MTA Wants To Take Cuomo To Court Over E-Z Pass Policy

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.

If You Still Have Sympathy For The MTA, You'll Lose It Now

Thanks to local station CBS 2, it is now known that thousands (24,000 to be exact) of bureaucrats have been given lifetime passes to use the bridges and tunnels in New York. While the MTA claims they are strapped for cash and must raise the fares for hard-working New Yorkers, board members don't even bother to show up for public meetings. Now that this information is public, some are calling for heads to roll.

From WCBS-TV:

It's an appalling investigation that led David Moretti, the head of the MTA's Bridge and Tunnel division to avoid being questioned by CBS 2 HD. Moretti was so anxious to get away from CBS 2 HD cameras, in fact, that he hid in a classroom for 45 minutes before a scheduled MTA fare hike hearing.

What was he hiding from? He's running from questions about free rides.

At a time when the agency wants to raise fares, it's giving free orange EZ passes to nearly 24,000 people to get across the MTA's nine bridges and tunnels.

That's 3.3 million trips.

"It's outrageous. It makes me completely angry," says Jana Glowatz of East Meadow.

Councilman Michael McMahon, D-Staten Island, testified passionately against the fare hike. He was stunned to learn of the free pass scheme.

"That's the most outrageous thing I've ever heard, and if it's true, whoever's doing it should go to jail," he said.

Moretti better hide. Millions of New Yorkers would love to get the chance to talk face to face with him for a few minutes....each. Not only do some of these people have the free EZpasses, several have multiple boxes for their cars. Former board members Kalikow and Nasti have eight and four passes respectively. Not surprisingly, both claim that they are the sole users of those twelve passes.

Do you believe them? I didn't think so.