New York City – An effort by some Metropolitan Transportation Authority board members to maintain a free but unpopular perk — free E-ZPass tags and free travel on subways, buses and commuter railroads — has drawn an unusually angry denunciation from Gov. David A. Paterson this morning. The governor said in a statement:
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According to published reports, some members of the M.T.A. board are considering voting in opposition to Chairman Hemmerdinger’s proposal to restrict their own personal use of free E-ZPass tags, commuter rail passes, and other special benefits. At a time when millions of state residents are feeling the pinch of an economy in turmoil and struggling to support their families, such a decision would demonstrate an utter contempt for average New Yorkers. And according to Attorney General Cuomo, it would violate the law. These board members, while valuable to the M.T.A., are certainly not above the law. If M.T.A. board members truly want to better understand the system they oversee, they should pay the same tolls and fares as everyone else, and be part of the public transportation system that millions of New Yorkers depend on every day.
The board’s chairman, H. Dale Hemmerdinger, a real estate executive, who was appointed by Mr. Paterson’s predecessor, Gov. Eliot Spitzer, at first considered going to court to preserve the perks, but he quickly reversed course. Mr. Hemmerdinger agreed that all former board members would lose their travel perks, while the 22 current board members would be allowed to use the tags and passes only in the course of their official duties, like traveling to meetings or public hearings.
That seemed to end the attention given to the matter — until this week, when a prominent board member, David S. Mack, was quoted as saying that the board members deserved the perk and were not happy about it being taken away. “Why should I ride and inconvenience myself when I can ride in a car?” Mr. Mack asked. Mr. Mack, real estate developer, was appointed in 1993 and represents Nassau County on the M.T.A. board.
Mr. Cuomo, speaking at a sidewalk news conference in front of the building where he has offices, on Broadway in Lower Manhattan, said that if the board did not vote to limit its use of the free travel passes, he would take legal action against individual board members to collect money they not pay in tolls while using the free E-ZPasses.
“My message is, if you don’t stop it, I will,” Mr. Cuomo said, adding, “I think some of these statements are outrageous. If they persist in this course of conduct I will have no recourse but to take legal action.”
He continued: “If the board members persist in this course of conduct. . . I will use the law to recoup the money that belongs to the taxpayers.” He later added, “You’re serving on the board, it is a public service. . . you’re there to represent the users of the system. You’re not there for perks. You’re not there for a free E-ZPass.”
Echoing Mr. Paterson, Mr. Cuomo suggested that board members were acting out of a sense of entitlement.
“They’re raising tolls, they’re raising fares and they believe they need to retain their free E-ZPasses,” Mr. Cuomo said. “My personal position is that it’s an outrage. You’re not there for the perks, you’re there to represent the people.”
So why not put some real small business people on the board instead of the super rich spoiled billionaires who don’t have the slightest idea of how the subway is dysfunctional.
A wise okd man once sadid ” No One Is Ireplaceable and “Yjer is No Free Lunch”
This is just to incite class envy and is not worse than execs that get to use the workout room as a perk. Airlines and the travel industry in general gives discouted or free travel to it’s employees as a perk. Assuming that each of the 22 board members uses $10 worth of travel a day, 5 days a week, it amounts to a total of 55K, or $2500 a piece. That’s not exorbitant and the legal action to rcoup it might be more. For 55k, or even 110K, let them keep it. The amount is not worth the discussion.
I do not like anyone on the gov’t dole and especially rich guys taking unfair perks. A hundred thousand here and a hundred thousand there and you got a big debt. Do you know these MTA big shots have VERY expensive paintings in their board. I am paying for that and I do not use the subways. It is not the same as a private for profit company and that is why the AG is involved
How are these guys any different, or better, than someone who jumps a turnstile to get on the train without paying?