David Weprin
Streetsblog Basics
Who Are Anti-Pricing Pols Really Looking Out For?
Responding to some politicians' claims that congestion pricing is a "regressive tax" that would impact "working stiffs" who must drive to their jobs, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign and the Pratt Center for Community Development have compiled data, broken down by district, showing that the vast majority of commuters in New York City and surrounding counties would not be affected by a congestion pricing fee. In district after district, the stats show that most people either work somewhere other than the proposed pricing zone or commute to the CBD via transit, carpooling or other means. Fact sheets are available for City Council, State Assembly and Senate, and US Congressional districts.
October 19, 2007
MTA Chief Lee Sander Talks Congestion Pricing in Queens
MTA CEO, Queens native and LIRR commuter Lee Sander received a warm reception then "faced some tough questions when he addressed a combined meeting of the
Saul Weprin and Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Clubs on Thursday in
Hollis Hills" last Thursday, the Queens Chronicle reports:
October 2, 2007
Brodsky Killed Congestion Pricing But We Hurt His Feelings
State Assembly Member Richard Brodsky is displeased by the suggestion that his opposition to New York City's congestion pricing plan had anything to do with the fact that he has accepted more money from parking industry interests than any other State Assembly Member and that his district houses the wealthiest Manhattan car commuters in New York State.
July 17, 2007
Richard Brodsky: Working for the Public or the Parking Industry?
Westchester Democrat Richard Brodsky has emerged as the State Assembly's leading critic of Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan. Later today Brodsky will release a report on the steps of City Hall characterizing the Mayor's congestion pricing plan as a regressive tax that puts most of the burden on poor and middle-income drivers (and ignoring the fact that only 4.6% of New York City residents drive to work in Manhattan's Central Business District and most poor and middle-income New Yorkers use transit).
July 9, 2007
The Car as Underdog, and Other Mind-Benders
From the New York Times' new City Room blog comes a post entitled "Congestion Pricing: Has David Bested Goliath?"
June 25, 2007
David Weprin: The Parking Garage Industry’s Valet?
The Post finds that Queens City Council Member David Weprin has been raking in campaign contributions from parking garage owners, all the while serving as one of the loudest critics of Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan. This ought to sound familiar to Streetsblog readers. Back in May we found that Weprin had taken in at least $20,500 in contributions from the parking lobby. The Post identified an additional twenty grand:
June 18, 2007
Anti-Pricing Council Member Has Pro-Parking Industry Fans
With one possible exception, no elected official has been more outspoken against congestion pricing for New York City than Queens Council Member David Weprin. A scan of the city's campaign finance database reveals over 20,000 reasons why that could be.
May 14, 2007
Will the Critics Kill Congestion Pricing?
Representative Anthony Weiner, New York's 9th Congressional District
May 8, 2007
Queens Chamber Continues Campaign Against Congestion Pricing
Foes of congestion pricing marshalled by the Queens Chamber of Commerce held a press conference yesterday at which several politicians from the borough took a stand against the mayor's plan. According to a press release provided by the chamber, City Council Finance Chair David Weprin called the proposal unnecessary: "I don't think City Hall understands that another unfair tax which would hurt working class people is not only uncalled for, but also unnecessary to reduce traffic. Before we tax people more we should first consider trying some simple traffic mitigation alternatives to reduce congestion."
April 25, 2007