Comments on: Has John Liu Jumped the Shark on MTA Rescue?

By: Emily Litella

Emily Litella — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:43:49 +0000

I just dont get it. Forget every moral argument that supports congestion pricing via tolls or other means. Drivers, your time is worth more than a few dollars per hour. Reduction of unnecessary vehicular trips will save the remaining motorists significant travel time. I am a motorist, transit patron, pedestrian and reluctant voter.

By: Glenn

Glenn — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:40:16 +0000

I love CM Charles Barron’s quote as well. It’s as if his way of getting back at “rich white men” is to keep the bridges free while raising mass transit fares and cutting service for most of his constituents.

After the MTA is dismantled, then what CM Barron? Direct Mayoral Control? Sounds like that would also be a rich white guy in charge…

Maybe he could help organize a coup led by Gene Russianoff & Curtis Sliwa resulting in a straphanger’s / guardian angel Junta?

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:33:11 +0000

There are few politicians who will play the race card as predictably and inappropriately as Charles Barron.

By: Culo Cagado

Culo Cagado — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:11:12 +0000

John Liu is another tool. Here’s an idea –decrease the size of City Council from 52 idiots to 10. The cost savings from that alone would cover the MTA’s money problems.

By: Shemp

Shemp — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:09:25 +0000

This is standard fare for John Liu throughout his political career – he’s on all sides and none. Which John Liu will show up at any particular meeting? He’s on the side of getting on TV that night. A lot of these guys are real imbeciles. Liu isn’t as dumb, but he is about as close to 100% shameless and opportunistic as anyone can get. He will say virtually anything.

By: m to the i

m to the i — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:58:57 +0000

You would think that NYS and NYC politicians, who continue to talk about MTA corruption as the main problem, would realize at some point that transit operators all across the country are cutting service and raising fares. Maybe they are all corrupt or maybe transit is not funded enough or by sustainable means.

By: drosejr

drosejr — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:36:31 +0000

My bad on my previous comment under the de Blasio story that Liu was running for Public Advocate. I tend to get my MTA-bashing, Queens politicians confused from time to time; Eric Gioia is running for Public Advocate, not Liu. The sentiment still stands, however.

By: bob previdi

bob previdi — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:23:17 +0000

Brad, Your comments are dead-on. I don’t see how Mr. Liu’s comments can be viewed as progressive urban policy.
Save the tolls – Are you kidding??
I find it so sad that people and Pols feel the need to save these tolls over the future of the MTA – and more importantly the future of the City!

It is so sad, we now have a president (finally) that will support mass transit. He wants to reduce our dependency on oil but NYC wants to save free bridge tolls. He wants to reduce our GHG emissions – but NYC wants to save bridget tolls. I don’t get it.
NYC should be telling the nation what it needs to do to reduce oil dependency and GHG but we are arguing about saving bridge tolls.

Please, please NYC wake up! You must have watched too many car ads!

By: Mark Walker

Mark Walker — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:12:29 +0000

Perhaps the MTA’s biggest problem is that it’s a large slow-moving target for lazy pols and assorted other pitchfork wavers. If the MTA were run the way highways are run, its board would not meet in public, its budget would never be published in any newspaper, and its spending would be both silent and unconstrained. If highways were run the way the MTA is run, details of federal, state, and local road spending would be on everyone’s lips, the newspapers would run one thumb-sucking editorial after another about it, and the people like Liu would complain about the cost of every salary, pension, contract, cost overrun, and boondoggle. Instead highways are run in stealth mode, while spending by public transit agencies is the subject of loud and ultimately unedifying debate.

By: Glenn

Glenn — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:47:52 +0000

Everyone should update their facebook or twitter accounts and say they will not vote for John Liu for any Citywide office…because he obviously doesn’t care about sustainable transportation policies.