Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith is so confident in his belief that the MTA’s self-imposed March 25th deadline is a flexible one that he is prepared to blow right past it. As the Assembly supports a modified Ravitch Plan and the Senate supports its own fatally flawed bailout plan, Smith is turning his attention to the state’s looming budget deadline. The MTA will now take a backseat to the April 1 New York State budget deadline. This all but assures an approval of the Doomsday budget on Wednesday. Fare hikes and service cuts could go into effect as early as June.
Senate sticks MTA rescue plan on the backburner
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Well, that’s exactly what needs to happen to get people’s attention. Everyone thinks the MTA is crying “Wolf” but we shall see.
[…] At 11:45 a.m., the MTA’s Finance Committee will meet to approve recommendations for a fare hike and service cuts in an effort to close a budget gap in excess of $1.2 billion. While Richard Ravitch had proposed a plan that, through East River bridge tolls and an equitable payroll tax, would minimized the hike and cuts, a bitterly divided Senate could reach an agreement, and while Sheldon Silver’s Assembly was prepared to pass a modified Ravitch Plan, the Senate has tabled any MTA rescue package for now. […]