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After a public hearing which was full of passion and anger, the MTA's board approved its 2009 budget, which includes service cuts and a 23% increase in revenue from fare and tolls hikes. The MTA is facing a $1.2 billion budget deficit next year, and it's expected a monthly unlimited Metrocard could cost more than $100 while bus lines and subway stops are limited.
The cuts and fare hikes will not go into effect until next spring, which the NY Times points out provides "time for state lawmakers to enact a rescue package to shore up the authority’s teetering finances." (The Post reports, "The MTA legally has to have a balanced budget by year's end, no matter how the gap is filled.") Indeed, MTA Chairman Dale Hemmerdinger said, “Our fervent hope is that available resources will grow in the coming months, so that this budget can be amended before it is implemented.” That sounds like a Christmas miracle—waiting for the state to act!
MTA Executive Director and CEO Elliot Sander said, “I have called this budget draconian, severe, and extremely painful, and it is all of those things." Sander was nearly on the receiving end of one subway rider's frustration when Stephen Millies, an Amtrak worker, stood up to testify during the public hearing. Millies called the MTA "a collection agency for the biggest banks and insurance companies" and demanded to know where Sander was, as he reached for his shoe and yelled, "You made $300,000 last year, and this shoe is for you!" Here's video:
Police arrested Millies and gave him a summons for disorderly conduct. Millies told the Daily News, "I was simply showing the sole of my shoes as a sign of contempt ... "
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The most idiotic part about this is Elliot Sander isn't to blame for any of this. His salary (relatively meager for the CEO of a major organization) is a drop in the bucket of the MTA's deficit, and if Sheldon Silver hadn't blocked congestion pricing, the MTA wouldn't be in this mess right now.
Jesus, taking your shoe off gets the same reaction as pulling a gun now.
"This shoe is for you."
Wonder how many times he practiced that at home.
issue aside I love that we have adopted the shoe throwing. The American melting pot has weird way of revealing itself.
Throwing shoes has become the hot new trend.
when people are paying $100 a month for metro cards they won't be able to afford shoes.
The whole scene makes me sick. A huge roundtable of MTA assholes who never ride the subway halfheartedly listening to the pleas of the public. "Oh, we don't want to raise fares. We feel terrible about it. But if we don't submit a budget by year's end we could go to jail." Send these crooks to jail-today. This guy should have thrown hot shit at these morons. Fuck the MTA
whitecastlerock: right the hell on. these people have audacity.
@neckbeard LOL
MTA management wouldn't be found DEAD in a subway. MORONS!!!
oh brooklyn, i believe at this point they just might be found dead in the subway
The city and state have drastically underfunded the MTA for years now, and this is now those chickens coming home to roost. I'd like to hear everyone who's complaining tell me what they think the MTA should be doing right now to balance their budget.
(I mean, they SHOULD be receiving money in some form, whether bridge tolls or congestion pricing, from car commuters, but clearly there are a lot of pandering politicians who have no interest in allowing THAT to happen.)
fuck shelly silver and each and every asshole that votes for him year after year
"fuck shelly silver and each and every asshole that votes for him year after year"
Well put...
Subway ridership is at unprecedented levels. These guys rake in HUGE salaries. WTF?
Amen #7
SHOES ALL AROUND