SENATOR SALAND: NYS COMPTROLLER’S REPORT ON THE EXCESSIVE OVERTIME PAID BY THE MTA “OUTRAGEOUS”

State Senator Stephen Saland (R,I,C-Poughkeepsie) today condemned the lack of MTA oversight that resulted in significantly inflated salaries paid through overtime abuse in the MTA.

“At a time when everyone is struggling to feed their families first and to pay taxes, at a time when the state is grappling with a nine billion dollar deficit, at a time we can LEAST afford greed, waste,and abuse of our public systems, we have received confirmation that greed, waste and abuse is alive and well in the MTA!” said Senator Stephen M. Saland on Thursday.

Senator Saland has been fighting for transparent accountability to the taxpayers and employers of the Hudson Valley who have been socked with ever increasing taxes, payroll taxes, reduced services to the residents of the MTA service area. The State Comptroller’s release of overtime abuse by the MTA, in which his findings describe the situation as a “culture of acceptance” confirm Saland’s long-time position that these costs are an affront to public’s sense of fair play.

“The salary and benefits these MTA employees are accruing exceeds that of most of the men and women in my district. It is especially galling, if not outrageous to learn that 140 employees abused the system to collect pensions that doubled their salaries. We can’t afford it, we simply can’t afford it.” said Saland in response to the report from State Comptroller DiNapoli’s Office. The auditor’s report showed the central offices of the MTA accepted overtime budgets from constituent agencies without question.