#[4], Ur hilarious ! #[63], I've been saying that for the past [7] years ! Things aren't going to change as long as the local Politicians are corrupt, & the MTA can continue pilfering the public ! Posted by; "Still Not Amused"

New York is going to shit. The only people who will be able to afford living here are Misshapes patrons and yuppies. Avoid the MTA fare hike and move out while you can. This city isn't worth it anymore and hasn't been for at least the last five years.

hey, why not raise the rates for the subway to $10 per ride... cant afford it, sucks... you use the system you pay for it.

Additionally, why not raise the amount of parking tickets? $90 for expired meter, maybe.

How about instead of raising the fare on the subway or going hog-wild over this congestion pricing, we simply raise the price of parking at a meter? Make parking at a meter $3 an hour. Can't afford it? Sucks. Also, expand metered areas, and expand enforcement hours -- til 9 PM at night, and parts of Sundays maybe. It's not like it will require that much more manpower and expenditure; I'm sure there are plenty of traffic agents on the street during those hours already.

I believe I said this was going happen a couple of months ago when the Mayor started all this talk about "Congestion Pricing" . I knew the Rich bitch was going somewhere with all that talking ! You all now see the end result with the fact that the MTA plains to jack-up the fare yet again . It's going to get to the point where regular folk can afford to ride the Buses, & Subways . I know what's going on down in D.C., As well as the West coast . This is neither location, This is New York City were talking about ! We pay some of highest taxes in the country for the right to live here ! That is also why so many people make the move to New York, The opportunity to make money ! Paying $[3] per fare is a lousy way to conduct business for the MTA . It can't wait for the day that somebody stands up and says "Enough is enough" & Investigates the MTA and their finances ! Posted by; "Still Not Amused"

What's wrong with Minnesota?

We should all tell Lee sander to bring in a new regime. No more cufflinks and pearls. No more back room deals. No more buddy buddy relations.

NO more kalikow and blondie.

[55]

I agree.

[35] and [39] put it best. Lazy union employees may be surly, rude and expensive, but they are by far the lesser evil at work here.

The biggest problem is unchecked cronyism and a total lack of accountability in the upper-to-middle reaches of MTA management.

The best thing that could ever happen to the MTA is a CUSTOMER walkout and strike, demanding a brand new and totally transparent management ... eg: kick out the cronies , make them accountable and open the books.

You obviously don't either 51. Sandhogs make 6 figures.

Also, isn't there a huge amount of debt service? Who are we paying that interest to? I suppose there's plenty of money in there for the finance companies that "service" the loans and reap million dollar bonuses.

I know someone who works for the MTA. He's on disability A LOT. Nice gig! Funny, he never seems ashamed of himself. And I thought that the MTA merged its police force with the City's. They're NYC cops now, right? And commenter #50 you shouldn't have wasted your time responding to that ridiculous statement by commenter #45. And isn't a sand hog someone who works in under construction tunnels? Lots of idiots around here.

All of you thinking that the price of service and the issues befalling the system are due to salaries and bennies to the MTA need to get your heads out of your asses.

I suppose we should just fire all the MTA cops that help keep the system safe? Or how about the sandhogs that almost kill themselves nightly working on a 100 year old system fraught with dangerous conditions all so you can go sip overpriced liquor in Manhattan and feel cool about youselves because you don't live in buttfuck Minnesota anymore.

The reason the system needs so much work and the reason they can't get it perfect, as close as they do come, is because of the fucking whiney ass riders and that goddamned straphanger campaign that block every single increase they ever try to pass. Combine that with a federal government that doesn't give two shits about helping out mass trans and you have a system that's perpetually running at a loss.

But hey, the vast majority of time they get all of you to work on time and do the best they can. I suppose that's not deserving of any praise because somewhere along the line some bum offended your precious fucking sensibilities. Oh yeah, and they all aren't sitting in an office somewhere posting on the fucking internet in 'real job' land.

Seriously, what the fuck is up with people.

Do any of you even know people that work for the MTA? Have any of you actually talked to the employees about why things happen the way they do?

My guess is no.

-Ph

I can do better and name the employee, and you can meet her. Give me your e-mail address.

My Mother, here legally, until the company went out of business she still made minimum wage. Country Chef Foods in the Bronx.

Before that she was with the Bakers and confectioners union and had excellent benefits.

#39 I didn't see any posts praising management. They should go too. But the fact is many mta employees are overpaid for their skill sets. 60k and retire at 55 for what amounts to the same job as selling movie tickets at Lowes?

Unions may have had a place when people worked 12 hour days in dangerous factories but now all they do is protect workers who have been in the union for a long time at the expense of younger union members and the poor.

for those who question what this money will be used for:

"We need the monies to pay the people who work for our mass transit system for the MTA . . ."

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_201170504.html

OPEN UP THE BOOKS!!

OPEN UP THE BOOKS!!

OPEN UP THE BOOKS!!

(i dont think they can hear me)

that's 10 years of paying people 5.15 an hour and many places do pay that wage.

If you can name one person in a high cost city like New York that is actually making the minimum wage AND is here legally I would love to meet them.

Stop clouding the issue here.

Not all MTA positions are in token booths. Lets not forget the engineers and maintenance workers who spend a whole lot of time and skill getting those malfunctioning trains and tracks up and running and working in those god-awful tunnels all year. Besides, blaming the fare hike on MTA salaries is terribly misguided considering that the money going into the MTA gets spread out over many costs and expenses other than salaries.