Correctly Placing The Potential Blame
This morning’s edition of the New York Times will feature a strong editorial on how the State Senate will be responsible if the MTA’s “doomsday scenario” goes into effect. Here is a sample:
Time is running out for more than eight million public transit riders in the New York City metropolitan area. On May 31, unless Albany quickly devises a solution, subway and bus fares will increase by more than 20 percent. Service will slide. Some routes will disappear. If this happens, New Yorkers will have the State Senate to thank.
Mr. Bloomberg likes to tell New York’s wealthy campaign donors to make certain their money goes to politicians who help the city. He should take his own advice and tell his Republican friends in the State Senate to help the city by supporting its vital public transit system.
Mr. Paterson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver should also use their clout to bring the Senate around. The most workable plan, as adapted by Mr. Silver, would modestly increase fares, add a payroll tax in the 12-county metropolitan area and impose tolls on the remaining free bridges around Manhattan that match the price of a subway fare. Everybody finds something in this plan to dislike, which could be what helps make it work for all.
Click here for the complete editorial.
Arguably the best part of this editorial is the final paragraph which supports the plan proposed by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. The reason I say this is not because I supported his plan. If you recall, I was completely against it. The reason I liked the last paragraph is based on the final line which states:
Everybody finds something in this plan to dislike, which could be what helps make it work for all.
I think this sort of thinking works as any sustainable solution to the MTA financial crisis will anger people on all sides. However in this case that would be a good thing as it would mean all sides are paying their fair share towards a system that benefits everyone, regardless of their actual use of the system if any.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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Comments
Hello Peter,
You are absolutely correct with your analysis. There is no debating the historical ineptness of Albany when it comes to properly funding the MTA.
The scary position in all of this is knowing that people with such backwards thinking hold the future of the system in their hands.
I saw a report done by NY1 and Sen. Smith was talking about the current plan. The thing that caught my attention was when he said that they have inherited the MTAs problem. Last I checked, they’re the reason for the mess!