Bloomberg Pleased as Bruno Pushes 'Paterson's' Congestion Pricing Measure
It's another good day for congestion pricing, as Joe Bruno introduced a bill in the State Senate to correspond with David Paterson's announced support for the measure. Once again, the mayor has praise for the budding pro-congestion-charge (pro-Bloomberg?) axis in Albany:
"Senator Bruno and his conference are once again demonstrating their commitment to the people of this City and State by introducing Governor Paterson’s program bill today that will allow us to implement congestion pricing – a plan that an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers support when the money is tied to improving mass transit. This bill will reduce traffic, cut pollution and raise revenue for transit projects, not just in the City, but throughout our region. Together with the Governor, we will continue to work to address the concerns of our partners in the State Legislature and the City Council – including concerns about the impact on lower income drivers and making sure we receive revenue from commuters who use Port Authority crossings. The timely passage of this bill will result in New York getting $354 million in federal funds, which will be used for immediate transit improvements. This is another step in the right direction."
The statement did not mention Sheldon Silver or the Assembly.
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CALL THE BABY BY ITS REAL NAME
TAX TAX TAX
WIT THE NEW TAX PLAN IT IS A TAX MILLIONS OF DALLARS BUT NOT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
1) THE TAX FROM LOCAL RESIDENT FOR THE PRIVILEGE TO PARK IN THE FRONT OF YOUR HOSE
2) THE TAX FOR ALL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO PAY A PLUS TAX FOR DOING BUSINESS
3) TICKETING EVERYBODY WHO WILL PARK VS THE LAW( EVERY CAR WHO IS REGISTER IN NYC HAVE PAID A MINIMUM OF 100 DOLLARS IN PARKING TICKETS EVERY YEAR)
4) THE FEDERAL BIG MONEY FOR THE CITY -"NOT ANY PAY BACK FOR THE LOCAL RESIDENT WHO WILL SUFFER FROM THE PARK AND RIDE AND ALL OUTER NEW REGULATION'S (CALL IT TAX SCAMS)
5) ALL NEW GARAGE SYSTEMS BUSINESS WHO WILL COME UP IN NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE WIILIAMSBURG TO PROVIDE THE PARK IN RIDE FOR OUTSIDERS AND THAT TAX WILL NOT GO TO THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS
TAX TAX TAX
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BUT NOT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
AND EVERY BROOKLYN POLITICIAN WHO WILL SUPPORT A NEW TAX WILL PAY THE FULL
PRICE OF IT !!!
I attended the evening oversight hearing on Congestion Pricing at City Hall tonight, 3/24/2008. Although the meeting was heavily weighted with Transportation Alternatives congestion pricing advocates and the like, Councilman Fidler asked the same relevant, unanswered, questions to these pro-CP advocates with absolutely no substantive replies. Congestion Pricing and PlaNYC offers a bouquet of roses with the thorns still attached - NYC be warned - don't grab it!
With congestion pricing, the toll bridge/tunnel crowd gets a "free" ride and everyone else pays. Pure insanity! Who in his/her right mind would support such an inherently unfair and unequal bill?
London, which is used as a model of congestion pricing, cannot be compared with NYC because London does not have 142,000 government sector vehicles with parking permits entering Manhattan and parking for "free" so everyone else has to cruise endlessly. The elimination of illegal parking permit abuse, a prerequisite to any thought of congestion pricing, continued to be hidden at this congestion pricing oversight hearing. Do New Yorkers really believe that 142,000 government sector vehicles with parking placards will really NOT be exempt from Congestion Pricing? The track record of the D.O.T., Bloomberg, and NYPD in the last 7 years says "Yes", 142,000 government sector vehicles will definitely be exempt.
The D.O.T. posted results of its 2008 Residential Parking Permit Study on its website, but it did NOT post the expose' results of the 2006 $570K Downtown Manhattan Parking Study which was quietly released in the newspapers, on a Fridays - this is bogus and contrived politicking at its worse. We are not dealing with forthright people here! Congestion pricing will not win support on its merits because this ill-prepared heavy driving tax (during a recession, mind you) is premature in thought, it is blatantly unfair, and will fail in its execution - look at who's in charge of enforcement - the NYPD and the D.O.T. Observe how the DOT has enforced illegal permit abuse during Bloomberg's administration - in the last 7 years, NYC has lost $322-million in parking meter revenue alone due to the NYPD, D.O.T. and Bloomberg all turning a blind eye. And, how much is the Federal carrot for Congestion Pricing? Oh yeah - $354-million.
Councilmembers who are sitting on the fence, are you listening?