Governor David A. Paterson today called on the Legislature to take immediate action on the MTA to prevent drastic fare hikes for New Yorkers. The Governor presented a solution to Legislative Leaders earlier this week that would avoid sharp fare increases and keep the MTA running through 2010.

“We were elected to public office to make the hard decisions and to take action on behalf of everyday New Yorkers,” said Governor Paterson. “When we have a solution at hand to avoid drastic fare hikes and service reductions, now is not the time to raise new issues and new problems, now is the time to stand up for the millions of New Yorkers that use our buses, trains and subways and act now.”

“Every time a solution is proposed, the same old Albany establishment comes up with any reason they can to block progress,” the Governor said. “It’s time for those voices to quiet and for those of us in leadership to get to work. It is time to change how we do business in Albany. I am calling on both houses of the legislature to return on Monday and vote on my proposed solution to the MTA crisis.”

The Governor’s proposal focuses on removing the burden on local school districts that would have been imposed by payroll taxes. This extra burden is especially challenging to suburban counties such as Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester where New Yorkers are already struggling to pay high property taxes. A proposed payroll tax on the 12 counties served by mass transit would generate about $1.5 billion to fund the MTA. In the Governor’s plan, the State would reimburse local school districts for the tax – a cost of $60 million per year. This reimbursement follows through on the executive order the Governor issued last week – reforming how mandates are levied by Albany on local government and ending Albany’s practice of passing on additional burdens to everyday New Yorkers through increased property taxes.

“I remain committed to working with the Legislature to address the MTA and road and bridge capital plans at a later date – as has been done in the past by the Governor and Legislature,” said Governor Paterson.

(Dov Gordon – YWN)