MTA Withdraws Plans For 2.7 Billion Capital Program Cuts
This past June the MTA announced plans to cut 2.7 billion dollars from the current five year capital program. The cuts which were criticized by many riders & transit advocates were going to postpone such things as upgrades to subway tunnels & signals along with 19 station rehabs. However out of nowhere the MTA has withdrew the controversial cuts (for now) & here with the story that will appear in today’s Metro New York is Patrick Arden:
The MTA withdrew a controversial plan to slash 15 percent from its current five-year capital program last week, just days before the proposal faced a state panel’s deadline.
“We were prepared to support the amendment,” said Long Island Republican John Flanagan, the state Senate’s rep on the MTA Capital Program Review Board.
“But the Assembly had some major concerns.”
These concerns centered on $2.4 billion in cuts to city subway and bus programs, including the loss of rehabs to 19 stations. Overall, the $2.7 billion in MTA cuts were technically “deferred” into the next five-year capital program, yet funding for that plan remains uncertain.
Click here for the complete article.
Many of you probably think I am excited at this news. However I am not as I smell a rat. If you really analyze the situation, you will see what is truly going on here. The MTA clearly withdrew the plans not because they all of a sudden found the money for their plans or felt the riders did not deserve to suffer. They withdrew the plans because they knew damn well the Assembly would not approve them.
So you ask yourself why would I be upset at that? I’ll tell you why, it is because the Assembly is not doing it for the benefit of the riders. They would not approve the cuts due to their own selfish needs. The agenda is as clear as a picture perfect blue sky. Speaking as an Assemblyman or Assemblywoman, elections are coming up soon & we don’t want to upset our constituents. Lets pull the wool over their eyes once again by making it seem like we are serving their best interests when we clearly are not. This is nothing but your typical political game of “Lets look good for our own good” which plays out in every level of politics.
Instead of getting to the task at hand which should be finding ways to legitimately fund the system it has financially neglected for years, it puts a P.R. band-aid over a huge flesh wound in the hopes we won’t notice. I hate to break it to you but transit advocates, bloggers, & such are not fooled. If you don’t want to help fund our transit system, we will vote in people who will! Don’t believe me, just watch come election time!
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