With a remarkable faith in the power of blarney, Gov. Kathy Hochul seems to think that showmanship can transform her congestion-pricing tolls from a rancid dud to a massive win.
And not even good showmanship: The governor herself hopped on an MTA bus (how brave!) en route to a Friday event where she proclaimed congestion pricing a popular and policy success as her office thundered the state will ignore President Donald Trump’s March 21 deadline to stop collecting the tolls.
This, the day after federal Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy gave New York a last-minute 30-day extension on that deadline.
Hochul also expresses confidence she can talk Trump around, because he’s interested in the renovation of Penn Station — though that project would be another money-sucking black hole that would enrich developers while doing nothing for everyday New Yorkers, and is all too likely to burn even more MTA cash.
But the tolls remain a hated money-grubber that hurts the working and middle class.
Yes, they’ll reduce traffic into Manhattan.
Indeed, the CEO of a luxury chauffeuring service says his wealthy clients are flying through with ease, now that New Yorkers who can’t cough up $9 a trip are being forced off the road.
Good job, Democrats!
Might as well put a “no poors allowed” sign on every public street below 60th.
Yet the tolls were never about congestion, but all about plugging the holes in the MTA’s ever-bleeding budget, and they’re not even doing that.
Hochul is now floating a hike in the “payroll mobility” tax as a fix for the transit agency’s red ink: That is, increasing the tax on jobs in New York City (and possibly nearby areas) — a fine way to forward her other oft-stated goals of making New York more “affordable” and “business friendly.”
All this, rather than balancing the MTA’s books with some combination of cracking down on toll- and fare-beating, curbing its mindless spending on inane projects, standing up to its voracious unions and/or finding the cash somewhere else in the state’s bloated $252 billion budget.
Hochul could start by giving up on her insulting $3 billion plan to give New Yorkers $300-$500 “inflation rebate” checks in advance of her run for re-election.
Trying to bribe us with our own money: That’s what passes as inspired leadership in Albany.
Hochul would do better trying to keep the trains running on some combination of the hot air and manure that seem to be the chief products of the Empire State political class.
This story originally appeared on NYPost
