Comments on: Kruger: MTA Funding Plan Will Be “So Outside the Box.”

By: SonicLimited

SonicLimited — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:18:46 +0000

Bridge tolls would have accomplished nothing. They would only seek to raise the tolls on those bridges every year due to "budget issues".

By: po

po — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 03:14:45 +0000

Jeez, just fund it already. If not, I'm moving.

By: Bike Dude

Bike Dude — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:33:01 +0000

Chinese food delivery tax.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:09:51 +0000

East river bridge tolls... but only for bikes and pedestrians.

By: Fritz

Fritz — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:19:04 +0000

This was a funny thread until Larry had to come in and scare the hell out of me. Sad thing is, his seems to be one of the most realistically outside of the box. I don't even want to guess lest it give me nightmares.

By: paco

paco — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 03:18:46 +0000

The hypocrisy is staggering. The same politicians angry with the MTA for a lack of transparency are keeping their own last-minute magic formula 'under wraps so as not to be co-opted by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.' Does ALL of NYC infrastructure have to crumble for politicians, on both sides, to wake the hell up? Fund mass transit! The city is dead without it!

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:57:49 +0000

We've been here before. Last time we were here, in the '70s, the Second Avenue Subway was halted. I wouldn't be surprised if that happened again.

As Larry says, whatever they do, it'll be a one-shot trick that leaves us in much worse shape in a few years -- exactly the opposite of what bridge tolls would have accomplished. (Sigh.)

By: Rhywun

Rhywun — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:45:29 +0000

I too fully expect some one-time accounting trick. Except that wouldn't be "out of the box", it would be business as usual.

By: Clarence Eckerson Jr.

Clarence Eckerson Jr. — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:11:39 +0000

I got it: hire Bernie Madoff to raise funds for MTA!

By: Larry Littlefield

Larry Littlefield — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:08:39 +0000

You have to think like a state legislator. What is the most destructive, harmful thing they could do while claiming to be heroes?

1) Sell all the tolled MTA Bridges and Tunnels to a private entity in exchange for a one-time up front fee, to be spent between now and their re-election in 2010. Fares would be cut. They'll say that since they were creative this time, someone else would have to be creative next time.

2) Enact a pension contribution waiver for the MTA for the next two years, on the assumption that even higher investment returns would make it up. To keep the unions happy, they'd all get irrevocable pension sweeteners, including 20/50 for the TWU. Higher investment returns (say an average of 12% per year indefinately) would pay for that, too.

ANYTHING THEY DO will be worse in the long run than the "Doomsday Plan."

By: vnm

vnm — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:07:25 +0000

Red, LOL. I'd be laughing ... if it wasn't true.

By: Larry Littlefield

Larry Littlefield — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:17:07 +0000

Borrowing even more money, possibly while pretending not to.

What do these SOBs love to hurt more than drivers, transit riders, the rich, the poor, the city, the suburbs or upstate?

The future, and those who will live in it. While promising something for nothing in the here and now.

I want bankruptcy. I want the state shut down, and their pensions taken away.

By: Sean

Sean — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:05:10 +0000

Dismantle the bridges and use the bits to build Atlantic Yards?

By: Glenn McAnanama

Glenn McAnanama — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:59:41 +0000

Joke guess: Bike registration (with little license plates!) at $1000/year

Real guess: Ummm...something that screws the rich...but not low income NYC drivers...and leaves the bridges free...tax cars at 1% on their blue-book value each year. Old beater? $20 bucks. New luxury car? $500.

But that would take brains...I'll go with the lollipop/tight shirt tax.

By: mfs

mfs — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:56:09 +0000

Definitely going to include a prostitute tax, but the outside-the-box comment would seem to go against this, so I think it'll be more of a sex toy tax.

The only two good "outside the box" ideas that could come out of this would be a region-wide gas tax or a land tax for land close to subway and commuter rail stations, regardless of what is on the land.

Reinstating the commuter tax is unlikely, and would do more harm than the region-wide payroll tax (which is just a commuter tax with larger borders) unless it is used to fund more than transit.

By: Mookie

Mookie — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:46:59 +0000

Red deserves a free something for coming up with a plan the morons will envy.

If Red's plan doesn't sell, how about the magical public private partnership? Sell the MTA to Citibank in exchange for a huge portfolio of bad debt that the feds will guarantee. Structure the plan so the subways and buses are free for the first two years and cost a lot later. The 7 train will be free for Mets games at Citifield.

By: Lars

Lars — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:27:42 +0000

Taxing MetroCards 20%? Then using the funds to keep the fares where they are.

By: J-Uptown

J-Uptown — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:18:47 +0000

Massive service cuts?

By: Doug

Doug — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:17:59 +0000

Shut down the MTA?

By: Red

Red — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:13:53 +0000

How about a combination of the Diaz Sr., Kruger, and Markowitz plans? First, create a new Mega-Millions lottery to fund mass transit. Then, take the proceeds and buy Canadian prescription drugs. Resell them for an even greater profit, then invest it in the state's pension fund. BAM! $6 billion a year - more than enough to fill the operating gap and fund the capital program (pay-as-you-go!).

For good measure, this plan will also "force the issue" on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.