Malcolm Smith

Can Kibbles ‘n Bits Save the MTA?

While Majority Leader Malcolm Smith insists he can round up enough votes to pass the latest Senate MTA rescue plan, The Daily Politics reports that Bronx Assemblyman Peter Rivera participated in a rally today outside City Hall in protest of the proposal's $1 taxi surcharge, a facet of the bill that has also drawn fire from Mayor Bloomberg.

By Brad Aaron

4:01 PM EDT on April 24, 2009

Photo: The Daily Politics

While Majority Leader Malcolm Smith insists he can round up enough votes to pass the latest Senate MTA rescue plan, The Daily Politics reports that Bronx Assemblyman Peter Rivera participated in a rally today outside City Hall in protest of the proposal’s $1 taxi surcharge, a facet of the bill that has also drawn fire from Mayor Bloomberg.

Instead, Rivera thinks the answer to the MTA funding crisis is a tax on jet fuel, which ranks with the purchase of Canadian prescription drugs as the most far-fetched, nonsensical “solution” we’ve heard yet from Albany.

Of course, there’s still time for more, so let’s hear ’em: What’s the wackiest thing you can think of to slap a tax on to fund the MTA? Pet food? Cell phone minutes? Shoe strings? Nothing, apparently, is off limits.

Except driving.

Brad Aaron

Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York's dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.