WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District, Bronx County, New York
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District, Bronx County, New York
You should know that an article
titled “City Has to Pay Up If It Wants Better MTA Service, Cuomo Says”
written by Ben Fractenberg in the June 23, 2017 edition of DNAInfo
begins with the following sentence: “Governor Andrew Cuomo said the city
should put its money where its mouth is in funding the MTA to help fix
the beleaguered subway system.”
Instead of asking New York City
to pay more money into the MTA, wouldn’t it be more responsible for Governor
Andrew Cuomo to push for the reinstatement of the Commuter Tax? Shouldn’t
our beloved Governor at least pose this as a possibility and open the subject
for hearings, studies and political implications?
It is important for you to know
that back on May 27, 1999, former New York State Governor George E. Pataki
signed a bill into law to repeal the Commuter Tax.
That piece of legislation was rushed
through the Senate and Assembly for a vote, with no hearings, no debate
and no studies on the tax break for people who commute to New York City,
use our police, fire, sanitation, hospital, parks and other municipal services
when needed.
The commuter tax used to help defray
the cost of municipal services that New York City provides to one and all,
and when it was taken away, it was an additional financial burden placed
on everyone who lives in the five boroughs of the City to pay for those
services.
In other words, people who don’t
live in New York City and come here to work and shop, expect for us to
host them so they can take advantage of our municipal services, which include
our failing subway system.
Now, with all of the problems that
the MTA faces, how could Governor Andrew Cuomo say that the citizens of
New York City should pay even more money for these services?
Instead, if we reinstate the Commuter
Tax, people from Long Island, Westchester, and Upstate New York who come
to New York and use our transportation system can help to pull their fair
share of the burden.
I urge Governor Cuomo to lead the
way, and instead of asking New York City residents to chip in and pay more
money, he should really help the City by bringing back the Commuter Tax.
I am Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz,
and this is what you should know.
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