New York, NY – Mayor Taps Image of Asthmatic Girl to Promote Traffic Plan

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    New York, NY – An image of a sad-looking little girl squeezing an asthma inhaler is being used to pressure state lawmakers into approving Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to reduce traffic and pollution by charging motorists who drive into Manhattan.

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    The tag line: "She cannot hold her breath waiting for Albany to act.''

    The flier is being mailed this week to 350,000 households throughout the city, urging residents to call lawmakers in Albany. The state legislature would have to come back for a special session to approve the plan  – $8 for cars and $21 for trucks – before a July 16 application deadline for federal funding.

    "Does anybody want to look a parent in the eye and say, 'Well, we can wait for your child, we'll do it down the road, just let your child continue to breathe worse air than we could have had if we had the courage to stand up?' I don't think anybody wants to make that call,'' Bloomberg said at a rally staged to show support for his proposal.

    U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, an outspoken critic of New York City's congestion pricing plan, said using the asthmatic little girl to push the plan is more of a political tactic than anything based on substance.

    "The mayor should be applauded for raising this important subject of asthma, but his response seems to be anyone who opposes him wants to poison kids,'' Weiner said. "The mayor's car tax is not a cure for asthma – what it is is a giant bureaucracy funded by a regressive tax.'' [AP]


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    5 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    16 years ago

    does anybody know how much emmisions are burned because traffic lights are unsynchronized
    or excessively long

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    16 years ago

    He’s also appealing the majority of NYC residents, who don’t drive.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    16 years ago

    He’s appealing to hispanics and blacks, oops, I mean ethnic groups which have a large percentage of asthmatic people.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    16 years ago

    all Bloomy is good for is Gloomy taxes.
    What will he raise next?
    All of you that voted for him are to blame!
    why not make a new tax on gasoline too. so what if it costs 6.00 a gallon… you can take mass transit or buy a bike for 1000.00 like gloomy bloomy.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    16 years ago

    KIND!

    Hiding his ambitious for money under a blanket of sick children

    Let me ask you, if the plans go through will there be no more asthma kids in the city?

    Well if the mayor will guarantee it in writing? Is it 100% money back guarantee that if we will pay the millions of dollars in the new car-tax law that those kids will become healthy?
    The Mayer is desperate because is out lose a half Billion dollars yes with a “B”!
    So he is taking the sick children and uses them as a shield