Opinions

Adams and Hochul Stay Mum on NYC Congestion Pricing, Portray Themselves as Spectators to Political Corruption.



Sometimes a tax is simply a tax.

But then there’s New York’s latest money-making scheme, granting exclusive access to the “Congestion Relief Zone.”

The name, dubbed by the MTA for the section of Manhattan below 60th Street, twists reality on its head.

The only “relief” you’ll experience after entering the zone is a lighter wallet.

The daily $15 fee for cars and up to $36 for trucks and buses is the modern-day version of what Tammany Hall crooks called legal graft.

There should be a law against it.

There should also be a mayor and a governor with the courage to stop it.

Eric Adams and Kathy Hochul are pretending to be bystanders while another reason to avoid Manhattan heads towards implementation.

Trying to distance themselves from the money grab, the mayor and the governor remain silent as the MTA uses the power granted by Albany to impose a tax on using city streets.

Adams and Hochul had time for trips to Europe but have nothing to say as New York solidifies its reputation as America’s most expensive place to live and work.

A significant part of the high costs are the numerous taxes and fees that raise the prices of everything from snacks to apartments.

Government is a major contributor to Gotham’s exorbitant cost of living.

Yet they continue to increase it in a misguided belief that more redistribution schemes will make the city more affordable.

Maybe the officials in Albany and City Hall haven’t heard that hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have already fled due to their greedy policies, and each new tax adds to the mass exodus.

The only remaining hope

Since the political class is fully in support of the congestion tax, the only hope lies in one or more of the lawsuits succeeding in halting or delaying the program.

Otherwise, June 30 is doomsday.

As it stands, the tax has been marketed on three major lies.

The first being that the MTA urgently needs the additional $1 billion it would receive annually from the program.

Technically true, as the MTA always needs more money, making drunken sailors look frugal.

It’s already set to spend nearly $20 billion this year, with essential capital projects it claims it can’t afford without the extra $1 billion.

Such threats are common in government negotiations, but the MTA takes it to another level.

They insist that without the $1 billion, signal upgrades, elevators, subway cars, and routine repairs won’t be possible.

The only certainty is that the extra money will relieve pressure on the politically appointed board to address the system’s wasteful practices.

This is something Hochul and Adams could rectify if they showed some backbone.

If history is any indicator, the $1 billion will quickly be deemed insufficient.

The MTA will demand even more funds because, in a government agency controlled by unions, there’s no such thing as too much money.

This is the same agency that lost over $750 million to fare-beating in one year.

Instead of addressing the issue, they penalize non-users – drivers, passengers, and others – who don’t use the system.

Brilliant!

Lie number two is that the city and state are financially strained and can’t invest more in mass transit.

This claim doesn’t hold up with their massive budgets.

The state’s spending plan totals $237 billion, described by Hochul as full of “historic investments.”

It’s twice the size of Florida’s budget, a state with 3 million more people than New York.

The city is also flush with cash, with the total budget likely to approach $115 billion after negotiations between Adams and the City Council.

A watchdog group projects an increase of nearly 9% in the city-funded portion over the current fiscal year.

Immigrant budget drain

A major cost factor is the continued influx of illegal immigrants.

Adams estimates a cost of $12 billion over three years, with the state significantly increasing its contribution.

One of Hochul’s “investments” is a minimum of $2.5 billion to address the issue caused by President Biden’s open border.

Shifting a portion of that to mass transit would eliminate the necessity for a congestion tax.

So there’s an abundance of money in New York, but city and state officials have allocated it elsewhere and imposed a new tax, seemingly believing there’s no limit to what the public can bear.

Anticipate a shortfall

The third lie is that the tax will address congestion while funding mass transit.

It can’t fulfill both promises at the pledged levels.

If the tax significantly reduces vehicle traffic into Midtown, the expected revenue will fall short.

If the tax doesn’t reduce traffic, congestion will persist as a problem.

This outcome is more probable as the causes of congestion extend beyond traffic volume.

The city plays a significant role in congestion by allowing anti-car advocates to eliminate traffic lanes for bike lanes, restaurants, construction equipment, double-parking, pedestrian plazas, and other preferences.

So the current congestion was almost inevitable – and mostly by design.

And now the advocates want to tax it.

That’s who they are.

‘Kent sane’profs

Reader Jack Ciotti recalls campus disruptions from a different era, noting the contrasting experience on college campuses then and now.

Damning silence

Reader David Shapiro remarks on the silence of prominent Jewish Democrats regarding pro-Hamas demonstrations and Biden’s actions against Israel, attributing it to their political expediency over the security of both countries.



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