NO LAYING OFF MTA

Here's an e-mail we received (yesterday) from New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson:  

THOMPSON STATEMENT ON MTA LAYOFFS AND INCREASING DEFICIT

New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. today issued the following statement after to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced layoffs and an increased deficit:

"This week's dire news from the MTA makes it even more imperative that Albany comes through with transit funding now, both to stave off the immediate fare hike, service cuts and layoffs and to prevent even more severe cuts later in the year.

There are ways out of this spiraling deficit, including my proposal for a weight-based vehicle registration surcharge across the 12-county MTA region that could raise $1 billion for transit annually. This fee would encourage smaller, more environmentally sound vehicles and spread the burden equitably to all drivers, not just some.

As part of any transit package, legislators also must protect riders by ensuring that bus drivers, subway operators and station agents stay in place. They are all vital for safe, reliable service - including station agents who act as the eyes and ears of the system.

I also call on Washington to take a new look at how it could help. While the stimulus package does not include operating funds for transit, President Obama and Congress should now revisit the question of transit funding to protect service and 1,200 vital jobs." 

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