Keeping Up With Elliot
Today’s emergency MTA Board meeting will be a lot more intense than usual. Besides the major fact of approving new fare structures after Albany passed a bailout package, this will feature the last stand of Elliot Sander as CEO/Executive Director & Dale Hemmerdinger as Board Chairman. As you would expect, the resignation of Elliot Sander remained the biggest news on the MTA front but not the only involving him. It turns out that he refused to promote a relative of Brooklyn Democratic Party Chairman Vito Lopez. Pete Donohue of the New York Daily News has more in this report:
An assemblyman tried to bully the MTA into giving his son-in-law a promotion – creating a wall of tension between Elliot (Lee) Sander and one of the state’s most powerful lawmakers, sources told the Daily News.
Assemblyman Vito Lopez, the Brooklyn Democratic Party chairman, told Metropolitan Transportation Authority honcho Sander that he wanted Keith Summa, an engineer with the agency, to get a higher-paying gig. When Sander refused, Lopez flew into a rage, two sources familiar with the exchange told The News.
Sander declined to comment, and Lopez Saturday denied ever demanding the promotion. The conversation never happened, Lopez said.
“This is not true,” Lopez said. “I think Lee Sander did an excellent job running the MTA, but I think he’s very upset and I hope this is not a consequence of his being asked to move on.”
Click here for the complete report.
I applaud Elliot for not caving into the business as usual approach that happens in our society whether it is business, politics, & everything in between. I will say he probably created enemies for life politically because of his decision. However he should be applauded for that as not enough people stand up for what is right in today’s society. In the end it is a shame that such a good man will not get a chance to see his vision through. Ultimately the riding public will be the main people to suffer & that is just not right.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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We’ll be hit with a fare hike of 2.25 in june.. this sucks.. but i guess its better then 2.50..
Tgg
xoxo