NYC Mayor and MTA Chief Reignite Rivalry

 

 

By Mike Vilensky and Mara Gay

 

The recent crisis of subway meltdowns has revived a rivalry between Mayor Bill de Blasio and Joseph Lhota, competitors in the 2013 mayor’s race.

Since Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed Mr. Lhota the chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority about a month ago, Mr. Lhota has sparred with Mr. de Blasio and backed up Mr. Cuomo as the governor feuds with the mayor.

As he prepares to release a plan for fixing the subways, Mr. Lhota is facing new tensions between the MTA and City Hall, and criticisms from some of the legislators who unanimously confirmed him last month.

“A lot of us have confidence [Mr. Lhota] has the skill set necessary to lead the MTA,” said Sen. Michael Gianaris, a Queens Democrat who voted for Mr. Lhota. “But the concern is he’s been acting in a very political way since his appointment, and he seems to just be echoing the position of the governor…That raises questions about his credibility.”

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Source: The Wall Street Journal (via The Empire Report)