Fare Increase

Well, as some of you have seen by now in today's Newsday,
the MTA is now saying that the fiscal situation is not as dire as previously advertised.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyo ... -headlines
Fare increases at LIRR should now be 5 to 7%, with no job cuts or draconian service cuts.

I should run a poll to see how many of you think the original dire predictions were bogus, but I know you guys hate polls.
After all, won't everybody be "happy" now to accept "only" a 5 to 7 percent increase?

I agree.

I bet they made much worst projections then they will need next year so that when they lowered the projections the media would say how great it is that we don't need to raise the montly from $70-$84 and the public would be much more willing to go along with a much smaller increase.

Fight the fare increase,
Vote for George O'Brien,
Get poor Charlie off the MTA!

Now Sunday's Newsday informs us that the "reprieve" is only temporary.
The MTA is telling us that they will have a 1 billion dollar deficit in 2006.
Here we go again!

MTA must think we are stupid. First, the threat of cutting service to Greenport, Montauk and Hempstead sounded believable. Then they added "...and the tracks will be removed" made it too over the top. NOW they say they "found" some revenue they hadn't expected so the fare increase doesn't have to be so much??? Why did they lose that revenue in the first place?

I don't trust what they say and I think they are still keeping two sets of books.

On the one hand, you can't blame the MTA for wanting to keep the infrastructure in a state of good repair.
On the other hand, they can't say, "We have no idea how we're going to pay this debt service on our past borrowing....But can we borrow $25 billion more?"

Hopefully there can be enough political pressure put on the MTA to get them to open up the books let's see what is really going on. Something over there really stinks.