Second Ave. Sagas

Report: Vacca chosen to head Council transportation committee

Written by

Benjamin Kabak

in

,

The New York Observer’s Azi Paybarah is reporting that James Vacca will be the new head of the City Council’s Transportation Committee. For transit advocates hoping for a strong transportation committee, Vacca’s appointment is a disappointment. As I wrote earlier this week, Vacca is a car-friendly representative who has shown no love for transit. After eight years of John Liu’s know-nothing blustering, it looks for now as though we’re getting more of the same, and instead of a transit ally in the council heading this committee, those fighting for transit in the city are left with the prospects of another impotent Transportation Committee.

Update 4:02 p.m.: After reflecting on the above paragraph for a few minutes, I realize it is a harsh assessment of a council member who was largely out of the spotlight during his first term in the Council. I’m willing to give Vacca a chance to proof his transit allegiance, but early comments on the congestion pricing debate leave me a little wary. Hopefully, Vacca will be a surprise, but his early council history suggests otherwise.

Comments

11 responses to “Report: Vacca chosen to head Council transportation committee”

  1. Gene Russianoff

    Ben –

    Sorry to make it a two post day …

    I think Jimmy Vacca will make a fine chair of the Transportation Committee. He’s been in the forefront of the current battle over possible MTA service cuts. And he’s been a strong voice for the Bx-14; as he points out, if the cut to the Bx-14 goes through, there would no bus serving the Country Club section of the Bronx at all.

    I participated in a news conference in his district in 2007, with Councilman Vacca calling for congestion pricing and the return of express bus service between Throgs Neck and downtown Manhattan.

    I think you will hear similar things about the Councilman from my colleagues at the Tri-State Transportation Campaign and Transportation Alternatives.

    Gene

    Reply
    1. Benjamin Kabak

      Another reason to be more optimistic than I was originally. I’ll give him a chance with an open mind. Hopefully, he can be a good Council ally and transit advocate in his position. This statement too leads me to hope for a positive solution, but I worry about his car-friendly past.

      Reply
      1. David

        I think it’s a stretch to call support of the five-minute grace period ‘car-friendly’ – that was simply (admittedly very dumb) populist legislation that the Council just loves to pass. Certainly enough to condemn him forever. If he’s pro-congestion charge, which he was (http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes……g-measure/) that makes him more pro-public transit than a lot of the Council.

        Reply
  2. Niccolo Machiavelli

    “After eight years of John Liu’s know-nothing blustering, it looks for now as though we’re getting more of the same.”

    After eight years of what you call “know-nothing blustering” John Liu got himself elected to city-wide office. I hope Jimmy appreciates that you are “willing to give Vacca a chance to proof his transit allegiance.” Your support meant so much to Liu that will probably get him moving in the right direction.

    Reply
    1. Ariel

      All because he was elected to a city-wide office doesn’t mean he knows anything about transportation. I wonder how many of the people who voted for him knew he was chairman of the council transportation committee. Probably little to none. People typically don’t vote based on policy stances and intelligence, but more on name recognition and personality.

      Reply
      1. Alon Levy

        In New York, people vote based on who’s on the ballot.

        Reply
    2. Benjamin Kabak

      Tough, nasty critic and for no reason.

      Clearly, I’m not about to impact a city-wide election, but Liu’s knowledge of transit certainly didn’t get him elected to be the comptroller. He proved that a few weeks ago. Vacca could be better than Liu or he could be the same. He certainly won’t be much worse.

      Reply
  3. Niccolo Machiavelli

    Look Ben, I was being cynical, if I was being tough and nasty I would have pointed out that this piece, like much of your work makes a lot of bold, tough and nasty statements, (“know nothing blustering”) usually about politicians that at some point everyone has to work with, and then follows it up by backing off, just as you have done here with regards to Mr. Vacca. It takes the worst traits of “on the one hand, on the other hand” journalism and amplifies them. And it also places those politicians in a corner where they must choose between cynical unfounded attackers on blogs and their confused, scared neighbors who can’t find a parking place. When present they are subsequently presented with complex but achievable policies, like congestion pricing, that their constituents reflexively oppose they are by then immune to your “analysis.”

    I’ve stopped counting the number of issues you have opinioned about that you later turned around on. This is just another. “You’ll give him a chance.” Ya think? He is the Transportation Chair you’ll have to give him a chance. And when he does something you don’t like try not to drive him away.

    Reply
    1. nathan_h

      While this may not have been SaS and SB’s finest hour, the fact that a New Yorker like me (I will not sooner or later work with these people) is aware that a head of the transportation committee has been chosen is vastly more important than the twists and turns of their reporting. The anger that I sensed here, and shared, is legitimate: transportation appointments are handed out as minor political trades with no apparent concern for qualifications or even interest in transit. Is there a Council press release—or anything?—that we can read, lauding Vacca’s record of transportation achievement and/or advocacy? Go ahead and google this important city news, you can get back to this page by clicking on the second or third search result.

      I know you could write an excellent journal on transportation politics, Nic—if you had the time. Ben has made the time, and he is effecting a lot more of a change on the reporting side of things than you or I are. You don’t like his attitude; I suspect that getting along with politicians is part of your job description. But a lot of us like what we read here. If SaS were written the way you want—an unrequited love letter to local pols, or just, a dry account of bureaucratic developments—then I would not be drawn in to follow these events so closely. But precisely because SaS (and other sometimes angry blogs) are keeping an increasing number of transit-dissatisfied New Yorkers interested, motivated, and informed, there will no doubt be insiders who volunteer to play good cop and explain these bloggy happenings to their upset political targets.

      And for the love of truth, calling out John “bottom of the East River “ Liu for his “know nothing blustering” about transportation as the friggin’ committee head is anything but “unfounded”. I know this only because of all that fiery reporting that you object too.

      Reply
  4. Niccolo Machiavelli

    So is that to say that you are surprised that politicians hand out political positions because of politics and not because of expertise? Doesn’t that preclude us from developing a successful politics that does comport with good policy?

    I like what I read here too, mostly for the entertainment value. And you are absolutely correct that Ben is basically the only one covering this stuff. So the “in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king” rule applies. My beef is with putting politics last and then complaining about the politicians. Garodnick was an easy sell to the good government, livable streets advocates (not remotely near a majority of voters) but not even an obvious choice in the Manhattan holy land. I appreciate the coverage of transportation issues but by gently floating on the surface it will be impossible to ever really make any waves.

    Reply
    1. nathan_h

      “No” and “N/A” are my answers to the loaded questions in your first paragraph, for what it’s worth.

      Reply

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