Sometimes getting the right thing done takes a little extra effort than one expects in the beginning. Attorney General Cuomo saw the abuses of the MTA such as doling out free E-Z Passes to board members that are not supposed to be compensated for their work. You would think this would be pretty simple and for some it is, like the State Thruway Authority that revoked the passes (even though all three recipients of theirs are dead). For the live ones at the MTA, they're fighting for their right to be compensated rewarded thanked.
From The Gothamist:
It's on! MTA chairman Dale Hemmerdinger says the agency will go to court in order to have the option of giving free E-Z Passes to retired and current board members--many of whom are wealthy.The MTA says that the passes are a small thank you to board members who serve without compensation. But Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said, "If the law says no compensation then the law means no compensation and these gimmicks that are a way of providing compensation as perks as a way to get around the law, we believe, are illegal, and we're going to stop all of them."
But Hemmerdinger said, "Given the newly stated view of the attorney general, which is contrary to the M.T.A. position, we are going to seek a declaratory judgment and allow a court to determine whether or not this constitutes compensation. We have never seen it that way.” Man, that's a good idea--spending taxpayer money on legal bills so former chairman Peter Kalikow can keep his eight E-Z Passes (eight so he doesn't have to change one from car to car).
Gothamist pretty much makes all the right arguments on this one. I can only hope the judge laughs the MTA out of court...and directs Hemmerdinger and the rest of the board to pay for all the legal fees to boot.
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