Cuomo Lackey Sarah "We Need More Cops" Feinberg Is Tapped To Replace Byford

[Union Tpke]

https://gothamist.com/news/andy-byfords-interim-replacement-cuomo-ally-who-led-push-new-subway-cops?utm_source=WNYC+%2B+Gothamist&utm_campaign=cb58b0b6d2-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65dbec786b-cb58b0b6d2-88659097&mc_cid=cb58b0b6d2&mc_eid=5ccfc13abe

Beloved New York City Transit President Andy Byford, whose last day was Friday, will be replaced, for now, by MTA board member Sarah Feinberg, who chairs the MTA Transit Committee.

Feinberg, a former head of the Federal Railway Administration during the Obama administration, has built a reputation for her focus on quality of life concerns in the system, such as fare evasion and homelessness. She was appointed to the board by Governor Andrew Cuomo, and is widely seen as an ally to the Governor's Office.

A leading proponent of Cuomo's calls to add 500 MTA police police officers, Feinberg consistently claimed that the hiring spree would not amount to a fare beating crackdown, despite the agency's own internal statements indicating otherwise. She frequently sparred with opponents of the plan, saying anyone doubting the need to spend $249 million on new subway cops needed a "reality check."

Feinberg has also suggested that repeat criminals should be banned from the transit system, and floated the idea of publicly shaming fare evaders. “I would like to see us capture this behavior on camera and then posting it publicly...on our YouTube channel," she said at an MTA board meeting last year.

“It’s clear from her public statements that she’s in lock stop with the governor and police being one of the issues,” said Rachael Fauss, a senior research analyst at the good government group Reinvent Albany.

It’s not clear how long she’ll serve as “interim” president. Bridge and Tunnels has had an interim president for over a year, and Buses for the past six months.
“It’s going to be critically important to continue the progress over the past two years, and that may be more challenging with the new transformation plan underway,” Fauss said.

Speaking at the Fulton Street station announcing the position, flanked by MTA Chairman Pat Foye, and recently appointed Chief Operating Officer Mario Péloquin, Feinberg made her pitch to the public for how she'll operate. "To our millions of riders, I hear you, I see you, I'm one of you. And I want you to know every single day you can count on me to advocate for you. And to be honest and transparent with you, about the challenges we face and what it will take to address them."

Adding that she'll seek to continue Byford's Save Safe Seconds work, and, "improving the safety and security of the system is also crucial to our success. These gains in performance are all for naught if riders and employees don't feels safe. The added police officers the MTA is adding will be deployed strategically throughout the system and will be focused on deterrence, protection, and assistance. And our number one goal is all New Yorkers feel a sense of safety and security when they ride with us."
Feinberg will be responsible for the 48,000 workers that make up subways and buses.

Tramell Thompson, an MTA conductor and founder of Progressive Action, a popular Facebook group among union activists, congratulated Feinberg but proceeded to question her judgment.

"I don’t know how much she knows our jobs or how dangerous our jobs are when she exhibited unsafe behavior by putting on a MTA vest with her child strapped to her casually doing work on the L line platform," Thompson said. "In my opinion she minimized the true conditions thousands of women workers face who cannot bring their child to work for obvious reasons and lost promotions because of the MTA refusal to provide light duty work for expecting moms. Also, her resume contains absolutely no experience in any capacity working in a transit worker title ever, unlike her predecessor."

Thompson said he hoped the MTA would would find leaders with hands-on experience. "It's almost like the MTA would hire a hockey coach to coach a basketball team all because the hockey coach plays a sport. Until they start to hire from within, or from people who have actual experience working some of these rank & file positions, with a great moral compass, this company will continue to have issues on a executive level."

But the Riders Alliance, which campaigns for mass transit improvements, is optimistic about the hire. “Sarah Feinberg's long experience in government and transit are a boon for riders,” Riders Alliance spokesperson Danny Pearlstine said in a statement. “New Yorkers should look to her to continue the progress of the past two years by cutting delays, speeding up trains, and delivering transformative new bus networks in each borough.”

“We’re thrilled to have Chair Feinberg lead New York City Transit at this important time in the MTA’s history,” MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick J. Foye said in a statement. “I am confident she will carry forward the progress we have achieved to bring performance to record levels, modernize our system for customers and build on the success of the Subway Action Plan.”
Outgoing president Byford cited his reduced role under the MTA’s transformation, in which subway construction projects will fall under the purview of the MTA’s construction company, as a reason for his resignation.
 

[Union Tpke]

http://www.mta.info/press-release/mta-headquarters/mta-appoints-sarah-feinberg-interim-president-new-york-city-transit

[Around the Horn]

This thread title is spectacular...

[Kamen Rider]

if we needed any more proof we lost the wrong Andy this month...

 

we need a strong challenger to primary him. There is no way on God’s green earth Cuomo hasn’t pissed off enough people.

[40MntVrn]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how "cracking down on fare evasion" is a priority, meanwhile a faulty indicator light can lead to a complete meltdown of the L. Bizarro-land.

[Bill from Maspeth]

12 minutes ago, 40MntVrn said:

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how "cracking down on fare evasion" is a priority, meanwhile a faulty indicator light can lead to a complete meltdown of the L. Bizarro-land.

These 2 issues are handled by different departments.  Fare evasion is a police matter and enforced by them, whereas anything having to do with defects of subway cars is handled by the division of car equipment.

Furthermore, the faulty indication light was found after further investigation.  At the time the incident happened, the crew had no way of knowing if the problem was a faulty indication light or that a door on the train flew open by itself.  It takes time for the crew to investigate all 8 cars, especially when it's jammed packed. 

Your post has nothing to do with the new president of NYCT.  That light bulb would have went out even if Byford was still in charge.  The light bulb doesn't know!

Edited February 26, 2020 by Bill from Maspeth

[Lawrence St]

1 hour ago, 40MntVrn said:

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how "cracking down on fare evasion" is a priority, meanwhile a faulty indicator light can lead to a complete meltdown of the L. Bizarro-land.

And what exactly is the issue with that? They are two different departments with two completely different goals. 

[MHV9218]

Sad, unsurprising, and mediocre appointment. Finger in the eye to everybody at NYCT to hire an outsider with zero knowledge of the way the system works from the inside, let alone urban transit management in general. More of Cuomo's pathetic leadership.

[40MntVrn]

3 hours ago, Bill from Maspeth said:

These 2 issues are handled by different departments.  Fare evasion is a police matter and enforced by them, whereas anything having to do with defects of subway cars is handled by the division of car equipment.

Furthermore, the faulty indication light was found after further investigation.  At the time the incident happened, the crew had no way of knowing if the problem was a faulty indication light or that a door on the train flew open by itself.  It takes time for the crew to investigate all 8 cars, especially when it's jammed packed. 

Putting money into a police force instead of towards system reliability is the point I'm getting at.

Moreover, I'm sure the crew did everything to the letter, however, it's strange to me a single faulty light can cause hours-long delays. I get the light could have went out at any other time, but I'm kind of over the 'things happen' response while they earmark money for additional police and while folks struggle with delays like this on daily basis. Different stroke for different folks I guess. 

3 hours ago, Bill from Maspeth said:

Your post has nothing to do with the new president of NYCT.  That light bulb would have went out even if Byford was still in charge.  The light bulb doesn't know!

"Feinberg consistently claimed that the hiring spree would not amount to a fare beating crackdown, despite the agency's own internal statements indicating otherwise. She frequently sparred with opponents of the plan, saying anyone doubting the need to spend $249 million on new subway cops needed a "reality check."

Here is where I made the connection.

[Union Tpke]

19 hours ago, Around the Horn said:

This thread title is spectacular...

Glad you liked it!

[Trainmaster5]

What I find truly fascinating is the obvious disconnect between the railfan community and the power that sits above the . The Governor is the boss, whether we like it or not. Don't like him then vote him out. Still won't matter to many New Yorkers not in the railfan community. Most people don't know or care whom the President of NYCT is. How many people can name more than one past President or who appointed those folks who've held the title. I bet most people can't name the Governors who have served since the agency was created. People liked Andy Byford, I liked David Gunn. Neither one could do a thing without the Governor's backing. IMO the only Governors worth mentioning, for good or bad, were Nelson Rockefeller and Prince Andrew. The only two hands on people. Think of the people who have served in that position and think of the people who have served as NYCT Presidents in that time frame. Perhaps if any of those folks had the power, the knowledge, and the backing of people like Rocky or the Prince the system would be in better shape today. This interim appointment doesn't seem to be a step forward but more of a placeholder until somebody else from the " old boy" transit network becomes available. We're just treading water now. Transit, like Social Security on the national level , is viewed as the third rail in politics. Everyone has an opinion on both but no one wants to touch it with a ten foot pole. Just my observation. Carry on.

[Union Tpke]

9 hours ago, Trainmaster5 said:

What I find truly fascinating is the obvious disconnect between the railfan community and the power that sits above the . The Governor is the boss, whether we like it or not. Don't like him then vote him out. Still won't matter to many New Yorkers not in the railfan community. Most people don't know or care whom the President of NYCT is. How many people can name more than one past President or who appointed those folks who've held the title. I bet most people can't name the Governors who have served since the agency was created. People liked Andy Byford, I liked David Gunn. Neither one could do a thing without the Governor's backing. IMO the only Governors worth mentioning, for good or bad, were Nelson Rockefeller and Prince Andrew. The only two hands on people. Think of the people who have served in that position and think of the people who have served as NYCT Presidents in that time frame. Perhaps if any of those folks had the power, the knowledge, and the backing of people like Rocky or the Prince the system would be in better shape today. This interim appointment doesn't seem to be a step forward but more of a placeholder until somebody else from the " old boy" transit network becomes available. We're just treading water now. Transit, like Social Security on the national level , is viewed as the third rail in politics. Everyone has an opinion on both but no one wants to touch it with a ten foot pole. Just my observation. Carry on.

That is why I voted against Cuomo in the Primary (Nixon) and the General (Miner).

[Interested Rider]

14 hours ago, Trainmaster5 said:

What I find truly fascinating is the obvious disconnect between the railfan community and the power that sits above the . The Governor is the boss, whether we like it or not. Don't like him then vote him out. Still won't matter to many New Yorkers not in the railfan community. Most people don't know or care whom the President of NYCT is. How many people can name more than one past President or who appointed those folks who've held the title. I bet most people can't name the Governors who have served since the agency was created. People liked Andy Byford, I liked David Gunn. Neither one could do a thing without the Governor's backing. IMO the only Governors worth mentioning, for good or bad, were Nelson Rockefeller and Prince Andrew. The only two hands on people. Think of the people who have served in that position and think of the people who have served as NYCT Presidents in that time frame. Perhaps if any of those folks had the power, the knowledge, and the backing of people like Rocky or the Prince the system would be in better shape today. This interim appointment doesn't seem to be a step forward but more of a placeholder until somebody else from the " old boy" transit network becomes available. We're just treading water now. Transit, like Social Security on the national level , is viewed as the third rail in politics. Everyone has an opinion on both but no one wants to touch it with a ten foot pole. Just my observation. Carry on.

Never has true words been written

[them26]

6 hours ago, Union Tpke said:

That is why I voted against Cuomo in the Primary (Nixon) and the General (Miner).

I know progressives like to spin up conspiratorial narratives, but Byford  himself was staunchly against fare evasion and quite vocal about it. He even personally forced a random fare beater to go back and pay his fare.

Cuomo is a more complicated figure than the Vaudevillian villain he is made out to be. Cuomo has more political muscle than any governor in the recent past. Doesn't anyone remember the limpness of the likes of David Paterson? To that end, Cuomo has used his muscle to push through positive things for transit like congestion pricing and LIRR's Third Track (which Nassau politicians were ready to die on the hill to stop)

On the downside, Cuomo doesn't have a personal interest in transit policy. He is a car enthusiast through and through. As a result we've seen him move aggressively with questionable transit projects like the LaGuardia AirTrain and ESI. Additionally he seems to be treating NYCT on the basis of his experiences with MTACC and LIRR (both of which received more attention until 2017). Those two agencies have had issues with copper theft, employees repeatedly breaking time clocks, insurance fraud schemes and even Mafia infiltration on Capital Construction contracts.

[Union Tpke]

I am strongly opposed to fair evasion but have no confidence that it will be policed without targeting minority communities.

I hate Prince Andrew.

[Around the Horn]

On 2/28/2020 at 2:15 PM, them26 said:

I know progressives like to spin up conspiratorial narratives, but Byford  himself was staunchly against fare evasion and quite vocal about it. He even personally forced a random fare beater to go back and pay his fare.

One can be against fare evasion and can be against how said fare evasion is dealt with...

[40MntVrn]

18 hours ago, Around the Horn said:

One can be against fare evasion and can be against how said fare evasion is dealt with...

This.

[CenSin]

On 2/28/2020 at 2:57 PM, Union Tpke said:

I am strongly opposed to fair evasion but have no confidence that it will be policed without targeting minority communities.

I hate Prince Andrew.

I’ve so far seen people of all stripes waltzing in through the emergency exits. Just this morning, even a well-to-do-looking white (Russian?) guy just walked right in as I was exiting Kings Highway (). I couldn’t help but call him a ….

[SubwayFan3000]

f**k Cuomo and f**k MTA! I Wish he loses in primary in 2022.

[MHV9218]

Recommended viewing, VERY frank interview and entirely correct in all regards.

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/03/06/exclusive-andy-byford-marcia-kramer-interview/?fbclid=IwAR2tOBPVR3zXKLDX8coCQGSlUxDotZ3RpZlfbE7O2EGpV4a4YU7enjx6tsk

Edit: I didn't see that Harry posted this, but this is probably a worthwhile addition to this threat, particularly as he speaks on the Feinberg question around 9 minutes through the interview.

Edited March 7, 2020 by MHV9218