Forging a rescue of the cash-strapped MTA was Malcolm Smith’s first big test as Senate majority leader.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Gov. Paterson were already on board with a bailout, at least in principle. All Smith had to do was bring his house into agreement.
He couldn’t.
Indeed, if Senate Democrats were looking for the fastest way to run New York’s transit system into ’70s-era ruin, they couldn’t have done much better than the snake-oil-infused compromise they proposed yesterday.
At issue: MTA guru Richard Ravitch’s plan to mitigate the Authority’s operational deficit and its long-term capital needs with dedicated cash from a regional payroll tax, East River bridge tolls and an 8 percent fare hike.
Both Silver and Paterson concur in a broad-brush way – but Smith said no.
His way: a slightly smaller payroll tax, a 4 percent fare hike – and no tolls.
Also, no cash for the MTA’s five-year, $30 billion capital budget – funding the Authority’s needs for new trains, construction and station repairs.
What’s Smith’s plan for funding those costs? Ask him in January, he says.
Actually, it’s worse than that: Under the Ravitch plan, the payroll tax would form the core of the dedicated capital revenue. Poach that dough for operating costs, and Albany will have to find yet another tax to raise.
Or let the system crumble.
Or, most likely, both.
Let’s be clear. Silver early on tossed the MTA ball into Smith’s court – obviating the need to put any of his members at risk with a formal vote on bridge tolls.
Still, it’s clear that Smith has absolutely no control over his conference.
Yesterday’s travesty was engineered by the same loathsome Senate foursome who withheld their support from Smith as majority leader until he bought them off with plum committee chairmanships.
That’s not leadership. That’s a commercial transaction.
If only New Yorkers who depend on a safe, reliable transit system had that kind of leverage.
If only Malcolm Smith had a spine.