Streetsblog New York City

It's a shame Lee had to step down. His professionalism, integrity and committment to the public welfare will be sorely missed. Lee worked hard to earn the public's trust and make the MTA more transparent and accountable. It is sadly ironic that Lee was forced to leave in order to "restore public confidence." It would be even more ironic, if under the guise of "reform" the governor replaced Lee with his advisor Marc Shaw: a man who abhors sunlight and is the consummate insider, backroom wheeler dealer.

Way to throw a guy under the bus Gov. The optics of this are terrible. It gives cover to Albany for their gross negligence and makes the MTA look bad at the same time.

Yo Cap'n. I'm up for the rally. When and where?

It's totally outrageous to sacrifice Sander on this, but completely consistent with Patterson's approach to his job.

Yes, Ian. That's right. Where was the Manhattan Assembly and Senate delegation to counter the grandstanding pro-car, anti-transit, out of touch outerborough elitist (compared to their constituents) class of legislators?

Where were the legislators to supply real facts and data to the debate to counter with logical, rational arguments against clear pandering against the needs of the city? Or at least someone to counter their stupid grandstanding with their own stupid grandstanding on our side?

The Fare Hike Four, similar to Weprin & Co during the congestion pricing fight, were out in the media, presented a unified front against a particular policy proposal and got their way. A few Manhattan Senators could have done the same and yet they were nowhere to be found. You could not find a quote from them in the media. They left the battlefield to the Fare Hike Four.

Well, don't worry, everyone! We'll have another round next year, but then it'll be the Senate and the Assembly's turn to vote for bridge tolls while the Mayor and Governor block it.

I second JK.

My take: if you are going to fired anyway, you might was well tell the truth.

I was disappointed that the incoming Spitzer Administration didn't stop the borrowing, freeze the situation, and make a public accounting of it. It wouldn't have made a lot of people happy, but in the end no one is going to be happy anyway.

I was stunned when 50 year plans were released, which sounded like more empty promises to anyone aware of the financial situation, instead of calls for short term sacrifice for long term gains after years of the reverse.

The best I heard of the Sander Administration was a throwaway line in an article about Straphangers being inconvenienced by the reconstruction of the 9th Street viaduct, which will otherwise eventually shut down the F train the way the Manhattan Bridge was shut down for 20 years.

After years of overpaying for construction and then over-running even that, and not worrying about because after all its just borrowed money anyway, the bids reportedly came in something like 40% below estimates. THAT is what has to be done.

The reaction here is amazing. Among professionals who have actually dealt with Sander (and by this I mean people who work hard every day to try to manage their organizations sanely and competently, not sandbaggers and malcontents), Sander is universally regarded as a twit. His stock in trade is throwing out wonkish mumbo jumbo and shuffling around the boxes on the org chart. This guy is in no way in the league of say Richard Ravitch or David Gunn. He is a pure empty suit, and always has been. The only things I find objectionable to his being fired are the total absence of reasoning behind the act, the failure to send Howard Roberts packing along with him, and the notion that Paterson (a man completely incapable of judging others' abilities) will now actually have to hire someone.

To #16 WhyNot --

Could you give some examples? I am not trying to put you on the spot, but, these would be useful for outsiders to understand. Otherwise, you're just making an anonymous attack that isn't grounded in anything and should be discounted.

WhyNot - I come not to praise Caesar but to bury him.
These sainted figures you compare Mr. Sander to have long past their shelf life and could never have ruled in the fishbowl that the media has made of the MTA. Lee's chief mistake was empowering Grey Beard Ravitch to fumble the critical bridge toll political strategy. That was after Mayor Moneybags refused to make it part of his last political campaign because he had to win by several thousand percentage points. All the critics wanted transparency, Lee let them watch while the sausages were made and, I'm shocked, others wanted the casings handled differently.

Niccolo, Sander's chief mistake is that he took a job that he is way too crappy a manager to be able to pull off. You may be right that Ravitch or Gunn would fair poorly these days, but they are nevertheless far more capable and substantive than Lee.