news Cuomo On MTA: It’s Time To Do More With Less

[East New York]

Democrat Hammers Transit Agency, Says No More Subsidizing

 

 

 

 

 

NEW YORK (CBS 2) — There was a warning Thursday from transit advocates — higher fares and deeper cuts are on the way unless the next governor of New York forks over more money for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

 

But, as CBS 2’s Marcia Kramer reports, Democratic front runner Andrew Cuomo has a message for them: forget about it.

 

 

Republican Carl Paladino wants to abolish the MTA; Cuomo wants to restructure it with the governor at the controls. But transit advocates say that’s empty rhetoric. New revenue is the answer.

 

“There is congestion pricing, there are other tolls and other fees, yes, that could be raised,” said Dan Morris of the Drum Major Institute.

 

Morris was speaking about a report done by his group with another transit group, Transportation Alternatives, demanding new revenue to avoid future fare hikes and service cuts.

 

“Many, many low and moderate income families are being disproportionately harmed by these fare hikes and service cuts,” Morris said.

 

But Cuomo said the old days of tax and spend in Albany are over.

 

“The answer is not going to be from the state more money, more money, more money because the state is not rolling in dough,” Cuomo said.

 

Cuomo said congestion pricing, a pet project of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is a non starter in the Legislature and he’s opposed to other funding ideas until the MTA gets its fiscal house in order.

 

“The MTA is going to have to do a better job of operating the MTA. We’re not going to be able to subsidize our way out of this problem. There’s going to be a need for more efficiency, more effectiveness, better management. You can’t have $500 million in overtime. You can’t have thousands of people making over $100,000 a year,” Cuomo said.

 

The transit report called for the state to contribute 20 percent of the cost of the MTA’s capital program to modernize the system.

 

“The first instinct has to be how do we do more with less,” Cuomo said.

 

The MTA’s plan is to have regular fare hikes every two years and there’s no way to know whether any governor can avoid that.

 

Meanwhile, Paladino repeated his call for a one-on-one debate with Cuomo. Cuomo said in the waning days of the campaign there are other things he wants to do with his time.

 

CBSNewYork.com

 

 

[Blatherskite]

Walder? Is that you? It sounds like you, but you look like Cuomo.

[KNIGHTRIDER3:16]

Lol that sounds right Phras but it does look like change is coming to MTA with who ever wins .

[Nova RTS 9147]

Walder? Is that you? It sounds like you, but you look like Cuomo.

 

They're like the mighty morphing power rangers.

 

Should we start taking bets on when the will collapse? I vote 2014.

[LRG]

They're like the mighty morphing power rangers.

 

Should we start taking bets on when the will collapse? I vote 2014.

 

Good one, unless something is done fast then that may be the very fate of the MTA. It's in dire need of some form of revamping.

[SoSpectacular]

It's going to die very soon...

[IRT Bronx Express]

By 2012, the MTA will not exist anymore. :tdown:

[East New York]

The MTA isn't going anywhere guys. It just looks like it will cease to operate the way we know it to now. The s*** is about to hit the fan!

[cdi919]

i knew this would happen. cuomo's father was not transit friendly so why would he be?

[R32 3348]

This guy still thinks the runs under two sets of books although that has been disproved several times (the even has all their financial stuff laid out right under all our noses on their website). He also has seemed to ignore the thousands of people that were laid off (I am not saying this is a good thing but it puts his lack of cost-cutting point to shame), the $500 million+ in recurring annual savings achieved through Walder this year, and the fact that overtime was cut by 10% this year as well. Meanwhile he wants to run the while refusing to pander up more money for it. Keep dreaming.

[Messino]

cuomo the homo.. although he looks more like a gorilla than a homosapien

[SubwayGuy]

"It's time to do more with less" and "It's time to do more FOR less" are going to be the motto of our generation.

 

And that sucks, but it's true. Better get used to it. The decisions of our parents and grandparents, and corporate sellouts, have doomed us to this fate.

 

These are phrases you're going to hear an awful lot of during your lifetime.

 

Stay out of debt and spend wisely, unlike the MTA, and they can't touch you...

[mediccjh]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[rtype3995]

Lol that sounds right Phras but it does look like change is coming to MTA with who ever wins .

 

well the word out there is that if cuomo wins(which is a no doubter), hes gonna keep jay walder........not necessarily a good thing for either the riding public or for workers.....

anyone who needs to know why needs to go read on what this walder character did to london........pretty much ruined that place........

 

mta wont go away, but it will fall back into the old days of the 70's and 80's where the system fell into disrepair.........

 

i think all voters should be concerned when these canidates say "the mta should do more with less", because that involves higher fares and more cuts........

 

ta has some options to get out of the mess:

you have too many superintendents.........you should start to cut them; you really dont need all of them

enforce a mandatory retirement after a certain amount of years

cutting ot is difficult in certain departments, but put a cap on what a worker could make above their base salary for the year

[Blatherskite]

If doing more with less is supposed to be a good thing, think how much more could be done with more.

[Westside]

*looks around*

 

The truth is: The RENT is to da***d high!!!!

 

*flees thread*

 

[metsfan]

has been in crisis for 4+ years. What they need to do is raise gas tax, use congestion pricing, stop subsidizing the automobile, no more free e-z pass rides for higher ups, lower exec pay as well, the money needs to go into the system as much as possible, not into the suits.

 

As McAdoo once said, "the people be pleased", and man i do not see anyone pleased. Doing something wrong...

 

- A

[armax1980]

as long as people put money into the bus or trains, the MTA stays alive. The reason why the is in the trouble its in today is because the state refuse to give it the money it needs. Instead the state took the money and used it for themselves.

[Blatherskite]

as long as people put money into the bus or trains, the MTA stays alive. The reason why the is in the trouble its in today is because the state refuse to give it the money it needs. Instead the state took the money and used it for themselves.

 

I will tell you the real reason why the MTA is in the mess it is in according to a NY state government class I had and what a professor told me. There is also another reason I will get to after his explanation.

 

When Transit was falling apart in the 60's, and Robert Moses was being the political dictator he has always been, the state decided to create the MTA. An authority is created by the state when things get too expensive. Their rule for the autority heads is simple. As long as they have debt, they can stay in power. The state starts an authority, so that they don't look like they are losing as much money as they are because they can say the Authority is not related to them, it is a seperate entity. That's why the TA has been wasting and borrowing money for so many decades. Once they turn a profit, the state gets to take over until they get into debt, or they forecast debt.

 

Here is the other reason they have no money and are mismanaged. Whenever they do any repair work and hire outside contractors, they go for the guy that ridiculously lowballs everyone else. They don't go for the guy that will do the job right at the lowest cost, they just go for the lowest price. What these ******* lowballing contractors do is half way through, they tell the TA that they have no more money left. The TA just painted themselves into a corner and threw away the key lol. What ends up happening is that no contractor with integrity will finish someone else's work because they become liable for the work the previous thief did. Now the MTA puts itself in a bit of a mess. They can't fire the current contractor, because if they do, they will have to start all the work over with a new contractor. That first contractor money basically is thrown away (think MTA M.oney T.hrown A.way) so what they end up having to do is pay the low balling contractor to finish the job. This happens repeatedly with the MTA because of the incompetance and theft of the people in charge. I'm sure some of the people they hire probably give cash kickbacks to the people that hired them. It's that simple. They need to fire everyone in charge and start over, or create a new MTA, make it a non profit organization with complete background checks on everyone in charge and every contractor they hire. Also, whenever it does make a profit, the extra money has to go to improving the system or adding service. Allow them to take donations if anyone is willing to donate.

[Trainmaster5]

I will tell you the real reason why the MTA is in the mess it is in according to a NY state government class I had and what a professor told me. There is also another reason I will get to after his explanation.

 

When Transit was falling apart in the 60's, and Robert Moses was being the political dictator he has always been, the state decided to create the MTA. An authority is created by the state when things get too expensive. Their rule for the autority heads is simple. As long as they have debt, they can stay in power. The state starts an authority, so that they don't look like they are losing as much money as they are because they can say the Authority is not related to them, it is a seperate entity. That's why the TA has been wasting and borrowing money for so many decades. Once they turn a profit, the state gets to take over until they get into debt, or they forecast debt.

 

Here is the other reason they have no money and are mismanaged. Whenever they do any repair work and hire outside contractors, they go for the guy that ridiculously lowballs everyone else. They don't go for the guy that will do the job right at the lowest cost, they just go for the lowest price. What these ******* lowballing contractors do is half way through, they tell the TA that they have no more money left. The TA just painted themselves into a corner and threw away the key lol. What ends up happening is that no contractor with integrity will finish someone else's work because they become liable for the work the previous thief did. Now the MTA puts itself in a bit of a mess. They can't fire the current contractor, because if they do, they will have to start all the work over with a new contractor. That first contractor money basically is thrown away (think MTA M.oney T.hrown A.way) so what they end up having to do is pay the low balling contractor to finish the job. This happens repeatedly with the MTA because of the incompetance and theft of the people in charge. I'm sure some of the people they hire probably give cash kickbacks to the people that hired them. It's that simple. They need to fire everyone in charge and start over, or create a new MTA, make it a non profit organization with complete background checks on everyone in charge and every contractor they hire. Also, whenever it does make a profit, the extra money has to go to improving the system or adding service. Allow them to take donations if anyone is willing to donate.

 

The above history lesson should be required reading BEFORE some us are allowed to post. Some of us are astute enough to realize what the was created for, and the ongoing scam it has become since it's founding. It's become a home for bankrupt railroads, bus systems, orphaned remains of private businesses who ran their products into the ground and took the money and ran. So now we have an agency up to it's eyeballs in debt who decides to give the public countdown clocks and shiny new means of transport while it, and the state, stick it to the public while our eyes are diverted. Meanwhile the contractors and politicos laugh at us while they divvy up the money on hand.

[Grand Concourse]

I don't think Albany should be given total control of the MTA. If anything give NYC the subway and NYCT/MTA Bus. LIRR, MNCR, Express bus routes can be controled by the state.

[RTOMan]

The above history lesson should be required reading BEFORE some us are allowed to post. Some of us are astute enough to realize what the was created for, and the ongoing scam it has become since it's founding. It's become a home for bankrupt railroads, bus systems, orphaned remains of private businesses who ran their products into the ground and took the money and ran. So now we have an agency up to it's eyeballs in debt who decides to give the public countdown clocks and shiny new means of transport while it, and the state, stick it to the public while our eyes are diverted. Meanwhile the contractors and politicos laugh at us while they divvy up the money on hand.

 

Ha! The Clueless masses that are out there believe what song and dance that gets thrown their way, factual statements such as that go right over there heads...

 

Perfect example. On this forum a poster sees people with vests standing on a platfrom, not knowing thier job function is what they are doing.They could have been waiting for thier boss to show up and "assumes" right away that they are doing nothing,classic.

 

The Blame starts Up Top People..

 

When the Fare is 5 bucks maybe you will see it...

[Nova RTS 9147]

Ha! The Clueless masses that are out there believe what song and dance that gets thrown their way, factual statements such as that go right over there heads...

 

Perfect example. On this forum a poster sees people with vests standing on a platfrom, not knowing thier job function is what they are doing.They could have been waiting for thier boss to show up and "assumes" right away that they are doing nothing,classic.

 

The Blame starts Up Top People..

 

When the Fare is 5 bucks maybe you will see it...

 

With all due respect, if one doesn't see that the blame starts at the top now, I doubt they'll see it after another fare hike.

[RTOMan]

With all due respect, if one doesn't see that the blame starts at the top now, I doubt they'll see it after another fare hike.

 

Miracles can happen...

[NX Express]

Too many supervisors. That's it.:tdown: