What do you think of the MTA bailout.

[ajsbear 11]

It's time to dismantle the MTA. The surrounding communities are carrying the agency. Metro North and the LIRR riders pay based on distance. Not a flat fee like NYC subway riders. Most subway type systems today use distance based rider fee's. Washington DC's Metro as well as their commuter RR. Boston's T. Bay area BART. It's time the riders on the subway pay their fair share. It's their system. Yes there are a lot of poor people that ride them but face it. It is almost like another form of socialism if you let the suburban people (usually with a little more $$) It's just another way of the suburbs subsidizing the city instead of a commuter tax.

They need to open the books and let forensic accountants go over them in an audit to see where all the money is going. Smells like an AIG type bailout just without showing the public the bonuses.

[moggie6 54]

I agree...where is my bail out here in dutchess county? I think we should pull out of the MTA like Rockland County is thinking of doing.

[ajsbear 11]

I agree...where is my bail out here in dutchess county? I think we should pull out of the MTA like Rockland County is thinking of doing.

We all should and leave NYC to figure it out themselves.

[Danger 160]

<br />I agree...where is my bail out here in dutchess county? I think we should pull out of the MTA like Rockland County is thinking of doing.<br />

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I think if you're suggesting that dutchess county no longer participates in the railroad you should head down to poughkeepsie beacon and new hamburg at rush hour. I think you would find a lot of people who don't agree. I think you would understand as well as anyone that the best way to remedy an agency that is painful to pay for isn't to dismantle it. You just might have to get creative. QTIP

[helicopper 1,050]

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I think if you're suggesting that dutchess county no longer participates in the railroad you should head down to poughkeepsie beacon and new hamburg at rush hour. I think you would find a lot of people who don't agree. I think you would understand as well as anyone that the best way to remedy an agency that is painful to pay for isn't to dismantle it. You just might have to get creative. QTIP

I don't think that's his point at all. As he said in the initial post, the rider from Beacon to NYC (in your example) pays about $15.00 for his ride to NYC while the subway rider pays $2.50 - that is inequity.

While I agree that the bailout plan puts an awful burden on the suburban counties, be careful what you wish for! Do we know for sure that the fare from Beacon to NYC wouldn't be double (or more) without the MTA? What about everything else? Without the NYC share of state taxes, what would our share be?

It definitely sucks but I don't know if backing out of the MTA is the answer!

On a related note, if I heard correctly there is now a payroll tax on all employers - including not-for-profits and other entities. If the MTA can tax a not-for-profit entity, why can't a fire district or local municipality tax the not-for-profit (colleges come to mind) for services that it uses?