MTA - No Sense or sensibility

Congress is grilling the Big Three Automakers on what they will do with bailout billions if they get it.

That makes sense.

I believe that New York City's Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) should also be grilled on price increases and tolls on the East River Bridges.

Not too long ago politicians were extolling the virtues of the MTA as being reasonable and an alternative to driving that would make congestion pricing in Manhattan feasible.

Obviously they were wrong.

I have not used the East River Bridges in over ten years, but believe the new plan is a stupid approach to what we are led to believe is a temporary condition. If we spend money now to convert the bridges to toll roads they will remain toll roads forever and be subject to continual increases. They will further make New York a divided city.

To turn the bridges over to the MTA is asinine.

They must put their own house in order first.

They should give up their pool of limousines and chauffeurs. Give up their free EZ passes and learn their own public transit system. Stop spending money on fancy offices. Stop adding high paid executives. Stop paying for cost overruns on construction projects. In short stop wasting money before they are entitled to a raise in fares.