Golden: All New Yorkers Lose with Fare Hikes and Service Cuts

COMMUTERS HELD HOSTAGE BY INACTION OF DEMOCRATS

New York- State Senator Martin J. Golden (R-C, Brooklyn) today is denouncing the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s vote to implement fare hikes and service reductions at the same time, and is citing the failure of Governor Paterson, Assembly Speaker Silver and Senate Majority Leader Smith as cause to this end result.

Senator Marty Golden stated, "Does the Governor, Speaker and Majority Leader understand what a 25% fare increase and what the service reductions proposed by the M.T.A. mean to the average New Yorker? In these troubling economic times, this is clearly an issue that required leadership but unfortunately went basically ignored by the Democrats in charge. Although there were actually no good choices, today's vote by the M.T.A. was clearly the worst option."

Golden continued, "The issue of an M.T.A. bailout has become a political football. It was punted from Shelly Silver to Malcolm Smith, to the Governor, then a website was created, and then it is was dropped. The inaction on the part of the Democratic leadership of this state in control of the Governor’s mansion, the Senate and the Assembly, closing the doors completely to Republicans, failed all New Yorkers. Now, when you pay another 50 cents to ride the train or when you have to walk even further to catch a bus, remember to thank the Democrats. Their inaction has caused your quality of life, a basic necessity to work and to live, to suffer."

Senator Golden spoke at the Brooklyn hearing hosted by the Metropolitan Transit Authority where he opposed the fare hikes and service cuts on bus routes in his district. Senator Golden further organized a petition drive opposing service reductions to the entirety of the weekend express bus service on the X 27 and X 28, weekend service on the B 2, B 4 and B 16, overnight service on the B 31 and B 64, the entire B 37 bus route, and other reductions to the B 16 and B 70.