By Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr.
July 30, 2010
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is continuing its long tradition of asking Long Islanders to solve its fiscal problems. We need to tell the Board of Directors at the MTA "enough is enough."
Because of last year’s MTA bailout plan, which I opposed, LIRR riders will be asked pay up to 9.4 percent more for tickets and pay higher fees for onboard transactions. The MTA is also looking to significantly shorten the time span for which certain LIRR tickets remain valid.
Once again, the MTA’s solution is to ask Long Islanders to do more: pay higher costs, receive less services and be further inconvenienced.
Residents are already paying over $341 million a year more in taxes, fees and fare increases to support the MTA. These higher costs, all of which I opposed, include the horrific MTA payroll tax, which is an unfunded mandate on every Long Island business, non-profit group, school district and municipality.
The MTA has long been one of the most bloated bureaucracies in the country. Their record of financial mismanagement is legendary. We’ve paid enough for their never-ending fiscal problems. They need to do more to cut costs on the administrative level before asking riders to bail them out yet again.
The MTA Board of Directors will ultimately make the final decision on these fare hikes and service cuts. They need to hear from us. Residents can join me in telling the MTA Board of Directors "no" to the fare hike by signing the online petition on my website, Fuschillo.nysenate.gov.
Charles Fuschillo Jr.
State Senator, 8th District
