The economic recession in our country has begun and here in New York the effects are being felt more and more every single day. With the budget coming out on Tuesday, cuts are expected across the board and New York City's very own M.T.A. is no exception to being slashed. Paterson wants to chop $60 million out of the transit authority's budget and possibly bring their budget gap to over a quarter billion dollars. And do you know what that means for those of us that ride the rails?
From The Daily News:
The cuts would widen a $200 million budget deficit that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is projecting for next year.
Paterson's proposal also raises concern that other money the MTA believed it would receive after hashing out its financial plans last year with former Gov. Eliot Spitzer could be in jeopardy.
"A fare increase next year is almost inevitable" if the Paterson proposal survives budget negotiations with the Senate and Assembly, according to Assemblyman Richard Brodsky (D-Westchester).
I disagree with Brodsky's opposition to congestion pricing, but this would certainly continue the governmental beat down of the middle class in New York. State leaders can't possibly think that it is o.k. to tax average New Yorkers with fare increases and handicap many people who are trying to catch up with government assistance. The only welfare that seems to be popular these days in the halls of government is for corporate giants that can only afford two yachts instead of three.
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