Bill de Blasio Will Push for Tax on Wealthy to Fix Subway

[TheNewYorkElevated]

This is a ridiculous proposal I have seen from the mayor. Real action needs to be done here to fix our subway, not something like this. I have a feeling it will hardly pass through the state government.

[Mtatransit]

This is a ridiculous proposal I have seen from the mayor. Real action needs to be done here to fix our subway, not something like this. I have a feeling it will hardly pass through the state government.

He felt it's two birds with one stone. Pretending to be a progressive liberal that cares about NYers most vulnerable (same with Cuomo) and caring about fixing the subway (again same as Cuomo). They both needed to be voted out of office

[BreeddekalbL]

well devisionzero should be told to stop selling out our city to his oligarch overlords(if you saw freedom of information act emails you know he doesn't give a damn about you and the oligarchs have direct line to him especially NYCLASS) and starting petty feuds with Cuomo, 

[MikeC]

well devisionzero should be told to stop selling out our city to his oligarch overlords(if you saw freedom of information act emails you know he doesn't give a damn about you and the oligarchs have direct line to him especially NYCLASS) and starting petty feuds with Cuomo, 

It's a shame people think he is actually a progressive man of the people.He is not. He is the actual fear-monger. He is playing people and he has sold out the city to special interests. His eyes are on the national limelight not this city and its showing everyday. 

[bobtehpanda]

It's a shame people think he is actually a progressive man of the people.He is not. He is the actual fear-monger. He is playing people and he has sold out the city to special interests. His eyes are on the national limelight not this city and its showing everyday. 

 

It's delusional. His policy notwithstanding, Hillary Clinton's people found him annoying, and Bernie's people think he's a backstabber. The only reason he's going to be reelected is because literally no one else seems credible enough.

 

This is actually some kind of strange, 4-D chess, similar to the universal pre-K though. By throwing out something ridiculous, BDB is giving Cuomo space to propose congestion pricing as a saner alternative, which is reportedly what Lhota and co. are exploring.

[BreeddekalbL]

congestion pricing should be illegal in the NYC if they approve it andrew should lose his 3rd term, is deblasio gonna be stupid enough to primary Andrew in 2018?

[Around the Horn]

congestion pricing should be illegal in the NYC if they approve it andrew should lose his 3rd term, is deblasio gonna be stupid enough to primary Andrew in 2018?

 

What planet are you on? Congestion pricing is a brilliant idea... 

[BreeddekalbL]

What planet are you on? Congestion pricing is a brilliant idea... 

 

I am a realist people oppose it cause you essentially are punishing them/taxing them for driving in to the city and those people who drive into city vote these people will be mad AF and this is a third rail idea

[T to Dyre Avenue]

congestion pricing should be illegal in the NYC if they approve it andrew should lose his 3rd term, is deblasio gonna be stupid enough to primary Andrew in 2018?

Why should congestion pricing be illegal? We need solutions to the MTA's funding problems and we don't really have a whole lot of other options available. If it's legal to do an LA-style "Measure R" type of funding, I'd go for that in lieu of congestion pricing.

[N6 Limited]

What planet are you on? Congestion pricing is a brilliant idea... 

It's nice in theory, but it's going to become a cash cow and soon it will cost $15 to drive in Manhattan.

 

With almost every thing the city/state does, whatever "reasons/justifications" they use are just excuses to bilk the populace.

Cigarette tax, MTA bridge and tunnel tolls, school zone(s) & (cameras), red light cameras, etc.

[BreeddekalbL]

Why should congestion pricing be illegal? We need solutions to the MTA's funding problems and we don't really have a whole lot of other options available. If it's legal to do an LA-style "Measure R" type of funding, I'd go for that in lieu of congestion pricing.

apparently it's not in the constitution of NY for people's referendums.  as much some would believe congestion pricing would solve problems it would be in essence a tax for driving into the city or punishment could you imagine if they passed congestion pricing before and then you have the subway meltdown like now. why did i say it's illegal i said in jest.

[RR503]

You don't need a referendum to pass congestion pricing. Normal legislation should do the trick...

 

I would look at it from the perspective of market economics. Tolls and usage fees on most other infrastructure in the city has firmly established transportation as something people have to pay to use. The fact that we are both undercutting our other bridges with these free ones (which creates congestion issues) and not even attempting to match the supply of road space in Manhattan with the demand for it seems....strange. For those who talk about penalizing the poor, people who own cars on NYC have significantly higher incomes than those who don't. They can pay, or opt for the significantly cheaper option of public transit (which would, assuming congestion pricing revenues get directed to the MTA, get better).

[Union Tpke]

It's nice in theory, but it's going to become a cash cow and soon it will cost $15 to drive in Manhattan.

 

With almost every thing the city/state does, whatever "reasons/justifications" they use are just excuses to bilk the populace.

Cigarette tax, MTA bridge and tunnel tolls, school zone(s) & (cameras), red light cameras, etc.

 

http://nyc.streetsblog.org/2013/02/15/lessons-from-london-after-10-years-of-the-congestion-charge/

[N6 Limited]

I would gladly avoid driving through Manhattan if they built a tunnel from NJ to Brooklyn/Queens.

[Union Tpke]

I would gladly avoid driving through Manhattan if they built a tunnel from NJ to Brooklyn/Queens.

 

A highway could be constructed with storm surge barriers. There is opposition in the Rockaways.

http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2017/05/12/storm-surge-barrier-calls-breezy-point-connect-sandy-hook-new-jersey.html

[N6 Limited]

http://nyc.streetsblog.org/2013/02/15/lessons-from-london-after-10-years-of-the-congestion-charge/

Right. Now It would be nice if all bridges were the same price, then people wouldn't avoid the QMT and BMT to take the free bridges and clog up the BQE in the process. But then again, to avoid the Manhattan toll the BQE may stay just as clogged or worse after implementation.

 

A highway could be constructed with storm surge barriers. There is opposition in the Rockaways.

http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2017/05/12/storm-surge-barrier-calls-breezy-point-connect-sandy-hook-new-jersey.html

That would be great too. But if you're going to say Newark/Jersey City/ Rt 3, etc it's more direct and sometimes quicker to cut through Lower/midtown Manhattan to take the Holland Tunnel (or Lincoln), than to loop around through Staten Island or up to the GWB.

[BreeddekalbL]

You don't need a referendum to pass congestion pricing. Normal legislation should do the trick...

 

I would look at it from the perspective of market economics. Tolls and usage fees on most other infrastructure in the city has firmly established transportation as something people have to pay to use. The fact that we are both undercutting our other bridges with these free ones (which creates congestion issues) and not even attempting to match the supply of road space in Manhattan with the demand for it seems....strange. For those who talk about penalizing the poor, people who own cars on NYC have significantly higher incomes than those who don't. They can pay, or opt for the significantly cheaper option of public transit (which would, assuming congestion pricing revenues get directed to the MTA, get better).

 

I know that  T to dyre was suggesting that a people's referendum like in california to where they can raise revenue for their various projects for the subway in LA and what not

[Deucey]

What planet are you on? Congestion pricing is a brilliant idea...

Every tax and fee is a good idea if you're not the one paying for it.

 

As a transplant, toll roads are an absurdity to me. But I'm from California, where they're and far between - Orange and Riverside Counties - but everyone has the ability to go avoid them.

 

I hate the NJ, Penn and Ohio/Indiana and Illinois turnpikes, but they can be avoided.

 

Even MassPike and the Thruway can be avoided. Tolling the East River cannot - it's theft and prejudicial on folks in the city and LIers. And as much as I see people here complain about NY being overtaxed, I'm seeing now that it's less about principle and more about "as long as it ain't me, let them do it."

 

That bothers.

[LTA1992]

I'm all for paying more if it's going to the right places.

 

But as anything else transit related in this inept, autocentric country, how do we know that if we do institute something like congestion pricing or a rich people tax, that most of the money won't be siphoned away as already done today?

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Every tax and fee is a good idea if you're not the one paying for it.

As a transplant, toll roads are an absurdity to me. But I'm from California, where they're and far between - Orange and Riverside Counties - but everyone has the ability to go avoid them.

I hate the NJ, Penn and Ohio/Indiana and Illinois turnpikes, but they can be avoided.

Even MassPike and the Thruway can be avoided. Tolling the East River cannot - it's theft and prejudicial on folks in the city and LIers. And as much as I see people here complain about NY being overtaxed, I'm seeing now that it's less about principle and more about "as long as it ain't me, let them do it."

That bothers.

Tolling the East bridges should be something you should support as a Staten Islander because the consensus has always been that Staten Island doesn't get a pass due to having to pay to get off of the island, so if we're talking about not being able to avoid tolls, you're an every day example of that. With tolls on the East bridges, that can allow for lower tolls on the SI bridges.

I'm all for paying more if it's going to the right places.

 

But as anything else transit related in this inept, autocentric country, how do we know that if we do institute something like congestion pricing or a rich people tax, that most of the money won't be siphoned away as already done today?

There would have to be a stipulation in such an agreement to ensure that the monies are indeed used for the and not siphoned off for other things.

[LTA1992]

Tolling the East bridges should be something you should support as a Staten Islander because the consensus has always been that Staten Island doesn't get a pass due to having to pay to get off of the island, so if we're talking about not being able to avoid tolls, you're an every day example of that. With tolls on the East bridges, that can allow for lower tolls on the SI bridges.

There would have to be a stipulation in such an agreement to ensure that the monies are indeed used for the and not siphoned off for other things.

Now you know as well as I that this state will find a way to get around that or pretend it doesn't exist.

[Deucey]

Tolling the East bridges should be something you should support as a Staten Islander because the consensus has always been that Staten Island doesn't get a pass due to having to pay to get off of the island, so if we're talking about not being able to avoid tolls, you're an every day example of that. With tolls on the East bridges, that can allow for lower tolls on the SI bridges.

 

But I don't think there should be tolls on the Verazzano Bridge for SIers.

 

But I also don't think anyone in NYC should be charged to go from one borough to another, nor LIers charged to leave LI without an alternative - currently the untolled bridges.

 

And I have no issue with paying toll crossing the Hudson since that's crossing legal jurisdictions - I just hate the PA's rate. And Tappan Zee and Bear Mountain tolls? No different than me paying to cross the Carquinez and Bay Bridges to go to San Francisco - crossing county lines/legal jurisdictions.

 

If Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens and Richmond Counties were actually functioning county governments instead of counties on paper controlled by that building off the western Brooklyn Bridge, I'd hate this plan but I'd "tolerate" it. Since that's not the case...

[N6 Limited]

Every tax and fee is a good idea if you're not the one paying for it.

 

As a transplant, toll roads are an absurdity to me. But I'm from California, where they're and far between - Orange and Riverside Counties - but everyone has the ability to go avoid them.

 

I hate the NJ, Penn and Ohio/Indiana and Illinois turnpikes, but they can be avoided.

 

Even MassPike and the Thruway can be avoided. Tolling the East River cannot - it's theft and prejudicial on folks in the city and LIers. And as much as I see people here complain about NY being overtaxed, I'm seeing now that it's less about principle and more about "as long as it ain't me, let them do it."

 

That bothers.

Yep you can see this when it's time to raise the subway fare and people say "why not charge drivers, they get to drive into Manhattan for free"

[Interested Rider]

I would like to add my voice to the discussion on what this mayor will do now that I have returned from two days off from this forum. I was informed on Monday that the primary date is Tuesday September 12. In the event that the top candidate for (let us say for example in the mayor's race) does not receive 40 percent  or more of the vote on that date, a runoff will be held  on Tuesday September 26. This is what happened the last time, however, the next person who had the next highest amount of votes pulled out of the race thus giving the Democratic nomination to our present mayor. Based on what I am observing in the City Council races where there are multiple candidates, it is quite possible  that there will be runoff elections there. The reason that I am raising this point now is that the number of  voters in any primary is quite small and if there is a runoff is even smaller so a very small number of people will make that decision for the entire electorate. Since many of the writers on this forum are quite passionate about their views, I hope that the writers will translate that passion into making sure that they are registered in a party that has a primary (Independents do not vote in primaries but vote in the general election) and come out (and bring their fellow registered voters as well) and vote. My observation is that many voters just come out for the presidential election and then forget about all the other elections that follow forgetting the fact that all politics are local and that a local election is more important than a national election as a couple of votes can make a big difference in who gets elected.

As far as the $15 minimum wage is concerned, yes, it was the Governor who pushed it through the legislation, however, it was the mayor who was one of those who started the ball rolling in this state. The governor went for it and checkmate champ said, the only way that it was passed was to have it eased in over a couple of years as upstate representatives would have not accepted it as one straight thing. The governor pushed it because the mayor wanted it and since it is the city that determines who gets elected, he cannot go against the mayor for fear of losing his particular constituency. The governor cannot get elected by the suburbs and the rest of the state so he needs the city and thus he will play to them even though in many cases, it has harmed the upstate economy quite severely through the imposition of taxes that have helped the city but destroyed upstate. I remain opposed to the mayor's proposal concerning a tax for the MTA  as there are plenty of places for this mayor to cut programs as the city budget has increased over 20% since he took office four years ago and the number of city employees has gone up as well which means higher costs for pensions and health care in the future as if they are not already through the roof. The agency is already deferring payments and this will come back to hurt the agency sooner or later. What I am deftly afraid of is that there will be an economic downturn and no matter how slight, the city will be in very bad financial straits (and for that matter so will the state) as there are certain things that are mandated by the New York State Constitution and therefore must be paid regardless of whether the city or the state wants it to be spent someplace else.

[bobtehpanda]

I would gladly avoid driving through Manhattan if they built a tunnel from NJ to Brooklyn/Queens.

 

We already have the VZ.