Comments on: Fare Hike 2009: What the pols and papers are saying http://secondavenuesagas.com/2008/07/23/fare-hike-2009-what-the-pols-and-papers-are-saying/ A New York City Subway Blog Fri, 25 May 2012 06:33:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: John http://secondavenuesagas.com/2008/07/23/fare-hike-2009-what-the-pols-and-papers-are-saying/#comment-40531 John Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:03:20 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=1024#comment-40531 I think that one of the major reasons Bloomberg and Patterson can get away with such behavior is that the corporate structure of the MTA essentially allows them to. Because MTA is a state authority, its chief executive is accountable to its board rather than to one easily identifiable elected official. If you look at the composition of the MTA board, it seems to be designed more as a smokescreen for elected officials to dodge their responsibility to the MTA rather than as an effective governing body. Yes, the governor and the mayor get the most appointees (I think the guv gets 6 and the mayor gets 4), but then the county executives of Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester get one a piece, along with three union appointees (one each for TWU, UTU, and the metro north rr union), and one a piece for the NYCT, LIRR and Metro North rider's councils. This structure gives elected officials a veritable cornucopia of targets at which to aim there fingers when deflecting blame. There also seems something disingenuous about the governor coming out so belligerently against the MTA proposal - if he were that unhappy, couldn't he simply replace its CEO? If one of my employees came out publicly for something I didn't want to do, I would replace him. I think that one of the major reasons Bloomberg and Patterson can get away with such behavior is that the corporate structure of the MTA essentially allows them to. Because MTA is a state authority, its chief executive is accountable to its board rather than to one easily identifiable elected official. If you look at the composition of the MTA board, it seems to be designed more as a smokescreen for elected officials to dodge their responsibility to the MTA rather than as an effective governing body. Yes, the governor and the mayor get the most appointees (I think the guv gets 6 and the mayor gets 4), but then the county executives of Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester get one a piece, along with three union appointees (one each for TWU, UTU, and the metro north rr union), and one a piece for the NYCT, LIRR and Metro North rider’s councils. This structure gives elected officials a veritable cornucopia of targets at which to aim there fingers when deflecting blame.

There also seems something disingenuous about the governor coming out so belligerently against the MTA proposal – if he were that unhappy, couldn’t he simply replace its CEO? If one of my employees came out publicly for something I didn’t want to do, I would replace him.

]]> By: Todd http://secondavenuesagas.com/2008/07/23/fare-hike-2009-what-the-pols-and-papers-are-saying/#comment-40517 Todd Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:31:47 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=1024#comment-40517 I'm really disappointed in Bloomberg on this one. He surprised me. Everyone else, not so much. I’m really disappointed in Bloomberg on this one. He surprised me. Everyone else, not so much.

]]> By: Susan Donovan http://secondavenuesagas.com/2008/07/23/fare-hike-2009-what-the-pols-and-papers-are-saying/#comment-40511 Susan Donovan Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:30:16 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=1024#comment-40511 Great post. I'm so sickened by how irresponsible and childish out politicians are acting right now. I think most people are mature enough to understand that running public transit for a city of 8 million people isn't free-- and we can all see that after the neglect of the 70s, 80s and early 90s --we're going to need to pay a little more to get the system in to top condition. But, not a one of these clowns, not Bloomberg, not Silver not even David Paterson has enough SPINE to just come out and say it. Great post. I’m so sickened by how irresponsible and childish out politicians are acting right now. I think most people are mature enough to understand that running public transit for a city of 8 million people isn’t free– and we can all see that after the neglect of the 70s, 80s and early 90s –we’re going to need to pay a little more to get the system in to top condition. But, not a one of these clowns, not Bloomberg, not Silver not even David Paterson has enough SPINE to just come out and say it.

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