Second Ave. Sagas

Liu: ‘I hold [Walder] responsible’ for MTA funding woes

Written by

Benjamin Kabak

in

,

Over the years, John Liu has become a prominent New York City politician who doesn’t have a clue about MTA finances. As early as 2007, I questioned his knowledge of transit funding, and he has over the years continued to espouse falsehoods and non-sequitors about the MTA. Now, with Jay Walder’s looming departure, he has somehow managed to raise his own bar yet again.

In a brief interview with a local Queens community paper, Liu slammed Walder for leaving the MTA, and while I don’t disagree with the overarching sentiment that Walder is leaving before he finishes the job, Liu’s statements are patently absurd. “I’m very disappointed that Walder’s leaving and I hold him responsible,” Liu said. “He basically just threw his hands up and waved the white flag. I think it was a cop-out.” Responsible for what, exactly? Considering the only recent MTA report to come out of Liu’s office was a petty one on service changes, I’m sure Walder isn’t going to take Liu’s accusations too seriously.

Meanwhile, Liu, who refuses to take the position that pension reform is needed because it would alienate his high-powered friends in labor, thinks the solution to the MTA’s woes can be found through the magically federal government fairy. The MTA, he says, will be fine if only the feds would give it more money. And this a politician many think will try to run for mayor in 2013?

Comments

25 responses to “Liu: ‘I hold [Walder] responsible’ for MTA funding woes”

  1. Hank

    Liu, or “Mr. Comptroller” as he makes his staff call him, is a self-promoting demagogue. He pretends to actually give a damn about this City but only to serve his own ambitions of one day becoming mayor.

    Reply
    1. Bolwerk

      A clown in NYC government? I am shocked!

      Reply
  2. epc

    Clearly he should be the next head of the MTA.

    Reply
  3. Bolwerk

    Has anything anymore definite come out about the reasons behind Walder’s departure? Everyone always seems to focus on the big paycheck he is getting in HK, and that may be the only reason, but any word that Cuomo was brushing him off? An MTA chief isn’t getting very far without support from the top, and if Cuomo didn’t back him, I don’t expect he had much reason to stay.

    It’s kind of a shame Paterson was so politically weak. He did have vision (no pun intended) Cuomo doesn’t have – he just doesn’t have the shrewdness.

    Reply
    1. Marc Shepherd

      I think it’s all of the above. Cuomo didn’t embrace him, the MTA was under-funded, and there is no hint of a solution. So now he will go somewhere that is properly funded, and for more money.

      Reply
      1. Alex C

        Not to mention the fact that politicians like Liu and the average commuter act like 5 year-olds when it comes to transit. I’d imagine it to be similar to working in a day care.

        Reply
  4. toby

    if i wrote what i truly feel about Liu, i’m pretty sure my comment would have to be removed.

    Reply
  5. Peter

    I’m a lifelong Democrat, and I’m embarrassed by Liu.

    Reply
  6. Al D

    “I’m sure Walder isn’t going to take Liu’s accusations too seriously.”

    We’ll now, that’s gotta be your understatement of at least the month if not the year. 🙂

    It’s non-sensical vile like Liu’s that has helped Jay Walder make his mind to leave I’m sure.

    So let’s re-cap, 3x salary, 3x less grief, a growing, profitable organization vs. a money losing, blame game, political punching bag of an organization, along with a hateful union.

    I’d say Jay has the last laugh on Liu and the rest of the fools ’round here.

    Reply
  7. Larry Littlefield

    Liu is taking the politically smart move of trying to become the advocate of producers of public services against the powerless consumers of public services, while perhaps holding rich taxpayers who do not need public services harmless. The way to get endorsements and campaign contributions.

    It’s a strange position for a child of immigrants, since they are generally outside the charmed circle of those in on the deals and rely on public services for transportation, education, recreation, and often health care. But then, like younger generations, they don’t seem to count for much.

    As for Walder, I get the feeling Liu is accusing him of advancing his own career, rather than sacrificing himself in NY to make things easier for others whose main goal is advancing their own careers. He has a point. It’s no fun being the grown up.

    Reply
    1. John-2

      In a way, he’s trying to follow the same playbook Mark Green attempted to use to work his way into Gracie Mansion, in attempting to be the pseudo-consumer advocate “Voice of the Common Man”. He’s also the one who pestered the MTA to put in the totally unnecessary Grand Street bus shuttle half a decade ago when the Sixthe Avenue tracks were temporarily closed, only to have virtually no one use it because they were fine either taking the N/Q to Canal and walking or transferring to the J/M trains to the Bowery. So much for fiscal responsability with transit funds.

      Green saw his decades long effort to reach City Hall become collateral damage of the 9/11 attack, because too many people thought he’d take the city back to the 1966-93 period and voted for Bloomberg. If Liu ends up winning in 2013, my guess is he’ll do for the subways in the 21st Century what John Lindsay helped do for it 40 years ago, which is not a good thing.

      Reply
      1. Donald

        The mayor has virtually no control over the subways. If Liu is mayor, there is very little he can do. The MTA is a STATE agency.

        Reply
        1. John-2

          Liu would still have a quarter of the appointments to the MTA board, and — at least at the outset — would likely want reps who felt more of the agency’s limited funding should go to union-approved categories (i.e., salaries, pensions and benefits). He wouldn’t control the agency, but he wouldn’t be powerless to move the MTA back towards the wonderful world of deferred maintenance, with funds going to boost wage and benefit scales above the cost of living rate.

          Reply
        2. Hank

          Liu doesn’t give a damn about the MTA. It’s just a punching bag for him to grandstand against to serve his own egomaniacal ambitions.

          Reply
      2. Bolwerk

        John Lindsay seemed to have his heart in the right place with transit, but was really politically inept. As Caro described it, I seem to remember he didn’t know what a home rule request was.

        Rockefeller of course had lofty transit plans too, and I suppose the MTA played into that vision.

        Reply
  8. Chris

    We can only hope that the feds will keep the zero-accountability money spigot from opening any farther. It’s bad enough for the MTA to be financially dependent on the whims of upstate NYS legislators.

    Reply
  9. Anon

    Remember Pensions in new York State can’t be changed per the New York State Constitution —it is specifically prohibited to change or “diminish” the benefits—- only a new Tier can be added with different benefits for those entering the new tier.

    Reply
  10. JJ

    John Liu = organ grinder’s monkey

    Reply
  11. Benny

    Ben- What do you expect from liberals in this town? You want pension reform? Quit electing democrats. I guarantee when it comes down to John Liu or said replublican, you’re votin for Liu. So quit ur whining!

    Reply
    1. Alex C

      As opposed to Republicans, who see mass transit as evil and unamerican and needing to be handed over for free to corporations that donate to their campaign if allowed to exist at all. Yes, that’s much better.

      Reply
  12. Donald

    Why do we need pension reform? NY actually has one of the most well funded pension systems in the country. That’s in contrast to most states, which have underfunded pension systems on the brink of collapse. The only ones claiming that the NY pension system is broke is the right wing Manhattan Institute.

    Reply
    1. Alice

      Eyes rolling big time!

      Reply
      1. Donald

        Myabe some people here should do their research:

        “A decade ago, slightly more than half the states in the U.S. had fully funded pension programs, but today only New York and Wisconsin can make that claim.”

        “New York is fully funding its state pension program even as Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo attempts to eliminate a $10 billion budget deficit by slashing overall spending and laying off up to 9,800 employees.”

        http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/…..aspx#page1

        Reply
        1. nycpat

          Your confusing people. The debt service is more than pensions so of course pensions must be eliminated. That way the MTA can borrow more and increase the debt service.

          Reply
    2. Alon Levy

      Are those pension systems really underfunded, or is it just a temporary loss due to a shitty economy?

      Reply

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