Readers Write: Fare increases coming

The Island Now

Re: “Like It or Not, MTA Fare Increases Are Coming,” Larry Penner, 1/4/2021. Is the author so busy writing his opinion pieces he is totally oblivious to what is happening in this post-pandemic city?
The author is in favor of the City of New York contributing more money. It would be nice if the author would say how much the city is contributing now, and how much the author feels should be contributed. The City of New York this year is facing an 8 – 9 billion dollar budget gap. Only an eleventh-hour deal between various unions and the city prevented 22,000 layoff notices from being issued on 10/1/2020. A detective union last week agreed to forestall retroactive monies for its members. Other unions have agreed to defer payments to their welfare funds. Tourism, Broadway, and the restaurant business have all shrunk and/or vanished, and the city’s tax base along with it (the author in his various other opinion pieces criticizes DeBlasio and Cuomo for effectively shuttering city restaurants and urges us to support restaurants). Where exactly does the author propose the city come up with the money? The printing press?
The author also feels the state should contribute more money, although he acknowledges the state contributes a “significant” amount of money. How much is “significant?” How much more does the author feel should be contributed?
In addition, the author has time and again excoriated the MTA for overtime abuses, studies of capital projects that will never come to fruition, the 2nd Avenue subway. Why doesn’t the author advocate cost cutting in this particular opinion piece?
Furthermore, the author states in other opinion pieces that American families must make hard budget choices when times are tough. He acknowledges in yet other opinion pieces the new realities of telecommuting. Why doesn’t the author provide a ridership analysis to determine whether the current level of service is appropriate? It may be, it may not be.
For months the author was railing against a Federal bailout, insisting the problem was mismanagement of money. Since the bailout held the line on the fare increase, is he now in favor of it?
Is the author so busy writing his various opinion pieces that he doesn’t bother to look at his other opinion pieces? Does the author not see how much they conflict with one another?
The author is an American, covered under the 1st Amendment, free to express his opinion so long as it is not libelous. I wouldn’t have it any other way. But the author should give the entire picture and not bits and pieces. He should not cherry pick facts that support the opinion du jour.

Nat Weiner

Bronx

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