The Empire Page

Like many New Yorkers, I was appalled that the MTA threatened get rid free bus and subway fares for school children. Little could run more contrary to our goals as a society. Anything that makes it harder for kids to attend school and get the education they need is against the interests of this State. However, this is completely consistent witht the practices of the MTA.

Whenever the MTA faces a budget deficit they consistently cry for more state aid over the threat of service cuts and fare increases. This year it is student passes and the terminating some subway lines in other years its other cuts. However while the State aid and short term cuts may be necessary, the MTA never discusses management reform or finding away to rein in runaway contractor costs. The list of capital projects that have run hundreds of millions of dollars over budget is legendary. That speaks to managers who cannot accurately forecast costs and to contractors that are constantly allowed to break budgets. The savings from management and contractor reform alone could make many of the threatened costs unnecessary.

This had been continuously ignored as the only costs the MTA hopes to contain are the hard won annual salary increases for their working class employees. You never hear the MTA seriously talk about ways to maintain cost overruns. It is unfair to put such a burden on workers to solve a budget deficit, while contractors get rich.

There have been positive signs as the current MTA Director Jay Walder seems to recognize the problem. He has gone on public record recognizing the MTA’s inefficiency’s and wanting to implement wholesale changes. Before giving the MTA any money, the State should hold Mr. Walder to his words. At a minimum any State funds should be tied to management reforms. A plan should be presented  for management reforms along with cost savings with a schedule for implementation before the State releases a cent.

For too long, New Yorkers have had to deal with the MTA’s budget dance. Drastic service cuts are threatened unless State Aid is delivered, but no long term management reforms are delivered. It is time for this to end and New Yorkers to get the bus and train service we deserve from a well run authority.