Gothamist: No Photo Ban (Mostly) But A Fare Hike Might Happen

urban defender

Wed, 15 Sep 2004 17:29:02 -0500

Oh but Hilton, suburban commuters use plenty of the NYC benefits that are paid by NYC taxpayers (via the NYC resident tax). Those suburbanites pay none of the taxes yet freely use the services, which is a LOT more unfair than taxing them a commuter tax for making money in NYC. Those suburbanites produce trash here in NYC that city residents pay to pick up. Suburbanites need our police and firepeople to protect them while they're here, yet city residents get the bill. Suburbanites park in our municipal parking garages, they use our parks, they wear down our sidewalks, and they use our city to get their fat paychecks to go home to their huge picket-fenced houses, YET THEY PAY NO commuter tax! You call that fair?

Hilton

Tue, 14 Sep 2004 20:36:50 -0500

If you make working in NYC such a hassle and such an expense, companies simply won't open up in the City. Raising taxes on people who don't live in the City won't help to keep businesses in or encourage them to open up in the City, where a majority of their workers do not live in NYC. What's to stop a major corporation from relocating to NJ, White Plains, or Stamford, CT, which they are in droves. Better to keep ridership up and businesses in the City by not making NY a hostile place for its workers. Don't forget too that suburbanites still take the Subway -- have you ever tried to get on at Penn Station or Grand Central at rush hour? It's not like they get on for free. Now, I'm no fan of suburbanites or suburban living, but simply taxing those people who don't live in NY and expect them to work in NY is frankly a ridiculous idea. The MTA should start focusing not on its inputs, or where they're getting the money, and start worrying about its efficient use of that money. That's where the true problem lies.

BytchInNY

Tue, 14 Sep 2004 20:23:17 -0500

Oh what a fabulous pain... I actually have a program thru work where the deduct the $ for my monthly from my paycheck pre-tax and I have this "atm" card that only works at metrocard machines so i can get my card. If they do go ahead with the hike I hope they notify people in advance so I could schedule for $3 more dollars to be taken out of each check prior to needing it!

Mase

Tue, 14 Sep 2004 17:22:08 -0500

Jen W is correct. Even better than raising just the LIRR/METRONorth fares would be to reinstate the commuter tax (moronically repealed back during the bubble). Mere 0.5% on non-NYC residents (and needs to be for Westchester, Putnam, Nassau, and Suffolk folk in addition to NJ and Conn.). Brought in a lot of (needed) money.

jenny

Tue, 14 Sep 2004 13:55:39 -0500

I just don't understand how we can keep hearing about this issue in the news and yet no one ever mentions the fact that after the fare hike last year, it was revealed that the MTA had TWO books. The second "secret" one showed it had a huge profit. Can someone explain where the huge profit went to? Between the cooked books and the fare hike last year, something is up. Also, shouldn't we be receiving federal money as part of all this anti-terrorism stuff to better protect the subways?

Hilton

Tue, 14 Sep 2004 11:20:14 -0500

The MTA may be out of touch with what the people's needs are, but that also depends which "people" you are talking about. While I am not at all familiar with MTA's finances, I assume a large chunk of their expenditures are on their employee's benefit plans, such as health insurance and pension plans. While a fare increase may hurt the masses/ridership, it may also save the MTA from complete insolvency and horrible bond ratings, and from a union unlikely to budge regarding their benefits. At the same time, the MTA needs to be accountable to the public. Of course some more federal money will help, especially relieving some of the burden of increased security costs, but W done rise that deficit to such an extent that he won't allocate such funds to our fine city. What a mess the MTA is in, and forever will be in. Don't you just love public financing?

S.D.

Tue, 14 Sep 2004 10:16:45 -0500

Common Sense may yet Prevail! Photography is my hobby though I've not had the chance to exercise it too much lately, but I seem to cover a lot of Weddings Lately... Nice to know if I pull out My Camera to snap an interesting shot, I have less of a chance to be arrested or fined. Wow, Another public hearing. Yet Another Chance to Rant and Rave at a "Authority" that answers to just about No One. Hopefully, NYPIRG's Straphangers Campaign will have some affect.

Jen W

Tue, 14 Sep 2004 10:10:34 -0500

Oh come on! They just raised subway fares! Raise the bridge and tunnel fares (since most of these commuters are taking the dubious luxury of driving when many could take public transit --maybe it'll encourage more carpooling). Raise the MetroNorth LIRR fares (since most of these commuters are taking their incomes out of the city to the suburbs while using NYC infastructure to do so).