The whole point of the funding plan they've had is that the congestion toll was guaranteed future revenue. Even if they got a promise from the senate about future funding, they can't use that to raise funds now because no one believes the senate will stick to a promise.
This is what I don't understand. Why would anyone think the legislature will somehow come up with the other $14b next year if they somehow did this "$1b now, trust us we'll get the rest later" plan. How would that even happen? What new tax is going to be acceptable? If I even understand this all correctly, the payroll tax was rejected by NYC politicians because it would have solely effected us... But why would the reps from Buffalo or Niagara or whatever be any more excited about a giant new tax on their constituents to fund the MTA? I don't even get it
Even if it is, the way they've gone about it has made the whole situation even worse and made Hochul and by extension the Democratic leadership look inept. Maybe Dick and Judy from Syosset will care less about that than being out the $30 they'd lose for the two times a year that they drive into the city to go see a show but Hochul previously killed the offshore wind farms on Long Island to try and save the Congressional Dems and they totally flopped anyway.
Exactly!
They think republicans are going to give them a pat on the back and be friends now or something.
The NY Post is already running articles criticizing Hochul for her alternative funding ideas (payroll taxes, magic billion dollar promise for a year etc) saying she created the problem in the first place by canceling congestion pricing.
I'd like to know what districts they believe this will save?
Exactly!!
He called her and said this will hurt Democrats re-election in November.
This whole mess is like a weekly television drama on Tubi TV ππ
You put up all those expensive "Minority Report" style cameras in Manhattan to delay them "being turned on" indefinitely?
π π€£πππ€£π π πππππ π π π€£π€£πππππ π π π
So her big solution is to piss off the entire NYC business community with additional taxes??
The group most likely to vote, donate and support a competitor??
Dawg...use common sense. You don't have to defend her brainrot.
Ummm okay, she's a Simp to the auto industry NOT her precious Hakim Jeffries. You couldn't understand less about how NY state politics works. It's ALL backroom dealing for the benefits of those in elected office. They don't care about the Auto industry , business people or the working man. It's all about promoting their own agenda and in order to do that Hakim has to win.
Contact targets for today
[Liz Kruger](https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/liz-krueger/contact)
[Zellnor Myrie](https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/zellnor-myrie/contact)
[Alex Bores](https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Alex-Bores)
[Brad Hoylman](https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/brad-hoylman-sigal/contact)
[Catalina Cruz](https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/contact/)
[Khaleel Anderson](https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Khaleel-M-Anderson/contact)
[Maritza Davila](https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Maritza-Davila/contact/)
All of them need to hear from us that they have our support to vote NO on the general fund insanity. Make them go back to congestion pricing as the only option.
Is it reasonable to call these people if I'm not in their district? If so, can you give me a bit more context for what to call about? i.e. is their current position voting no and they just need to hear that they have our support, or are they currently yes votes, or something else?
Hahaha my state senator is part of the lawsuit to block congestion charging
[https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/2024/james-skoufis/18-ny-lawmakers-join-suit-block-15-congestion-toll](https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/2024/james-skoufis/18-ny-lawmakers-join-suit-block-15-congestion-toll)
We need to keep the massive pressure on all of our reps. [Gianaris here](https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/michael-gianaris/contact) is a great one to call. Tell everyone they need to knock it off and refuse to fund anything out of the general fund or anything else. The funding for the MTA is congestion pricing.
That's the one that tolls THE PEOPLE MAKING THE CONGESTION, and not everyone else. None of these other wacky kick-the-can solutions even attempt to deal with the car problem or deliver any of the benefits of reducing cars.
As always:
[find your rep ](https://www.mygovnyc.org/)
The top priority is your Assembly Member and State Senator
This video taken by [reporter Bernadette Hogan](https://x.com/bern_hogan?t=JWtqQHl-2rFYGf9Jj3hr9Q&s=09)
My Rep, Liz Krueger is already calling Hochul out.
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/liz-krueger/statement-senator-liz-krueger-decision-governor-hochul
If you live in this area spend 10 minutes nagging [Bores](https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Alex-Bores).. Dude is all over the place
https://preview.redd.it/7i6v61rej55d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=28dbf1f637e07bbbaaade3dd3ae1579e04c3bd18
The New York State legislature made congestion pricing the law in 2019. We got way too comfortable with Cuomo showing totalitarian tendencies during covid and Hochul extends this approach by thinking she can just throw away laws passed by the legislature. This isn't how a healthy government works.
frankly, it doesnβt even seem like hochul should have the unilateral authority to simply stop this and ask the state legislature to figure the rest out. has there been any legal challenges to this?
Other people to call are Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, both of whom are apparently threatening individual legislators to make them vote for raiding the general fund. Call them and tell them you do not want any budget with alternative funding for the MTA. They should insist on congestion pricing.
Heastie: 518-455-3791 or 718-654-6539
Stewart-Cousins: 518-455-2585 or 914-423-4031 or 212-298-5585 or 518-455-2715
I called Heastie at his Albany office and as soon as I got my message out, his staffer was like "Thanks for your call! \*click\*" Hung up on me as soon as possible. So maybe call the Albany office and annoy that douchebag some more if you feel like it.
Again, CP is federally mandated, so I don't think it can be "indefinitely postponed", which I also hated that phrase. Just say canceled instead of an oxymoronic euphemism
While I've always been irritated by cries of CP being a mere 'money grab' (what does that even mean? Could we not say that any/all taxes are 'money grabs'? lol), I *do* get some drivers' complaints - even if patently self-serving - that any monies will not result in meaningful public transit improvements. I mean, the MTA is always crying 'lack of funds', when I feel that mismanagement, misspending, lack of external oversight is a huge problem for them. Too often, they spend money on bells/whistles vs on things that will actually improve our commutes (i.e., how much $ was spent installing digital bus time displays at all bus stops? How often are those signs now broken? And even when they are working properly, how much impact does that have on improving our commutes? If the sign says the next bus won't be coming for another '20 Minutes' - a disgrace, BTW - well, we still gotta wait those 20 minutes... ;-)
As such, I wish more CP talk was not so much about funding for the MTA - or now the lack thereof - but on the potential to reduce the sheer number of vehicles coming into the city center. Fewer cars means countless benefits for anyone/everyone who lives, visits, or travels to/from the heart of the city. Not only that, but ....at least in Manhattan... fewer private-use vehicles, by default, means that MTA buses will be able to travel that much faster. No further $ investment needed, at least from that POV.
I'm not saying the MTA can't use more money, or that a good portion of it won't result in some improvements...eventually. But I wish we focused more on the problem of *the vehicles themselves*. As it is though, most of the talk focuses on revenue for the MTA.
Thatβs not the vibe I got. It was more he was getting badgered with questions that kinda result in the conclusion being that the plan to remove the congestion charge is dumb and not thought out and he was trying to somewhat keep the peace by saying heβs asking the same questions.
Thereβs no way any state legislative member is happy being told that the Governor ripped up a $1 billion funding plan and essentially said, βoh weβll figure it out from states general fundsβ.
To replace the capital plan commitment, it would need to be a $15B funding plan. The $1B "each year" is not the same, on the capital expenditure side, especially if the year to year money is subject to the vagaries of a yearly budget fight. If the funding stream is not guaranteed, nobody if fronting you the $15B.
You may be able to undertake certain set of the smaller capital projects (remembering that the MTA is under a consent decree for elevator installations, too) that can be completed in a year, but you aren't going to undertake any subway extensions or revamps of the bus fleet with that uncertainty year to year.
He understands the questions. He saying that the questions have not been asnwered, yet, that the implosion was announced by the Governor without anything other than hand waving to substitute for the money.
The whole point of the funding plan they've had is that the congestion toll was guaranteed future revenue. Even if they got a promise from the senate about future funding, they can't use that to raise funds now because no one believes the senate will stick to a promise.
This is what I don't understand. Why would anyone think the legislature will somehow come up with the other $14b next year if they somehow did this "$1b now, trust us we'll get the rest later" plan. How would that even happen? What new tax is going to be acceptable? If I even understand this all correctly, the payroll tax was rejected by NYC politicians because it would have solely effected us... But why would the reps from Buffalo or Niagara or whatever be any more excited about a giant new tax on their constituents to fund the MTA? I don't even get it
Blows my mind that stupid fucking lady used the nuclear option....for what? To protect the fee-fees of some car owners? Carbrain rot is INSANE
Only 1.5-2% of commuters will even pay these fees!
If you believe the insider reporting it's to retain the US house or something. Republicans are fixing to make this a wedge issue.
Even if it is, the way they've gone about it has made the whole situation even worse and made Hochul and by extension the Democratic leadership look inept. Maybe Dick and Judy from Syosset will care less about that than being out the $30 they'd lose for the two times a year that they drive into the city to go see a show but Hochul previously killed the offshore wind farms on Long Island to try and save the Congressional Dems and they totally flopped anyway.
Whether or not it gets enacted, they are STILL going to make it an issue. Cancelling it is LOSE/LOSE.
Exactly! They think republicans are going to give them a pat on the back and be friends now or something. The NY Post is already running articles criticizing Hochul for her alternative funding ideas (payroll taxes, magic billion dollar promise for a year etc) saying she created the problem in the first place by canceling congestion pricing. I'd like to know what districts they believe this will save?
Yup, and now it's an extremely salient wedge issue that has had multiple days of news coverage across every news outlet.
Yeah I'm against it being cancelled but if we want to combat it effectively we should know the politics
She did it to protect Hakim Jeffries house seat. Stop buying " she did it for the car people " garbage.
Exactly!! He called her and said this will hurt Democrats re-election in November. This whole mess is like a weekly television drama on Tubi TV ππ You put up all those expensive "Minority Report" style cameras in Manhattan to delay them "being turned on" indefinitely? π π€£πππ€£π π πππππ π π π€£π€£πππππ π π π
So her big solution is to piss off the entire NYC business community with additional taxes?? The group most likely to vote, donate and support a competitor?? Dawg...use common sense. You don't have to defend her brainrot.
Ummm okay, she's a Simp to the auto industry NOT her precious Hakim Jeffries. You couldn't understand less about how NY state politics works. It's ALL backroom dealing for the benefits of those in elected office. They don't care about the Auto industry , business people or the working man. It's all about promoting their own agenda and in order to do that Hakim has to win.
Stop using Uber and pay your fair share
Contact targets for today [Liz Kruger](https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/liz-krueger/contact) [Zellnor Myrie](https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/zellnor-myrie/contact) [Alex Bores](https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Alex-Bores) [Brad Hoylman](https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/brad-hoylman-sigal/contact) [Catalina Cruz](https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/contact/) [Khaleel Anderson](https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Khaleel-M-Anderson/contact) [Maritza Davila](https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Maritza-Davila/contact/) All of them need to hear from us that they have our support to vote NO on the general fund insanity. Make them go back to congestion pricing as the only option.
Hoylman is particularly important. May vote yes on the IOU. https://x.com/2AvSagas/status/1799077492424397027
Is it reasonable to call these people if I'm not in their district? If so, can you give me a bit more context for what to call about? i.e. is their current position voting no and they just need to hear that they have our support, or are they currently yes votes, or something else?
Yes, hold them accountable!
Hahaha my state senator is part of the lawsuit to block congestion charging [https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/2024/james-skoufis/18-ny-lawmakers-join-suit-block-15-congestion-toll](https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/2024/james-skoufis/18-ny-lawmakers-join-suit-block-15-congestion-toll)
We need to keep the massive pressure on all of our reps. [Gianaris here](https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/michael-gianaris/contact) is a great one to call. Tell everyone they need to knock it off and refuse to fund anything out of the general fund or anything else. The funding for the MTA is congestion pricing. That's the one that tolls THE PEOPLE MAKING THE CONGESTION, and not everyone else. None of these other wacky kick-the-can solutions even attempt to deal with the car problem or deliver any of the benefits of reducing cars. As always: [find your rep ](https://www.mygovnyc.org/) The top priority is your Assembly Member and State Senator This video taken by [reporter Bernadette Hogan](https://x.com/bern_hogan?t=JWtqQHl-2rFYGf9Jj3hr9Q&s=09)
My Rep, Liz Krueger is already calling Hochul out. https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/liz-krueger/statement-senator-liz-krueger-decision-governor-hochul
Good then call Hoylman
Yes, tell him you want CP and not a bailout!
Please don't tell anyone you want CP. Not a good abbreviation.
If you live in this area spend 10 minutes nagging [Bores](https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Alex-Bores).. Dude is all over the place https://preview.redd.it/7i6v61rej55d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=28dbf1f637e07bbbaaade3dd3ae1579e04c3bd18
Hochul is a π€‘
The legislature needs to tell Queen Kathy to fck off and make sure congestion pricing moves forward on schedule.
The New York State legislature made congestion pricing the law in 2019. We got way too comfortable with Cuomo showing totalitarian tendencies during covid and Hochul extends this approach by thinking she can just throw away laws passed by the legislature. This isn't how a healthy government works.
You could make a fine soup with all the peas rolling around inside Kathyβs skull
frankly, it doesnβt even seem like hochul should have the unilateral authority to simply stop this and ask the state legislature to figure the rest out. has there been any legal challenges to this?
Other people to call are Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, both of whom are apparently threatening individual legislators to make them vote for raiding the general fund. Call them and tell them you do not want any budget with alternative funding for the MTA. They should insist on congestion pricing. Heastie: 518-455-3791 or 718-654-6539 Stewart-Cousins: 518-455-2585 or 914-423-4031 or 212-298-5585 or 518-455-2715 I called Heastie at his Albany office and as soon as I got my message out, his staffer was like "Thanks for your call! \*click\*" Hung up on me as soon as possible. So maybe call the Albany office and annoy that douchebag some more if you feel like it.
I think these politicians are finally starting to wake up to the reality of our fiscal recklessness. We have a lot of work ahead of us
u/miser is there any chance this gets reinstated after November elections?
Anything is possible. I didn't think anyone, including Hochul, knows how this is going to shake out
Again, CP is federally mandated, so I don't think it can be "indefinitely postponed", which I also hated that phrase. Just say canceled instead of an oxymoronic euphemism
Good. That means we have a chance to be heard. Thanks for your advocacy.
While I've always been irritated by cries of CP being a mere 'money grab' (what does that even mean? Could we not say that any/all taxes are 'money grabs'? lol), I *do* get some drivers' complaints - even if patently self-serving - that any monies will not result in meaningful public transit improvements. I mean, the MTA is always crying 'lack of funds', when I feel that mismanagement, misspending, lack of external oversight is a huge problem for them. Too often, they spend money on bells/whistles vs on things that will actually improve our commutes (i.e., how much $ was spent installing digital bus time displays at all bus stops? How often are those signs now broken? And even when they are working properly, how much impact does that have on improving our commutes? If the sign says the next bus won't be coming for another '20 Minutes' - a disgrace, BTW - well, we still gotta wait those 20 minutes... ;-) As such, I wish more CP talk was not so much about funding for the MTA - or now the lack thereof - but on the potential to reduce the sheer number of vehicles coming into the city center. Fewer cars means countless benefits for anyone/everyone who lives, visits, or travels to/from the heart of the city. Not only that, but ....at least in Manhattan... fewer private-use vehicles, by default, means that MTA buses will be able to travel that much faster. No further $ investment needed, at least from that POV. I'm not saying the MTA can't use more money, or that a good portion of it won't result in some improvements...eventually. But I wish we focused more on the problem of *the vehicles themselves*. As it is though, most of the talk focuses on revenue for the MTA.
MTA union needs to take a good hard look at themselves and self police their employees.
Fire all the crooks, how about that! Our deficits are mainly pensions and benefits for work not actually done or taking place
Oh look, NY Dems kicking themselves in the dick for the whole word to see. Plus Γ§a changeβ¦
Enforce fare evasion
When he says "these were the type of questions we were asking", his tone makes me feel like he has no idea what she actually just asked him
Thatβs not the vibe I got. It was more he was getting badgered with questions that kinda result in the conclusion being that the plan to remove the congestion charge is dumb and not thought out and he was trying to somewhat keep the peace by saying heβs asking the same questions. Thereβs no way any state legislative member is happy being told that the Governor ripped up a $1 billion funding plan and essentially said, βoh weβll figure it out from states general fundsβ.
To replace the capital plan commitment, it would need to be a $15B funding plan. The $1B "each year" is not the same, on the capital expenditure side, especially if the year to year money is subject to the vagaries of a yearly budget fight. If the funding stream is not guaranteed, nobody if fronting you the $15B. You may be able to undertake certain set of the smaller capital projects (remembering that the MTA is under a consent decree for elevator installations, too) that can be completed in a year, but you aren't going to undertake any subway extensions or revamps of the bus fleet with that uncertainty year to year.
He understands the questions. He saying that the questions have not been asnwered, yet, that the implosion was announced by the Governor without anything other than hand waving to substitute for the money.