Comments on: The sheer cliff of a $1.2 billion deficit

By: MTA Mythbusting: back again « On Transport

MTA Mythbusting: back again « On Transport — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:31:54 +0000

[...] every year – and sometimes multiple times a year. One of its biggest sources of revenue is real estate transaction taxes. Look at what real estate has done in the past two years. That revenue has barely topped 50% of its [...]

By: Mythbusting the MTA Fare Hike « O’Leary On Transport

Mythbusting the MTA Fare Hike « O’Leary On Transport — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:28:15 +0000

[...] by explaining how the MTA actually got into this mess. One of its biggest sources of revenue is real estate transaction taxes. Look at what real estate has done in the past two years. That revenue has barely topped 50% of its [...]

By: Mythbusting the MTA fare hike :: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:44:21 +0000

By: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog » Blog Archive » » No single fix can cover this $1.2B gap

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 06:50:54 +0000

[...] know that the MTA will soon be facing a $1.2 billion deficit. We know that the agency may cut service, services and excess bureaucracy. We also know that the [...]

By: Mr. Eric

Mr. Eric — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:13:21 +0000

Rhywun public employees sacrifice the most important thing in life which is family time for there jobs. You work 24/7 352 all holidays and weekends included.

Most of these jobs don’t come with set hours or reporting locations either. These among other things are some of the reasons that these jobs were given certain hard earned benefits long ago to attract people to do these jobs.

Believe it or not but it’s tough to be working on every single holiday when you have small children at home!!

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:32:42 +0000

Rhywun, the data comes from the Cato Institute, which makes it automatically suspect. You wouldn’t trust a Cato study about rail transit; why trust a Cato study about government salaries?

In this case, the data given seems to be for Orange County, which has enough money to pay high public sector salaries. So do the New York City suburbs, where cops earn $100,000 a year. However, New York City itself doesn’t have that kind of money.

By: rhywun

rhywun — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:19:10 +0000

You can’t compare public employee’s to private employees or the “real world” as you called it.

Um... why not? Work is work. And since I pay their salaries, I don't think it's fair that the unions have stongarmed their way into vastly greater benefits that us mere mortals. PS. Public sector pay is higher, not lower, than similar jobs in the private sector.

By: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog » Blog Archive » » A $1.2 billion deficit, but what gets cut?

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:14:14 +0000

[...] 2nd Ave. Subway History « The sheer cliff of a $1.2 billion deficit [...]

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:06:48 +0000

First, much of the city regards NYPD as a bunch of idiots who shoot unarmed people for no good reason. So respect is relative.

And second, you could make a good argument that all public sector employees should be treated like private sector ones, i.e. getting more pay and fewer benefits. Retirement at 55 makes sense only in countries where life expectancy is 65.

By: Mr. Eric

Mr. Eric — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:28:58 +0000

You can’t compare public employee’s to private employees or the “real world” as you called it. You can only compare them to each other. The TA gives 12 sick days a year compared to unlimited for NYPD, FDNY, NYDS, Corrections, and Teachers.

The TA employees can retire at 55 years old with at least 25 years of service. It’s 20 years and out for NYPD, FDNY, and NYDS no age restriction.

Most importantly the employee’s of the TA get zero respect for the massive productivity that they have produced over the last 10 years. More trains, buses, and passengers with much less hourly employees.