Malcolm Smith
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State DOT “Multi-Modal Funds” Have Starring Role in Malcolm Smith Scandal
In the wake of a scandal-soaked week in Albany, Governor Cuomo held a press conference this afternoon with district attorneys from across the state to announce a new anti-corruption law. As he seeks to tighten the rules in Albany, Cuomo could take immediate steps to make sure a transportation funding mechanism that featured prominently in last week's scandals is fortified against abuse by lawmakers.
April 9, 2013
Eight Senate Democrats Join GOP in Vote to Repeal MTA Payroll Tax
In a 40-22 vote last night, the State Senate voted to phase out the payroll mobility tax, which generates about $1.5 billion per year for the MTA. The Senate proposal would eliminate the tax entirely in suburban areas while reducing it in New York City. Though the bill is expected to go exactly nowhere in the Democratic Assembly, it's a sign of the intense opposition to the payroll tax among Republicans and in the suburbs, as well as the collective delusion about the state of the MTA's finances.
June 16, 2011
Fare Hike Four to Paterson: Not So Fast
In case you've forgotten who's in charge these days, Governor Paterson's nomination of Jay Walder to succeed Lee Sander as MTA chief was quickly met with a joint statement from Malcolm Smith, John Sampson, and Fare Hike Four members Pedro Espada and Carl Kruger. In the interest of "transparency and accountability," the senators say they plan to put Walder in front of their committees before any decision is made. Kruger, for his part, tells The Daily Politics that he doesn't consider the backbone of the region's economy to be a particularly urgent agenda item.
July 14, 2009
Malcolm Smith Spins Transit Band-aid as Victory for “Reform”
Now that Governor Paterson has backtracked on his pledge to secure a long-term solution to New York's transit funding crisis, the push is on to spin the slapdash result as a responsible outcome, not a capitulation to Albany's lowest common denominator.
May 5, 2009
Malcolm Smith: New York Transportation Policy “Not About the Merits”
We were half-kidding last week when we said state legislators were open to taxing anything from pet food to shoelaces as long as they could say they had saved the MTA, and as long as drivers could continue to cross East and Harlem River bridges at no cost. Turns out it's no joke after all, according to Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith.
April 28, 2009
Time for Working Families Party to Step Up for Riders, Endorse Bridge Tolls
Here's another wake-up call for state legislators dithering over a transit funding package: The sinking economy continues to choke off revenues for New York City's subways and buses. The MTA finance committee announced this afternoon that the agency's budget gap is $621 million bigger than previously forecast. That's on top of the $1.2 billion hole that brought about the imminent doomsday fare hike and service cuts. The culprit? Plummeting revenue from dedicated taxes, fares, and tolls.
April 27, 2009
Can Kibbles ‘n Bits Save the MTA?
While Majority Leader Malcolm Smith insists he can round up enough votes to pass the latest Senate MTA rescue plan, The Daily Politics reports that Bronx Assemblyman Peter Rivera participated in a rally today outside City Hall in protest of the proposal's $1 taxi surcharge, a facet of the bill that has also drawn fire from Mayor Bloomberg.
April 24, 2009
Senate Dems Release Another MTA Funding Plan Without Tolls
Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith has come out with another MTA funding proposal, which again gives commuters who drive across East and Harlem River bridges a free pass. The $1.76 billion it would generate annually for the MTA falls more than $300 million short of the projected revenue from the original Ravitch plan ($2.1 billion). Liz Benjamin at the Daily Politics has the details:
April 20, 2009
Fare Hike Four Open Door to Suburban Copycats
It seems like only yesterday that the three men emerged from their room with vague talk of an emerging scheme to spare transit riders -- temporarily, at least -- the pain of fare hikes and service cuts required, minus help from Albany, to keep the MTA afloat. But as the Times reports, a new development would catch the triumvirate flat-footed.
April 1, 2009
Three Men in a Room Spike Bridge Tolls
Breaking news from The Politicker's Jimmy Vielkind:
March 31, 2009