Bloomberg Tactics Were Highhanded on Traffic Plan, Lawmakers Say

NY Times ^ | April 8, 2008 | DIANE CARDWELL and DANNY HAKIM

[neverdem]

Last week, with a landmark proposal at a delicate juncture, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s transportation commissioner raced to Albany as part of an all-out effort to persuade state lawmakers to approve a measure to charge drivers entering the busiest sections of Manhattan.

In Albany, the commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan, expressed the mayor’s sentiments, saying: “You are either for this historic change in New York or you’re against it. And if you’re against it, you’re going to have a lot of explaining to do.”

Ms. Sadik-Khan’s remarks were widely noted by Albany lawmakers, with some viewing her tone as condescending. So when it was revealed that the state police had pulled her over for speeding and improperly using her lights and sirens on her way to the Capitol, it only underscored what the legislators saw as the Bloomberg administration’s imperious attitude.

“When Commissioner Sadik-Khan was coming up here telling me I can’t drive, she was busy being driven in a city-owned car by a chauffeur, speeding, getting a ticket with her lights and sirens on,” said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, a Bronx Democrat and an ardent foe of the program. The proposal was “rotten to the core,” said Mr. Dinowitz, who was handing out copies of a Daily News article about Ms. Sadik-Khan’s citations to fellow legislators.

Despite the intimate meals at Gracie Mansion, exhaustive lobbying, and presentations of sophisticated, district-by-district traffic analyses, Mr. Bloomberg was unable to persuade lawmakers like Mr. Dinowitz to support his plan, which would have formed a major pillar in his legacy. Indeed, Ms. Sadik-Khan’s stumble was but one of many missteps that state lawmakers said had led to the program’s demise, and something of a replay of events last July, when Mr. Bloomberg previously failed to persuade lawmakers to approve the proposal to charge drivers $8 to...

[sinanju]

Isn’t Bloomie borrowing that idea from London Town’s “Red Ken” Livingstone?

[neverdem]

It'll be too soon if I never heard of Bloomberg again.

There’s Gas in Those Hills NY too!

FReepmail me if you want on or off my New York ping list.

[neverdem]

Exactly

[Rudder]

Something's amiss here with Bloomberg's traffic reduction scheme. First the idea was to charge all drivers so as reduce traffic entering the area.

But now, since Silver has nixed the plan, Bloomberg proposes taxing miliionaires for the purpose of...? I 'm lost again. What the hell is he up to, merely raising money?

[razorback-bert]

Ms. Sadik-Khan’s

When I see Ms. and a hyphen, I know I am dealing with liberal.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[neverdem]

What the hell is he up to, merely raising money?

Either that or controlling behavior. For the left, it's a no brainer. Either way, they think they win. Same goes with taxes on tobacco. They never appreciate unintended consequences or analyze all the costs.

[Ken H]

Something's amiss here with Bloomberg's traffic reduction scheme. First the idea was to charge all drivers so as reduce traffic entering the area.

But now, since Silver has nixed the plan, Bloomberg proposes taxing miliionaires for the purpose of...? I 'm lost again. What the hell is he up to, merely raising money?

Cities all over the country seem desparate to raise revenue. Since the populace is resistant to higher taxes, things like tolls and red light cameras offer a way around that problem.

I have to wonder if pension and health care obligations could be part of what's driving this. They've certainly been a drag on US auto companies. With the expansion of government at all levels, I would think those obligations are quite substantial, if not overwhelming.

[Rudder]

I have to wonder if pension and health care obligations could be part of what's driving this.

Oh, it sure isn't helping, that's clear. The retirement boom is just hitting the fan and dragging along the whole package: health care and pension funded checks every month. The State-as-employer used these as seduction to get better long-term workers, now they be biting back.

[Ken H]

Agree. In addition, federal revenue grants used for hiring more teachers, health workers, etc. further increase the cities' obligations. AFAIK, the feds aren't on the hook for those costs.

[xkaydet65]

Liberal rich guys usually have the attitude that they know best and we are ignorant rubes. Still I would have enjoyed seeing it pass, just to watch two liberal rich guys go to war. Corzine was going to use the commerce clause of the Constitution to prevent the fee from affecting Jerseyites.

He had a credible case that it unfairly charged New Jersey drivers, truckers, and businesses doing business across state lines. It clearly states in the Constituion that Congress is the only entity that can regulate interstate trade and that states may not charge or tax goods or traffic entering their state. Bridge and road tolls are usage charges for particular venues. Manhattan below 60th street is a destination and cannot be treated as a bridge or highway. It would have been fun to Mike smacked down in SCOTUS and have Antonin Scalia deliver a stinging sarcastic opinion.