One would imagine that the board members of the MTA could be out of touch with average New Yorkers. Well the facts back that up, with several millionaires who will decide the fate of the fare increase. A quarter per ride may not sound like much to someone with a mansion in the Hamptons or a guy that captains his boat from Rye down to the city, but to the rest of us that quarter adds up. The problem is the board doesn't seem to care.
From The Daily News:
Gov. Spitzer picked Hemmerdinger to replace Peter Kalikow as board chairman. Kalikow, a super-wealthy developer, is renowned for his flashy Ferraris. MTA board members are not paid but do get some controversial perks - including free E-ZPasses.
Bus and subway riders suspect the well-heeled decision makers don't fully understand how tough it is trying to make ends meet when prices for everything, from MetroCards to milk, keep rising.
The proposed increase for a subway and bus ride is a quarter - to $2.25.
"They're sucking our pockets dry. They live a better life than we do and they probably don't know what it's like taking the subway," Yohance McDonald, 25, of East New York told the Daily News as he was about to get on a subway Sunday.
It isn't only the Daily News that is harping on the MTA's wealthy board members, pressure is also coming from AM New York. The gist of the article is that while the chances of public hearings swaying the board is only about one in eight, people should still stand up for what they believe and tell their stories to the board.
Now if they'd only show up to hear them, then maybe we could make a tiny bit of headway.
|