As the three Democrats from New York represent a huge obstacle in the way of an MTA bailout, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith is attempting to court upstate Republicans. According to William Neuman and Nicholas Confessore, Republicans are unwilling to budge in their opposition. Even George H. Winner, a Republican representing the district that houses a subway car manufacturer, won’t budget on the ideological concerns behind a payroll tax. This tax would impact only those counties served by the MTA, but no members of the GOP want to cross party ranks right now.
As Kathry Wylde, the head of a pro-Ravitch group said, “This ought to be a bipartisan effort. Everybody has an interest in the M.T.A. and the transportation infrastructure of the region.” It ought to be, but in New York State politics, it never is.
7 comments
sigh, business as usual. Wish we could just secede from this state and form our own and include all areas serviced by metronorth.
Every one of those three clowns needs an aggressive primary challenge in the next election. I hope that transit advocates will step up and support their challengers when the time comes . . . or it’s going to be more of the same.
Paul Newell didn’t put a dent in Shelly Silver, but I will guarantee you that Silver won’t soon forget this last race. He had to get out in the trenches for the first time in a while.
We need not only more Democrats, but also better Democrats.
On re-reading that, let me expand – we should all be grateful to people like Paul, who took on an almost impossible challenge taking on the sitting Speaker.
He accomplished a lot just by shifting the conversation, and that’s a victory in itself.
I am glad the Bronx Dems are saying no to tolls on the Harlem River Bridges. East River yes, Harlem, no.
Placing a toll on the Broadway Bridge or the 207th St Bridge is a joke. These bridges carry local traffic, no one is clogging up midtown streets from these points. A toll on the Broadway Bridge will back up traffic to Yonkers.
The Triboro Bridge carries some local traffic too. Should it become toll-free?
Just because its a bridge doesn’t mean there has to be a toll. Portland Oregon has no less then 6 toll free bridges connecting their city together.
And indeed, Portland has more than twice the per capita CO2 emissions of New York City.