So it looks like the Jersey-side tunnels and bridges will only see a toll increase of $1.50, compared to the near doubling the Port Authority first declared they needed. Feeling lucky yet? If not, you’re not following the plan.
This bait and switch was supposed to make you feel outraged at first, then grateful for what you’re supposed to feel was a bullet dodged. But this time they may have overplayed their hand. As Governor Chris Christie said, this does emphasize how the PA has been mismanaged for decades. The same could also be said for the MTA.
This time it should call into question the entire existence of state authorities and how they take bloated and irresponsible state-run organizations off the state budget and out of direct control of our elected leaders. This gives them all one degree of separation from the mismanagement, which is just enough for them to avoid the blame when things go terribly awry, like now.
The PA is a unique case, as it is a bi-state agency, controlled by both New York and New Jersey, established to oversee the Jersey crossings and the three local airports. But can anyone explain why the PA owns property, like the World Trade Center site? This, incidentally, was one of the main driving costs for the massive toll increase just proposed.
Now is the time to take this seriously and force the PA to divest itself of all assets not directly related to bridges, tunnels and airports. However, we can expect a similar issue soon with the MTA. Before we even get there, we should explore abolishing the MTA.
Just like voters demanded real accountability in education, leading to the end of the Board of Education and the creation of the Department of Education, the same must be done with transportation. The operation of city subways and buses should be taken over by the city, and trains like the LIRR and Metro North should be taken over by the state. They should be on-budget and under the direct control of the mayor and governor. That way the people know who to blame when the trains don’t run on time, and can vote them out of office in the next election.
It’s time to resolve this long-standing problem and force the politicians to take responsibility for that which they currently hide from. Abolish the MTA and every other off-budget state authority, and let our elected officials do what they claim they can do when they run for office – namely, do it better then it’s currently being done. And if they can’t, they won’t be able to pass the buck any longer.
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Robert Hornak is a Queens-based political consultant, blogger, and an active member of the Queens Republican Party.
