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February 27, 2009

Friday Links

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Deal for Bridge Tolls All But Done [NY Post]
Silver Leans Towards Supporting East River Tolls [NY Daily News]
Stimulus Bill Xmas in February for New York [NY Daily News]
Red Tape Keeps East River State Park Closed [NY Daily News]
City Torn on Mortgage Plan [NY Daily News]
Photo by lostinbrooklyn in the Brownstoner Flickr Pool




Posted by Brownstoner at 8:30 AM | Comments (25)
Categories: Daily Links

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How dare you link the Post.

***Bid 100% off the NY Post***

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at February 27, 2009 8:55 AM

WTF is this going to do to traffic crossing these bridges?? I don't even want to mention what i feel like advocating for Sheldon Silver. There has never been a slimier politician in all of history.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 27, 2009 9:01 AM

If they make the bridges "ez-pass only", i think it's good. Basically, get an ez-pass or pay a fine, and the fine should be like $10 or something. No toll collectors.

Posted by: oe at February 27, 2009 9:07 AM

You can be sure the unions won't allow that, oe. This is going to develop into a disaster and I bet Bloomberg steps in and puts the cabash on it.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 27, 2009 9:13 AM

You're probably right.. I don't see how it could work with toll collectors on all those bridges, that would be a multi-year project of retrofitting, etc, and the "environmental impact studies" would end up killing it.

Posted by: oe at February 27, 2009 9:19 AM

Why do you say that, dave? Bloomberg is the one who wants the tolls. Personally I think its really unfair to anyone who doesn't live in Manhattan. Many people in the outer boroughs depend on their cars to get to work and do business- it's not like we have the great public transportation out here. Certainly not like in Manhattan.

These people really really have no clue about anything except how to squeeze more money out of taxpayers.

Posted by: bxgrl at February 27, 2009 9:22 AM

I believe the original plan from years ago, and most recently congestion pricing, was no toll plazas.

Cars with EZ pass will just zip through at normal speed (like tolls outside of NYS where you can actually go through at 40mph) and cars without will be sent a bill in the mail based on license plate pictures.

I think it sucks that if this passes there will be virtually no way to get out of the city, to the rest of the US, without paying a toll.

I hope it fails miserably.

Posted by: christopher at February 27, 2009 9:23 AM

Democrats are going to tax themselves right out of office!!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 27, 2009 9:25 AM

christopher....won't the toll booths just be on the outer borough sides; i.e. enterring the City? But I get the tone of your criticism!!!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 27, 2009 9:33 AM

The $2 toll sounds lot better than the original. But I still do not support it. Someone who drives to NJ for work will end up with another $80 increase in monthly costs (would have been $175 monthly) beyond tolls they are paying now.
With our subway discounts (considering inflation) I think our fare now is cheaper than 20 years ago. (and for better service).
One proposal that I wouldn't mind seeing (which was included in the revised 'congestion pricing' plan was a flat surcharge tax on each cab ride). Most cab(and I include 'black cars') rides are within most congested areas where public transportation options are greatest. I say add $1 to each ride to fund MTA.

Posted by: Petebklyn at February 27, 2009 9:38 AM

LOL...I'd like to see how much of that surcharge on black cars makes it to the government!!!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 27, 2009 9:47 AM

DIBS, under congestion pricing the tolls were only inbound, but if I read it correctly Silver's plan is $2 each way. He compared it to subway fare.

If it passes you'll get tolled going and coming...

Posted by: christopher at February 27, 2009 9:49 AM

In the outer boroughs poor people often depend on car service to get around. Out of necessity. And there are n owhere near the number of yellow cabs. Make that surcharge in Manhattan only.

Beyond that, lets remember until very recently we had a Republican controlled assembly and senate. And while the Republicans love to talk tax cuts, they are very adept at squeezing money out of people in so many creative ways. They reward mismanagement so long as its for friends and colleagues.For years Albany has squeezed NYC tax dollars to support the rest of the state. The rest of the state was basically Republican- NYC was a democratic blot on their precious landscape. NYC was a cash cow.

Posted by: bxgrl at February 27, 2009 9:54 AM

bxgirl,
Not to devolve into the political again, but it is the Democrat Governor, the Democrat Speaker, and the Democrat legislature that is proposing, and will probably pass, this.

If these tolls go in to effect they do so on the Democrats watch, end of story.

(and I have no party affiliation, I hate all politicians - can't print what I really feel about them)

Posted by: christopher at February 27, 2009 9:59 AM

Bxgrl;

Please get the facts straight. The New York State Assembly has not been controlled by Republicans for DECADES.

Posted by: benson at February 27, 2009 10:01 AM

I have no real party affiliation and hate virtually all politicians. I made my feelings about SS known in the first post.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 27, 2009 10:12 AM

benson- how long have you lived in NYS? About a week? And yes, Christopher, I know. My point is that both parties deserve blame for our mess and the fingerpointing is totally ridiculous. All politicians are asses. I think its a requirement for office. Dibs- SS makes my skin crawl. Who cares if hes Democrat or republican. He'd be the same no matter his party affiliation. Same for the now departed Bruno.

Posted by: bxgrl at February 27, 2009 10:20 AM

Just think about all the lost hours of work and extra pollution. But wait, there will be extra patronage jobs as toll takers. The idea of doing it without toll booths doesn't make sense. How are people visiting from out of state going to pay? Of course it may cut down on the drug trade and people will have to buy local.

Posted by: Iknow at February 27, 2009 11:28 AM

"How are people visiting from out of state going to pay?"

A couple years ago we took a tollbooth-free toll road to bypass metropolitan Toronto, and their cameras took a picture of our (NY) license plate, and sent us a bill in the mail. I forget what exchange rate they used, but we sent them a check, and that was that.

Posted by: Sparafucile at February 27, 2009 12:11 PM

Silver is a scumbag. He put the nails in the coffin of Congestion Pricing in order to protect his wealthy downtown constituents. Now he is sticking it to the folks of the outer boroughs.

Posted by: oldrte10 at February 27, 2009 12:52 PM

Nightmare. Just means all my shopping and dining out will be done in Brooklyn, even though I work in Manhattan.

The subways are slow nights and weekends and many people, dishwashers included, need to take cabs and car services home in the wee hours for safety and efficiency.

Posted by: mopar at February 27, 2009 12:56 PM

This reminds of Ryanair proposing to charge people to use the bathroom on board. Imagine -- people could start bringing their own chamberpots and going in their seats instead.

Posted by: mopar at February 27, 2009 1:21 PM

That story on the mortgage bailout is pretty fair. Some people were swindled, others were irresponsible -- but there should have been federal regulatory oversight to prevent these risky loans, just like we should bring back usury laws to prevent exploitative and risky credit card lending. But there wasn't oversight, and now the US is bailing out the banks and might or might not bail out the people.

The real estate agents and mortgage brokers got their fees, left everyone else holding the bag, and no one is punishing them.

It's a sick system.

Posted by: mopar at February 27, 2009 1:34 PM

agreed!

Posted by: bxgrl at February 27, 2009 1:50 PM

agreed agreed agreed!

Posted by: mopar at February 27, 2009 2:27 PM

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