax.

And then what happens next year when they’re up for re-election? They’ll borrow.

And then what happens the year after when the stimulus money runs out and no one will lend to them anymore?

http://www.r8ny.com/blog/larry_littlefield/preparing_for_institutional_collapse.html

By: Rhywun

Rhywun — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:00:50 +0000

“Tolling of the East River bridges should be considered only after passage of the ‘Millionaire’s Tax’ that will ensure the wealthiest residents of New York pay their fair share.”

In other words, when pigs fly.

By: J-Uptown

J-Uptown — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:21:08 +0000

These politicians have no vision and no leadership. They drive everywhere and are thus ignorant of how vital the transit systems are to the lives of their constituents. It may well take a transit crisis to finally boot these guys out of office. Maybe if the city and state revoked the parking and driving privileges that go along with elected office, then our elected officials would actually be able to relate to most of their citizenry. For now, let’s hope their contempt for transit riders will doom them to early retirement.

By: Rhywun

Rhywun — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:09:54 +0000

The same will be true of New York State in general if it has to get along when its cash cow runs dry.

The same HAS been true of upstate NY for decades. It’s really, really bad up there. Not Detroit bad, but inching closer. And that goes for the whole region, not just the cities. The small towns and the rural areas are mired in hopelessness, too.

By: Larry Littlefield

Larry Littlefield — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:52:47 +0000

“I know they have this deadline; I just don’t think it’s appropriate for the MTA to sort of hold the public hostage and say, ‘Well if we don’t get to the deadline we’re going to charge you more.’”

The deadline was years ago.

“The so-called ‘Ravitch Plan’ is not in the best interests of New Yorkers.”

And neither is anything else you people have done. But you’ve done a whole hell of a lot for ex-New Yorkers.

By: Mark Walker

Mark Walker — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:49:53 +0000

The bad news is that the MTA is going to have to really drop the bomb. When the fare hikes kick in, there will be angry words, but the real impact will be in the service cuts. They will savage the city’s economy because it can’t function well without adequate subway service any more than a heart can function without an aorta. Subways — not surface transport — are what provide the rapid throughput that makes our central business district viable. Cutting them will be the straw that breaks the camels back for a wide variety of businesses and careers. People will start streaming out of the city and New York go from being a sustainable (if troubled) city to an urban no-hoper like Detroit. The same will be true of New York State in general if it has to get along when its cash cow runs dry. I hope the upstate Republicans are reading this.