Comments on: Teaching John Liu, comptroller-elect, a lesson in MTA economics

By: Felix Ortiz the latest in a long line of ingorant New York reps :: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:15:13 +0000

[...] be so concerned with him. But he joins a long list of elected representatives — including current city comptroller John Liu, Peter Vallone and Aileen Gunther — who bring up trumped up charges as a way to eschew [...]

By: On Student MetroCards, the Assembly Dems fail :: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:10:09 +0000

[...] zero.” As I explained when City Comptroller John Liu brought up this same spurious argument, free doesn’t mean no cost. The MTA has to staff more trains and clean up more stations. They have to pay the costs associated [...]

By: Who will succeed Liu as Council Transportation Committee head? :: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:02:09 +0000

[...] the last eight years, Comptroller John Liu had served in the City Council as a bumbling fool the head of the Transportation Committee. Tasked with city oversight of the MTA, the Transportation [...]

By: MTA service cuts & fare increases? This is Insane! I Mean COME ON! - New York City - New York (NY) - Page 9 - City-Data Forum

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:09:14 +0000

[...] Teaching John Liu, comptroller-elect, a lesson in MTA economics :: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York Ci… Just read this. In fact, just read Second Ave. Sagas. [...]

By: Older and Wiser

Older and Wiser — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 20:47:16 +0000

It’s not just vandalism against property. It’s the unnerving effect a large group of unsupervised teens can have on other straphangers, (to say nothing of tourists) whenever the kids notice they have sufficient numbers to essentially “take over” the subway car or bus with consciously over-assertive shouting episodes. Whenever that happens, the grownups start wondering if it might not be a safer option to start commuting by automobile.

By: Nathanael

Nathanael — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:09:23 +0000

Well, it sounds to me like the new head of the MTA is going to do his best to clean things up — and if he does what he did in London he will probably start by reorganization the communications/PR department.

By: Nathanael

Nathanael — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:08:21 +0000

You do pin blame where it is deserved.

There seems to be a problem: the state legislature simply doesn’t want to behave responsibly at *all* (not just on transportation issues!), and the City government seems to want to ignore all the problems and make someone else pay for it (which, given that the MTA could probably just dump the Subway back on the city if it wanted to, is rich).

By: Nathanael

Nathanael — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:05:43 +0000

It’s absolutely 100% obvious that the city government should be paying for transportation for students.

Every other school district in NY state pays for student transportation. Why is New York City avoiding doing so?

By: rhywun

rhywun — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 21:11:44 +0000

One gets the sense that the real reason these agencies were created was to give grandstanding politicians–and boy if John Liu isn’t ever one of those–an opportunity to absolve themselves of any responsibility for the services said agencies provide and to direct the blame for any problems away from themselves.

By: A-W

A-W — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:16:13 +0000

To be fair, it’s not the Comptroller’s job to advocate for a dedicated finance stream for the MTA. At least in his prior job as Transportation chair at the Council, Liu was indirectly involved int he process.

But I agree with you otherwise; Liu has no interest in talking about the real issues concerning the MTA. This makes him no different from the rest of the “denial oriented” political establishment.