Comments on: Eric Schneiderman Cedes Leadership on MTA Rescue http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/04/29/if-sen-eric-schneiderman-wont-speak-up-for-bridge-tolls-who-will/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: rhubarbpie http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/04/29/if-sen-eric-schneiderman-wont-speak-up-for-bridge-tolls-who-will/comment-page-1/#comment-67195 rhubarbpie Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:05:38 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6001#comment-67195 I think this is a fair criticism. There really is no legislator in the Senate with the transit record Schneiderman has, and while he has responsibility for an important committee (Codes, I think) he could play a good role. Maybe. One question is whether his help would be welcome -- I'm not sure it would be. But I still wish I saw him in front, mostly because he is one of the more imaginative legislators up there and might be able to figure a way out of this mess while winning the votes needed to pass a decent plan. God knows they need some help, not to win an un-passable toll plan but to figure out some way of getting the dough the MTA needs. By the way, I'm all for making the MTA more accountable (and anyone who has dealt with any authorities, or for that matter most governments, in New York knows there is plenty of room for additional accountability). But things at the MTA are a lot better than they used to be...budgets are released earlier, more information is on the web, etc.), though, again, not perfect. The fact is that the real problem this time is not the MTA but the bottoming-out economy, which -- hard to believe, I know -- actually affects how much money the MTA has, since the tax receipts they use to balance the authority's budget are dropping (as they are for the city, state and most cities and states across the nation). Time for the feds to print some money, I think. I think this is a fair criticism. There really is no legislator in the Senate with the transit record Schneiderman has, and while he has responsibility for an important committee (Codes, I think) he could play a good role. Maybe. One question is whether his help would be welcome — I’m not sure it would be.

But I still wish I saw him in front, mostly because he is one of the more imaginative legislators up there and might be able to figure a way out of this mess while winning the votes needed to pass a decent plan. God knows they need some help, not to win an un-passable toll plan but to figure out some way of getting the dough the MTA needs.

By the way, I’m all for making the MTA more accountable (and anyone who has dealt with any authorities, or for that matter most governments, in New York knows there is plenty of room for additional accountability). But things at the MTA are a lot better than they used to be…budgets are released earlier, more information is on the web, etc.), though, again, not perfect.

The fact is that the real problem this time is not the MTA but the bottoming-out economy, which — hard to believe, I know — actually affects how much money the MTA has, since the tax receipts they use to balance the authority’s budget are dropping (as they are for the city, state and most cities and states across the nation).

Time for the feds to print some money, I think.

]]> By: Ian Turner http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/04/29/if-sen-eric-schneiderman-wont-speak-up-for-bridge-tolls-who-will/comment-page-1/#comment-67192 Ian Turner Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:47:59 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6001#comment-67192 <blockquote>What's the last time you saw a real subway improvement</blockquote> I dunno, maybe <a HREF="http://newyorkamera.com/?p=873" rel="nofollow">last month</A>? When you say that the MTA should "be more accountable", what specific changes did you have in mind?

What’s the last time you saw a real subway improvement

I dunno, maybe last month?

When you say that the MTA should “be more accountable”, what specific changes did you have in mind?

]]> By: Cap'n Transit http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/04/29/if-sen-eric-schneiderman-wont-speak-up-for-bridge-tolls-who-will/comment-page-1/#comment-67190 Cap'n Transit Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:24:57 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6001#comment-67190 <blockquote>Yeah, I caught that...you're trying to back door Congestion Pricing in through the Ravitch Plan.</blockquote> Shhh! Do you want to ruin the whole thing?

Yeah, I caught that…you’re trying to back door Congestion Pricing in through the Ravitch Plan.

Shhh! Do you want to ruin the whole thing?

]]> By: Caught That http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/04/29/if-sen-eric-schneiderman-wont-speak-up-for-bridge-tolls-who-will/comment-page-1/#comment-67187 Caught That Thu, 30 Apr 2009 01:30:42 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6001#comment-67187 Yeah, I caught that...you're trying to back door Congestion Pricing in through the Ravitch Plan. And this time you're trying to do it for ALL of Manhattan. The MTA "bailout" is to improve MTA and should have nothing to do with traffic congestion, bridge tolls, etc. I am so confounded by how "advocates" are not out on the warpath for MTA to be more accountable. When's the last time you saw a real subway improvement with the money that is poured into that failed "authority" year after year? Yeah Albany has to ante, but the real problem IS the accountability-less MTA? Yeah, I caught that…you’re trying to back door Congestion Pricing in through the Ravitch Plan. And this time you’re trying to do it for ALL of Manhattan. The MTA “bailout” is to improve MTA and should have nothing to do with traffic congestion, bridge tolls, etc. I am so confounded by how “advocates” are not out on the warpath for MTA to be more accountable. When’s the last time you saw a real subway improvement with the money that is poured into that failed “authority” year after year? Yeah Albany has to ante, but the real problem IS the accountability-less MTA?

]]> By: Glenn http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/04/29/if-sen-eric-schneiderman-wont-speak-up-for-bridge-tolls-who-will/comment-page-1/#comment-67171 Glenn Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:07:13 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6001#comment-67171 Do a news search on any Manhattan Senator and seems they are talking about other issues. Liz Krueger's upstate talking about property tax caps http://www.google.com/news?pz=1&ned=us&hl=en&q=liz+krueger Do a news search on any Manhattan Senator and seems they are talking about other issues.

Liz Krueger’s upstate talking about property tax caps
http://www.google.com/news?pz=1&ned=us&hl=en&q=liz+krueger

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