Empire Page - Hudson Views

Why I support Park51

2010-08-22T15:55:50Z

While a number of better locations could have been chosen, for the site of the Park51 Mosque and Islamic Community Center, now that this site was chosen and went through community review, I believe it should be built for the following reasons.

1) It was Approved by the Local Community Board: Much noise has been made about site for Park51, which is very close to Ground Zero. While I empathize with those who lost loved ones during the terrorist attacks and understand their sensitivity, what should not be underestimated is that the proposal was approved by the local Community Board, made up of neighbors that live near the site. Many of them were in the neighborhood during the attacks and had to live with aftermath for months and years later. They had to evacuate their homes and many lost family members and neighbors. If this Community Board can approve Park51 then its wishes must also be respected.

2) Support Pro-American Muslims: By all accounts, the people sponsoring Park51 are Muslims that have integrated themselves into our society. They are moderates and pro-American. In fact, the Imam for the proposed Mosque is currently on a State Department-sponsored tour of the Middle East to promote pro-American views of Islam. It is precisely these types of Muslims that must be encouraged to practice their faith freely and become the face of Islam in America. If we choose to alienate, these Moderate Muslims then their radical brethren will use this as a recruiting tool to stir up hatred of America.

3) It’s More Than Just a Mosque: Park51 will be both a Mosque and Community Center, similar to many of the Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) that populate our towns and are positive community forces. In fact, published reports say that Jews involved in JCC work were consulted by the sponsors of Park51. Many sports, arts and educational activities not associated with religion will take place there. Hopefully, as JCCs are, the Park51 Community Center will be open to people of all faiths allowing for better ethnic and religious understanding.

4) Location: While I cannot pretend to understand the feelings of 9/11 survivors and families and do not wish to undervalue their sensitivities and believe the selection of this site was not the wisest decision, however I would like to point out some positives of the site. First New York is a multiethnic city where people of all faiths mix well together. Having Park51 in the middle of a commercial center of New York, will encourage this mixing of people. The continuing isolation of Muslims, will only lead to more radicalization. It is only by encouraging them to be part of what is right about our society that we can encourage progressive Muslim leadership. Also, at this site Park51 will be under scrutiny that will help ensure radicalization does not spread there. If through the efforts of Governor Paterson and others another acceptable site can be found that would be good solution. However, let us be sure that it is a site that encouages the integration of Muslims, not isolation.

Finally, let me just state that we cannot be afraid of people because they are different than us. Some the stereotyping and irrational fear that has taken place over the Park51 debate shows our worst, not better nature.

Authority Oversight

2010-08-18T02:45:34Z

The Governor’s Commission issued a report that elected officials should stay out of the business operations of “public” authorities. The problem with this is that unaccountable authorities waste money and answer to no one. There is no accountability. Perhaps it is time to end their independence and make them accountable to public officials and the public. Governor Paterson’s creation of an Authority Budget Office is a good first step. If the office does tough strong audits of authority expenditures this would shed a lot of light on the subject and probably save billions in public funds. If that as seen as too much interference with Authority operations, then too bad it is good for the State.

MTA: Where's The Reform?

2010-08-12T02:03:00Z

I am a bit delayed in this, but the MTA's new plan to reduce its deficit seems to rely on the old cut services and raise fares model. I have not seen anywhere, anything on structural reform of how the MTA does business. What is being done to stop cost overruns and police consultants. These draconian service cuts which will hurt everyday New Yorkers should not be allowed to stand. There is obviously a structural deficit which the MTA cannot cure. Yes State Aid is needed but it seems to only a band aid for the MTA's pains. If you go to an MTA budget hearing ask them about what they are doing to reform their business practices to save money instead of doing it on the back of the people that need their services.

BTW: Kudos to my friend Greg Soumas for calling Mayor Bloomberg out on his manipulation of the Charter Revision Process.

Is AG Race Taking Shape?

2010-07-24T18:09:31Z

As the Democratic Primary for AttorneyÂ General heads into the home stretch it seems that the winnowing out of the candidates. By virtue of being the only woman in a fiver person race and having some institutional support and a strong base on Long Island, Kathleen Rice has always been seen as one of the leading contenders. Though a new question for her campaign is whether she his running â€œRose Gardenâ€ strategy as she skipped the recent debate sponsored by City Hall newspaper. The question has always been which of the four men running would be main competition. Eric Schneiderman has begun to show the widespread support to be the one. He has solidified his support in his high turnout Upper Westside and Northern Manhattan District as well as getting support with wide range of leaders in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party from throughout. A suprising show of strength for his campaign has been the support he is getting in the Northern and Western New York. Leaders in many of the big upstate cities such as Buffalo are supporting him and in a trend I noticed at the State Convention is getting support in a number of rural upstate counties. This could be a winning combination. The amount of his money that Sean Coffey is spending on his campaign and his self-proclaimed outsider status could also make him a contender. It is hard to see Richard Brodsky or Eric Dinallo having a big enough base or making the necessary leap in support outisde of it to seriously challenge Rice.

Paterson Admires Christie??

2010-07-20T02:55:56Z

Read in the paper recently that Governor Paterson expressed his admiration for New Jersey Governor Christie for getting his agenda through the legislature. One reason for the admiration is that Paterson is trying to do much of Christie is doing in New Jersey (property tax cap, cutting jobs, no increase in taxes on the wealthy). Yes, in many ways, the Paterson agenda is a Republican agenda. However Christie is a Republican and the people of New Jersey knew what to expect when they elected him and to his credit, Christie has stuck to his ideals.Â He also promised a blunt style that would butt heads with many legislators and he has delivered, even many New Jerseyites who donâ€™t like his agenda see him as breath of fresh air.

The problem Paterson is having is that how he is acting as Governor is the opposite of how he has acted in public career. He has always been a progressive with strong ideals for social justice and a belief in having government work to help those in need. He also is someone that everyone liked and would pragmatically with others to get things done. His troubles stem from the 180 degree shift both in his substance and in his style. While there is no doubt that drastic action needs to be done to solveÂ New Yorkâ€™sÂ economic problems to do so in a way that at least seems to favor the wealthy over the less fortunate contradicts Governor Patersonâ€™s past record. The legislature definitely needs to be whipped into shape but for the Governor to be making personal, sniping comments about his former colleagues is against his character.Â This goes back to one of my political maxims, be true to yourself and you will be successful. If David Paterson had remained true to his ideals and his personality he might be running for re-election today. Some of Governor Christieâ€™s early success has been due to his consistency.

Outside of the limelight we can see some of the potential that David Paterson has as Governor. He has been quietly going about the business of governing the State and doing many ofÂ the things that improve the lives of New Yorkers. It is too bad that his own frailties denied him the chance to reach his full potential.Â He should admire Christie and learn some lessons from him.

Some Good Financial Thoughts

2010-07-01T03:28:27Z

Some interesting thoughts I heard recently on the state of New Yorkâ€™s financial situation. The first was by City Comptroller John Liu. When asked why we cannot pass extra taxes for the wealthy he responded that the only reason people give is that the wealthy would leave New York. However, he continued that there are a number of reasons people would leave New York, high crime, bad education, dirty streets, bad public transportation, and a lack of affordable housingÂ just to name a few. These services are what makes New York livable and without them the wealthy and many others would leave. All of these are paid for by taxpayer dollars sometimes you need to raise taxes to pay for them. As the response to the disaster in the Gulf shows, people want their government there to provide services. However in many cases people donâ€™t make the connection between these services and the taxes we need to pay for them. This is where the whole tax-cutting movement of the past 30 years and the anti-government tea party movement comes in.Â Yes, we cannot just tax and spend but targeted tax increases to those who can most afford to pay them to pay for essential services cannot be ruled out.

Second is that I saw something in the paper that I have been wondering about concerning the size of the growth of the City and State budget. In the mid-1990â€²s when I worked for the City Council the City budget was around $30 billion and the State budget was around $60 billion. Now less than 15 years later these numbers have doubled. How did we get there? Since this is greater growth than the rate of inflation you cannot just blame employee salaries. Did we just open more and more programs (under the fiscally conservative Giuliani and Bloomberg?) or have a boom in big capital projects that we still need to pay off? Are there a lot of rich consultants and contractors out there due tot the Cityâ€™s and Stateâ€™s largess? How is it also that the same programs (libraries, senior centers) that help the poorest of our society always seem to be on the chopping block? The answer to these questions may explain the shape we are in. Anyway, Iâ€™d like to know.

The Recession Has Hit NY â€“ Shared Sacrifice For All

2010-06-07T00:52:18Z

After a delay of around a year, the full impact of the recession is hitting New York. Federal stimulus money and some kind of time delay might have blunted the blow for a while but it is clear now there is big budget trouble. I have always been of the opinion that national economic trends take a year to hit New York.Â For years everybody has gotten what they wanted as the budget grew bigger, unions got raises, business leaders got tax breaks and the good times kept rolling. Now the party is over and it is time for everyone to take a hit. Shared benefits needs to lead to shared sacrifice.

I am a Federal employee and our raise this year was less than half what we normally receive. However our union understood that in tough economic times we cannot get what we did in the past. The usual protests we raise to get what we deserve were absent. We knew that we had to sacrifice like millions of other Americans were doing. We were fortunate to have our jobs and any raise at all.Â We also knew that the President was looking at all ideas to right the economic ship this meant raising revenue (taxes and fees) and in an important issue to us looking at the cost-effectiveness of the massive privitization the government had undergone over the previous 8 years. Re-examining privately contracted duties could both save government jobs and save the taxpayers money. The President has been looking at shared sacrifice and we as employees understood that.

This is not happening in New York State or City. The Governor is asking the unions to forego at least part of their agreed-upon 4% increase (for the record more than twice what I got this year) to help solve the budget deficit. The unions intrangience on this issue led theÂ Governor to institute furloughs, that wereÂ later overturned byÂ the courts, and nowÂ significant layoffs ofÂ State employees threatened in January.Â The unions need to realize that getting a 4% raise now is unrealistic and they need to do their share to help the Stateâ€™s economy. However, they should not be the only ones sacrificing. All options should be on the table including raising revenue. Options like the stock transfer tax, which would a few pennies onÂ every shares traded, should get serious consideration. This tax would mostly effect those that can most afford to pay it and would only be a minisculeÂ addition to the cost of doing business in New York State. Those against the tax say it would drive the financial industry out of New York State and that all trades would be cleared out of state to avoid the tax. This is highly debateable and shoud be examined before ditching the idea. Also, like President Obama, the Governor should look at private contractors who are doing duties usually done by public sector workers to make sure we are gettingÂ a good bang for the buck.Â Other ideas would be to rein in the out of control and un-monitored expenses of quasi-public authorities. TheseÂ are just some ofÂ the ideasÂ to willÂ show that all are sharing in sacrificeÂ that need to be in discussion before balancing the budget on the backs of public sector workers and the poor. The current,and future, Governor have to think in this way.

New York City also targets public sector workers, particularly teachers, Â in balancing the budget. Massive teacher layoffs are threatened just when our kids need them most. However at the same time the Department of Education increases salaries of a number of educrats.Â It is a basic truism that teachers are underpaid for the importance of the work that they do and while there needs to be some reform in union work rules to blame all education problems on teachers while heaping outsize salary increases on educrats is unfair.

In short be ready New York to feel the brunt of economic hard times. If sacrifice is not shared fairly then the only choice would be to drastically cut the services we all depend on whether it is education, health care, transportation or housing.

Forthrightness From The MTA??

2010-04-25T17:28:47Z

Yes, itâ€™s hard to believe, but MTA President Jay Walder is actually speaking honestly about the MTAâ€™s problems. As the MTA is making its budget requests and unveiling its new capital plan, President Walder is actually admitting the authority must change the way it does business.

Instead of just l0oking for the usual legislative handout and fare increase to solve the MTAâ€™s budget woes President Walder is speaking about significant management and contracting reforms. He seems to acknowledge that much of the MTAâ€™s budget woes come from how the MTA manages its money instead of just how much money it gets.Â The news that he is looking into cancelling $40 million worth of contracts should be a welcome relief to straphangers. This blog has pointed out how much cost overruns have cost the MTA and without real contracting reform their will be no way to solve the MTAâ€™s structural deficit problems. For too long taxpayers and ratepayers have been made to pay the price for the MTAâ€™s mismanagement.

The capital plan also has a hopeful change of direction. Instead focusing its funds on a few big ticket items, the Walder-led MTA is looking to spread out the funds so that stations with needed repairs get it. Many stations are falling apart and are not getting the care they need causing a crisis in many communities.

The MTAâ€™s track record is such that one cannot fully trust the implementations of good intentions. However, Jay Walderâ€™s words are to be applauded and it is up to the legislature to make sure they are followed up with actions. Any future state aid should be contingent on reviews that show that the MTAâ€™s new direction is being implemented.

Homeless Shelter Rents â€“ Immoral and Nonsensical

2010-04-16T23:00:42Z

The most obvious thing about Mayor Bloombergâ€™s proposal to charge homeless people rent to live in City shelters is that it is immoral. The idea that the poorest among us that have lost their homes will need to pay for temporary shelter if they are lucky enough to get a job is just wrong. This is no way to help someone get that first step towards independence. People starting over have a number of issues to surmount need all the support they can get not the cold realities of the real world. The whole purpose of these shelters is to help people get ready for the world outside not to just thrust them into it.

Secondly the policy makes no sense. If people are supposed to be encouraged to find work, why penalize them by taking away some of their paycheck by charging them rent. Part of what people learn in shelters is money management, but there are many ways to do this without taking their meager earnings from them. Also, in order to move to an apartment people need to save for a security deposit and the first monthâ€™s rent. By taking their money from them the City will be slowing their rate of savings and their eventual transition to inedependent living. In many ways charging rent in shelters will perpetuate homlessness instead of helping to end it.

This policy is another example of when Mayor Bloombergâ€™s view from the top government is wrongheaded. This seems to symbolize a view many in the upper classes have that many homeless people are homeless by choice and in the case of this policy they should pay for the privilege of living in City shelters.Â As someone who works with many homeless service organizations I know this is far from the truth. People in shelters want to get out of them and City policy should be geared to encouraging them in this direction, not the opposite. The State Legislature can stop this policy and needs to do so now.

The Establishment Strikes Back With Vigor of Attacks on Paterson and Rangel

2010-03-16T00:59:20Z

Itâ€™s been like sharksÂ smelling blood in the water. The missteps of Governor Paterson and Congressman Rangel have led to a feeding frenzy on the part of the media that far exceeds whatever they have done. This has been most egregious in the case of the Governor. Even before the David Johnson affair erupted, the media went out of its way to cast the Governor in a negative light. He was made to seem constantly bumbling and making mistakes while none of highlights got coverage. He was constantly referred to as the â€œunelectedâ€ Governor as if that made him unqualified to govern. Never mind that he was elected Lieutenant Governor and like other LGs or VPs he succeeded a Chief Executive who was no longer able to serve per his constitutional responsibility. Never before in my lifetime has someone who has stepped into the role of leadership been treated so badly. Almost every headline was negative and his declining poll numbers inevitably followed. Ironic isnâ€™t it that the same media is hollering for the unelected Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch to take overÂ and the Governor to step down. I do believe that Governor Paterson rightly decided not to run for re-election but now he deserves to fill out his term and not be forced from office, barring any revelations of criminal wrongdoing (Yankee tickets excluded).

There has also been a ganging up on Congressman Charlie Rangel. With no criminal charges brought against him and an ongoing investigation by the House the clamoring for his resignation has gotten louder. Never mind all the good he has done and all the good he can do New York as a Senior member of Congress whether it is the Right Wing hate groups or the blaring headlines he seems convicted already in the media, The leaders in his district see this and rallied to his defense at a recent breakfast in Harlem.

I ask myself why the vigor of these attacks on the Governor and the Congressman. To my eyes there is political, media, and business establishment that these two do not belong to. They do not inhabit the Wall Street Boardrooms or the Park Avenue Living Rooms and socialize with the same set of people. Paterson and Rangel represent an establishment centered on 125th Street not Wall Street. There is a circle of friends where Mike Bloomberg, Mort Zuckerman and Steve Rattner meet and while it may intersect with the 125th Street Circle at times, the two never completely intermingle. Having both Paterson and RangelÂ in positions of senior leadership threatensÂ to move theÂ balance of City powerÂ more to uptownÂ from Park Avenue. So any chinks in the armor will be completely exploited to help shift the balance. Little wonder then that Eliot Spitzer, a creature of the Park Avenue establishment, is enjoying a renaissance and a career rehabilitation thanks to the media.Â Little wonder that Mike Bloombergâ€™s missteps, such as his cronyism andÂ hundreds of millions of dollars wasted on the CityTime contract,Â rarely getÂ much coverage in the media.Â

Both David Paterson and Charlie Rangel have made some mistakes that may in the end chase them from public office. However the mediaâ€™s rush to push them out is far too hasty and may be a case of the Establishment Striking Back.

Being Direct Is Good Leadership

2010-02-25T04:07:40Z

Governor Paterson recently remarked that he needed to get back to being more direct. He realized that this helps him get his message across and may yet save his campaign. Politicians too often parse their words in order not to offend anybody they end up saying nothing. This is a large communication failure and a disservice to their constituents. People respect leaders who speak directly. Tell the people where you are going, what you are going to do and they will respect you for it. They may not always agree but they will give you strong leadership points. While I disagreed with George Bush and Ronald Reagan with just about everything, they always spoke directly to the people about what they were going to do and the people followed them. Governor Paterson began his term speaking directly on the budget and other issues and this led to a uptick in his poll numbers. If he is able to directly speak to the voters he may be able to bring his campaign back from the brink.

Beware The â€œIndependentâ€ Democrats

2010-02-08T04:43:30Z

The 2010 elections are seeing a new breed 0f Democrats in New York. They call themselves â€œindependentâ€ Democrats and in many ways they are direct descendants of Mike Bloomberg. They come out of Wall Street and reject many of the populist stands taken by the Democratic Party. They claim to be attractive candidates because they bring â€œnew perspectivesâ€ that are different from traditional Democratic solutions. But their approach is in many ways antithetical to the values of the Democratic Party.

The most visible of these candidates is Harold Ford. After losing a Senate race in Tennessee, Ford came to New York as a Vice Chairman of Merrill Lynch and became Chair of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council and now is weighing a run against New Yorkâ€™s junior Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Merrill was a casualty of the financial collapse and is now a unit of Bank of America and Ford has taken a leave of absence to explore hisÂ Senate run.Â Ford is being bankrolled by a number of Wall Street titans. He projects an everyman charm on the campaign trail but his interests are those of the elite. While many Democrats, including President Obama,Â feel that there is something wrong with Wall Street paying itself record bonuses after being bailed out by the government, Ford sees no problem with these bonuses. This not surprising considering whoâ€™s paying his bills and that he is probably due a big bonus.

Another new Democratic candidate from Wall Street is Reshma Sanjani who is running in the primary against Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. Samjani has been an attorney for a number of Wall Street companies. She also has little problem withÂ the bonuses being doled out on Wall Street and wants to implement more pro-business policies. Carolyn Maloney has been a progressive Democrat, standing up for labor and progressive policies the needs of all New Yorkers. Sanjani, like Ford, thinks these stands are a little outdated. Sanjani is young, attractive, and represents a new immigrant community. Voters in Maloneyâ€™s district must not let this shiny surface distract them from the beliefs that are under the surface. A new approach is not necessarily a better approach.

Mike Bloomberg has gone on record saying New Yorkers should be calling Congress to urge them to allow Wall Streeters to get paid more because New York needs the money. While the cash is needed short term this not the right policy for the long term.Â Our representatives in Congress need to be looking for long term solutions to diversify our economy not increasing our bets on Wall Street. Gilllibrand and Maloney are working hard on these solutions, Ford and Sanjani appear more committed to helping Wall Street, echoing Bloombergâ€™s wishes. We should not be replacing two quality Democrats with Bloomberg followers. Like Bloomberg they claim to be independent, but they represent the financial industry, New Yorkâ€™s biggest special interest.

Harold Ford â€“ Out of Step With New York

2010-01-14T03:06:42Z

Harold Ford is the next hot thing in New York politics. He is young, telegenic, slick, rich, personable and with a good political pedigree. Like many New York Democrats, I hoped he would become a Senator from Tennessee and were dismayed by the smear campaign against him. However, as he mulls a campaign against Senator Kirsten Gillibrand it is clear he is the wrong person to represent New York in the Senate.Â Gillibrand was criticized for stances on gun control and immigration when she was appointed to the but her views on these issues have evolved andÂ she has a very progressive record in the Senate on issues ranging from labor to health care.

For a Democrat, Harold Ford has a very conservative record and views.Â Beyond his well documented NRA membership and pro-life views, FordÂ is currently showing himself to be a creature of Wall Street and is the Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council which pushes a conservative Democratic agenda. In the Times he said he strongly supported the no strings Wall Street bailout since he is â€œa capitalist.â€ As bankers prepare to gorge themselves on bonuses based on a government bailout, without changing their habits, it is clear that the old rules of capitalism must be changed and we needÂ a Senator who will push for that, not one who is the Vice Chairman of Merrill Lynch.

Like Mike Bloomberg, Ford will try to position himself as an independent running against the political establishment. However, it needs to be firmly stated that he is a part of the establishment in New York. The people that really pull the strings in the financial and real estate industries know they will have a friend in the Senate with Ford. On the conservative stands Gillibrand was criticized for, there is very little difference with Ford. However, there is a world of difference between them on the progressive stands Gillibrand has taken.Â Fordâ€™s â€œindependenceâ€ should not fool anyone into thinking he is truly on the side of most New Yorkers or in line with our beliefs. He is not. We need and deserve a Senator who will promote the values of New York, not Tennessee.

Wall Street Bonuses â€“ The Necessary Evil

2010-01-05T04:14:14Z

Governor Paterson has stated that we should be happy that Wall Streeters are getting large bonuses, because the State needs the money. In the short run he is correct. New York is facing a catastrohic budget shortfall and the tax revenues brought in by Wall Street bonuses are essential revenue to help our State.Â The Governor is wrong that we should not be critical of theÂ excessesÂ Wall Street has shown.Â Â The long term question is that the furor caused by theÂ excessive bonuses shows we have become way too dependent on Wall Street.Â Â In the financial good times, Wall Street leaders managed other peopleâ€™sÂ moneyÂ to pay their own bonuses and the result was our financial meltdown.Â Criticism for this behaviorÂ is well deserved and the recent decisions to continue to pay record bonuses after federal bailouts shows that this bad behavior continues. Wall Street excesses have resulted in a record gap between the richest New Yorkers and all others as too much money is concentrated at the top of the income scale.

So yes, as theÂ Governor says, we need the money and let us not look a gift horse in the mouth. Times are tough and we should take the money where we can get it.Â You canâ€™t say all this money is deserved and the fact that we need the money so much shows how dependent we have become on Wall Street. Our economy needs to diversify so we can stop the Wall Street dependence. New industries that develop businesses throughout the state need to be actively encouraged. We should not need to worry that if Wall Street is investigated that our whole economic baseÂ is threatened. Tax and economic policies have long catered to the Finance and Real Estate industries, thinking they would carry us forward. This year they are threatening to take us down with them.

MTA â€“ Scrooge to Kids and Riders, Santa to Contractors

2009-12-26T03:43:23Z

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 MTAâ€™s inefficiencyâ€™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 presentedÂ 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 MTAâ€™s budget dance. Drastic service cuts are threatened unless State Aid is delivered, butÂ 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.