I don't know how things are where you live, but here in the United Boroughs of Welfare and Socialism in New York, AKA New York City, we are no stranger to the government robbing us blind.  In fact, lots of people here in New York love when the government steals or oppresses them for the sake of some human beings that they wouldn't otherwise even speak to.  Of course, that doesn't stop anyone from bitching about the cost of living -- as if it's an unrelated topic.

Well!  Now that the Federal government is wading into the bailout game -- can you see where I'm going with this?  NYC is not to be left out.

Daily News: Unlimited-ride Metrocards to jump $23, if state doesn't bail out MTA

Brace yourself for the C-note MetroCard.

The monthly MetroCard could jump from $81 to $104 next year if Albany fails to find funds to rescue the transit system, according to a city Independent Budget Office analysis.

"It's ridiculous," subway rider Nicole St. Bernard-James, 35, of Brooklyn, said of the sky-high charge. "That's crazy."

Carpenter William Hurd said he might stop riding the rails if the monthly pass rises by $23, or 28%, an annual increase of $276.

"I'd be better off driving at this point," said Hurd, who takes the Long Island Rail Road into the city, then switches to the subway.

I buy the 30-day unlimited ride metrocards myself and I am not looking forward to spending another $23 dollars more than I'm already paying, but I could walk the 3 miles to my work.  That would suck, so I'll just pay the new price.

The MTA is a huge, bloated re-animated corpse of an organization. It's overrun with unions and (clearly) bad management and old equipment.  Other cities such as London, Paris, and Tokyo serve larger networks, charge higher prices, and function consistently.  They don't even run 24 hours a day like the New York system runs!

Obviously, there are viable alternatives to what we have now, but rather than change anything about what we're doing now, these people want to add tolls to bridges, thereby taxing people who obviously aren't using the subway, and add a payroll tax to businesses, thereby taxing people who aren't mismanaging their organizations, to keep the ineffective and unprofitable MTA running as is.  Or maybe they'll just raise taxes all over the state.

It's no wonder people upstate are constantly voting Republican and bitching about paying for things in The City.

I also don't understand how a bailout is going to stop the MTA from losing money.  I realize that my masters degree in business gives me a rather dim view of the creative accounting techniques that we see in all things related to the government, but this plan seems inherently flawed to me. 

Oh wait.  Are they asking for an annual bailout?  I believe that's called a "subsidy."  "Bailout" is a one-time thing.  "Subsidy" is a recurring plan to give money to prop up businesses no one wants.

OH WAIT.  The city and state ALREADY give subsidies to the MTA.

As much as I enjoy the subway, it's obviously not as popular as the MTA seems to think.

The subway system should be privatized and prices should change as needed.

Posted by: Flibbertigibbet at 07:37 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Category: Money, Money, Money!
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