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Before we begin, I think the MTA already hemorrhages a lot of money they are being bailed out by the Fed and Albany year after year. They can't turn a profit regardless.
If the subways and busses become free, what it will do is reduce the amount of policing necessary to catch people fare beating.
Citation needed. It was my impression that the busy stations like Times Square do have the most crime numerically.
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More people would take mass transit than take Hail rides. More low income people would move into NYC and increase the amount of workers and help them with income.
People who hail rides do not take mass transit because of the cost. If you can afford $40-60 per ride, you can afford $2.75 already.
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Transportation costs is already a huge expense for many low income workers. I would make NYC mass transit free but increase taxes on local businesses because it helps them the most.
Ah yes, because local businesses are not taxed enough already. Soon we will have to take your free mass transit to New Jersey to buy a loaf of bread.
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Allowing free mass transit will immensely increase tourism, commuting, and reduce the amount of traffic.
Literally no tourist cares what our subway costs, they just pay whatever it is. They already spend thousands of dollars for a plane ticket and the hotels, an extra 10 bucks is a nothingburger. Same for people who commute by car. People who have cars can afford to ride the subway regardless of the cost. Our subway is already relatively cheap.
a turnstile jumper and it turns out he has an illegal gun on him. Will be plenty more of that.
With free access to public transit there will be NO SUCH THING as turnstile jumpers, or turnstiles for that matter or the need to police the turnstiles, or token booths and attendant clerks.
All costs, including bond amortization will be borne by the general purse, which can be made as progressive as necessary (asset tax). If Madame finds rubbing elbows with the common people distasteful, she is free to hire Jeeves to drive her to the opera in her Duesenberg.
With free access to public transit there will be NO SUCH THING as turnstile jumpers, or turnstiles for that matter or the need to police the turnstiles, or token booths and attendant clerks.
All costs, including bond amortization will be borne by the general purse, which can be made as progressive as necessary (asset tax). If Madame finds rubbing elbows with the common people distasteful, she is free to hire Jeeves to drive her to the opera in her Duesenberg.
In that context, the issue isn't turnstile jumpers. It's people bringing illegal weapons on the train. Patting down a turnstile jumper is a means to prevent that.
Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the consequence of the explosive growth of the welfare state for the better part of the last decade in NYC. There are lots of clowns in this city who actually think things can be “freeâ€. Why? Because our scumbags politicians keep promising and delivering (for votes of course) free **** to anyone willing to scam the system and not work too hard to better their situation. In fact, the current system encourages poor life choices in those who are already prone to it.
This will end badly but it can go on for a long time until the city is run off of a fiscal cliff.
Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the consequence of the explosive growth of the welfare state for the better part of the last decade in NYC. There are lots of clowns in this city who actually think things can be “freeâ€. Why? Because our scumbags politicians keep promising and delivering (for votes of course) free **** to anyone willing to scam the system and not work too hard to better their situation. In fact, the current system encourages poor life choices in those who are already prone to it.
This will end badly but it can go on for a long time until the city is run off of a fiscal cliff.
And yet the MTA is still trying to unravel the great mystery of why the middle and upper classes avoid the subway system as much as possible.
And yet the MTA is still trying to unravel the great mystery of why the middle and upper classes avoid the subway system as much as possible.
It’s a disaster of a public transit agency. Their customer base is the welfare class (who doesn’t care because the upside of living in NYC and getting free ****), the yuppie class that only needs to travel up
To 10 stops, and buffoons who eat up and regurgitate the MTAs excuse of “we’re a 24/7 agency and that’s why we can’t get anything doneâ€. By the way, they’ve literally been using this excuse for decades now.
In that context, the issue isn't turnstile jumpers. It's people bringing illegal weapons on the train. Patting down a turnstile jumper is a means to prevent that.
Don't forget the mentally ill drug addicts who shove random strangers into the subway tracks, poop on themselves, masturbate publicly, smoke crack openly, and have bizarre 1 sided conversations with movie posters.
With free access to public transit there will be NO SUCH THING as turnstile jumpers, or turnstiles for that matter or the need to police the turnstiles, or token booths and attendant clerks.
All costs, including bond amortization will be borne by the general purse, which can be made as progressive as necessary (asset tax). If Madame finds rubbing elbows with the common people distasteful, she is free to hire Jeeves to drive her to the opera in her Duesenberg.
That would be a significant shortfall of revenue, roughly around 10% of the city budget per year to put it in perspective. No issuance of bonds will cover that.
Before we begin, I think the MTA already hemorrhages a lot of money they are being bailed out by the Fed and Albany year after year. They can't turn a profit regardless.
If the subways and busses become free, what it will do is reduce the amount of policing necessary to catch people fare beating.
More people would take mass transit than take Hail rides. More low income people would move into NYC and increase the amount of workers and help them with income.
Transportation costs is already a huge expense for many low income workers. I would make NYC mass transit free but increase taxes on local businesses because it helps them the most.
Allowing free mass transit will immensely increase tourism, commuting, and reduce the amount of traffic.
Of course, the reality is that the government do not really care about any of this. Their goal is to create problems in order to create revenue from the problems they create and compound.
The speed camera is a perfect example, it doesn't reduce traffic accidents. They seem to pop up where nobody walks and few accidents occur.
Congestion pricing will simply make Manhattan into a paradise for the rich to enjoy their neighborhoods free of honking traffic and they will still enjoy being driven around even better and willing to pay the $25 surcharges.
Students and turnstile jumpers ride for free and low-income workers (and non-workers), people with disabilites and people over 65 benefit from reduced fares.
$7.222 billion of the MTAs revenue comes from dedicated taxes and subsidies the Authority receives from the cities and states that we serve. Another $6.870 billion comes from fares and tolls.
$7.222B + $6.870B = $14.092B but the 2023 operating budget for MTA is $19.2 B, so there's a nearly $5B annual shortfall, which will need to be brought whole with tax and fare increases. Free rides might be nice for you, but it will cost nearly everyone else.
In that context, the issue isn't turnstile jumpers. It's people bringing illegal weapons on the train. Patting down a turnstile jumper is a means to prevent that.
If the biggest problem is bringing weapons on trains then:
1. Paying $2.75 isn't going to deter criminal intent. Are you suggesting EVERYONE should get "patted down."
2. The first major step in eliminating firearms on trains is to ABOLISH THE SECOND AMENDMENT which the Supreme Court will soon uphold, and ALL firearms will become legal in ALL contexts.
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