Comments on: A plan, but no one to trumpet it

By: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog » Blog Archive » » On eve of Ravitch Report, Paterson endorses the plan

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 05:53:23 +0000

[...] the Governor’s Office in midtown, Richard Ravitch will unveil his plan to save the MTA. With word of the plan out last week, the report won’t contain too many surprises. But as Ravitch gears up to launch [...]

By: Mike Metzger

Mike Metzger — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:45:32 +0000

What about Metro-North Service in Connecticut? Would taxes be raised along the New Haven Line as well?

By: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog » Blog Archive » » Opponents already combatting the Ravitch recommendations

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:01:14 +0000

[...] we know what Richard Ravitch is going to propose — modest fare hikes, East River bridge tolls and a small, region-wide payroll tax increase — already this plan’s opponents are gathering to defeat it. Will no one step up to save the [...]

By: John

John — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:12:48 +0000

I think increasing one type of tax by .5% is not going to deter many if any businesses from doing business in the largest market in the richest country on earth. And part of the reason it is the largest market is because of the mass transit system.

This is very similar to the idea McCain threw out during the election that raising taxes on the wealthy would destroy our economy despite the fact that Obama’s Tax Plan was basically restoring the tax structure as it was during the Clinton Administration.

By: Marc Shepherd

Marc Shepherd — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:19:39 +0000

So, what would you do instead? The deficit is what it is. If you don’t raise revenues, they have to come from somewhere else. Or you have to cut service.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:01:03 +0000

I like most of these ideas except the business tax. The economy is so fragile now and the last thing we want to do is scare businesses away from the city. Maybe if it’s an even smaller tax increase, like 0.1%-0.2%

By: ScottC

ScottC — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 05:29:10 +0000

Let’s face it. The gutless NY legislature will not take up this plan because too many sacred oxes are gored. Better to just do nothing and not risk your re-election so the subway can fall into a state of shit. I predict nothing in this plan is enacted – except for the fare hikes.

I personally would have also liked to have seen the Ravitch commission recommend cuts and efficiency savings for the MTA.

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:08:20 +0000

No, it’s 12 counties in New York: the five boroughs, the two Long Island counties, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, and Orange.

By: Gary

Gary — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:35:02 +0000

I hear you. But this time around with the economy being as bad as it is, I think that strategy might backfire and be spun negatively as driving businesses out of the city.

By: Marc Shepherd

Marc Shepherd — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:20:45 +0000

The argument over who should pay such taxes has been going on for decades. It may amount to the same thing in the end, but psychologically it’s an easier sell if it doesn’t come directly out of the employee’s paycheck. It’s the same reason why social security taxes are split between employer and employee, rather than being entirely on the employee’s back. Maybe the employee winds up paying anyway, but it’s indirect, and therefore more palatable.