Dave & Johnny are starting to make a little sense at least:City Councilmember David Weprin, who opposes Mayor Michael Bloomberg's congestion pricing program, stated at a council committee hearing last week that instead of the mayor's congestion pricing tax, "We should be considering a reintroduction of a non-resident income tax. This would generate much more revenue for mass transit projects than a scheme that pits New Yorkers in different neighborhoods against each other," Weprin, council Finance Committee chairman, said.
Councilmember John Liu, noted that despite Bloomberg's assurance that transit improvements would come before congestion pricing, "There is no budgetary commitment [for transit improvements] in [Bloomberg's] executive budget for next year."
Seek Improved Mass Transit Before Congestion Pricing
Why not just apply the fare to non-city residents? Why should anyone who lives within the 5 boroughs have to pay the goverment a fee to get to work on top of paying city taxes?
The vast majority of people in Westchester and Long Island have vehicles, and a convenient parking lot at their closest LIRR station. There's really no excuse for not taking the LIRR or Metro North if you live in these areas, yet this is where the majority of people who drive into Manhattan come from. The MTA is increasing capacity on those lines now, not waiting for a plan to be put in place to pay for improvements in service eventually, which is what we'll be getting here in Queens. Metro North and LIRR trains run far enough apart that additional service can be added on each line. NYC subway trains generally run 2-3 minutes apart, and on most lines, additional trains are not possible.
Why not offer incentives for businesses to change their hours or shifts? The problem is too many people using the same stretches of road at the same time. So spread it out a little! The east and west coasts really should be able to communicate with each other throughout the entire business day. Furthermore, with current technology, many people could feasibly do most of their work from home. Why isn't the mayor pushing for more businesses to go that route? Most people would love it!
13 comments:
Yeah.......let all those bridge and tunnel commuter SOBs who so often say how much they'd hate living in NYC pay for the privilege of earning their income from it!
A reinstatement of the commuter tax is a good idea!
Little minds with zero imagination, and no genuine interest is resolving any of the city's problems, or the consequences of their proposed "fixes", people such as Bloomberg, demonstrate their incapacity to manage by resorting to taxes as the "solution" to each problem.
Bloomberg and his cocktail party cohorts simply want Manhattan to be empty of cars and people from outside Manhattan.
Spend the money raised to improve mass transit? Only the trains that run in Manhattan!
What has Bloomberg actually accomplished? So, why should we believe a word he says about traffic congestion? That would make us out to be fools listening to a fool.
"Why should anyone who lives within the 5 boroughs have to pay the goverment a fee to get to work on top of paying city taxes?"
So you're suggesting eliminating subway fares - free Metrocards for all city residents?
I like this:
Eastern Queens pushes their development out of their community (so what if it goes into western Queens, and we loose our waterfront in the process?).
Then eastern Queens wants support from western Queens to fight the congestion plan.
Hey guys, we have an excellent subway - but poor air because you guys bring your cars through our neighborhood to get to the city.
Will we support you? I don't think so. We agree with the mayor. It's an excellent idea.
(Of course, it you want to start to support our efforts at downzoning, everything is on the table)
The MTA bridge, tunnel and subway fares are already city taxes.
on a less serious note, i think Weprin is wearing a rug.
On his head or under his lip?
The"do" is blow-dried hair-plugging.
The single largest slice of the automotive commuter pie comes from Queens. Not Westchester, LI, the more populous Brooklyn or even Jersey. It's time we Queens folks start carpooling.
I like the commuter tax, too. You use the City on a regular level, you get to help maintain and run it. Seems fair. It won't ever happen, but I like it.
And the MTA fares/bridge and tunnel tolls are not taxes. These orgainizations are Municipal Corporations and the money does not go into city coffers. Whether or not this actually happens is besides the point, but the purpose of the fees is to maintain and reinvest in those enterprizes. Not repair the sidewalk, not pay for cops, not pick up the garbage. They are usage fees.
What do you mean that commuter tax "won't ever happen?" It had been in place for years when it was repealed.
"The single largest slice of the automotive commuter pie comes from Queens."
May be true, but it shows you just how shitty the public transportation system in our borough is.
This guy(David Weprin) looks like that guy from tv Dave DelDotto.
I use the Van Wyke to go to work. It seams like clockwork the road repair guys clogg up the transfer point @ Linden Place between 10am and noon with the road repair. What ever happened to road repair at night.
I'll start taking your anti-"tax" arguments seriously when you actually take some action to eliminate subway fares. Until then it's just playing with words.
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