Stop NYC Congestion Tax

Well, we did it!

The Congestion Tax is dead!  Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver just came out a short while ago and stated that the Congestion Tax legislation does not have the support to pass, and therefore will not be scheduled for a vote.

The State Senate is apparently in “chaos” over the matter, as reported by the Daily Politics.  All other leaders have thus far confirmed that it is dead.

That means the primary incentive used by Mayor Bloomberg and other pro-taxers as the impetus for passing this tax, the $354 million in Federal grants, has been forfeited. But, it’s worth reminding you that the grant amounts to less than 1% of the annual budget for the City of New York, so it really wasn’t much of an incentive anyway.

We should all take today and celebrate for the hard work that the public put into fighting the tax from becoming a reality! We all deserve to enjoy this most welcome development.

In the meantime, we need to show special appreciation and support for the following elected officials who did right by all New Yorkers in opposing the Congestion Tax:

• Assembly Member Richard Brodsky
• Council Member Joseph Addabbo
• Council Member Tony Avella
• Council Member Charles Barron
• Council Member Leroy Comrie
• Council Member Bill de Blasio
• Council Member Erik Martin Dilan
• Council Member Mathieu Eugene
• Council Member Lewis Fidler
• Council Member Dennis Gallagher
• Council Member James Gennaro
• Council Member Vincent Gentile
• Council Member Vincent Ignizio
• Council Member Melinda Katz
• Council Member Darlene Mealy
• Council Member Michael Nelson
• Council Member James S. Oddo
• Council Member Diana Reyna
• Council Member Helen Sears
• Council Member Peter F. Vallone, Jr.
• Council Member David Weprin

(If I left anyone out, let me know)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2008

CONTACT: JASON KOPPEL (718) 743-8610

DEATH OF CONGESTION PRICING PLAN A VICTORY FOR NEW YORKERS,
SEN. KRUGER SAYS

The death of congestion pricing in New York City marks a victory
for New Yorkers both philosophically and economically, Sen. Carl Kruger
(D-Brooklyn) said today.

An opponent of the plan from the outset, Sen. Kruger praised the
Assembly for “realizing that the devil was in the details” and putting
the idea of congestion pricing in New York City “where it belongs — in
its grave.” [Read more →]

Now that we are down to the wire for the Congestion Tax, it is imperative that each and every one of you contact your elected officials and bombard them with e-mails, phone calls and faxes saying no to the Congestion Tax.

You can e-mail all of your elected officials here at StopNYCCongestionTax.org by clicking this link to our Take Action page.  If you visit the State Assembly and State Senate websites, you can obtain the phone numbers to the Albany offices of your elected officials.

Please contact them as soon as possible to show them what a disservice they would be doing to those whom they represent if they pass this tax on us!

Council Member David I. Weprin (D-Hollis), Chair of the New York City Council Finance Committee, will be joined by local businesses, community and civic leaders, and elected officials to urge the State Legislature not to pass congestion pricing.

The fate of Congestion Pricing is now in the hands of the state legislature and has until April 7, 2008 to act or lose $354 million in federal funding.

WHAT:  CONGESTION PRICING RALLY AGAINST UNFAIR TAX

WHEN:  Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 12:00PM

WHERE: City Hall Steps

NOTE: THIS RALLY WILL BE CANCELED SHOULD THE LEGISLATURE ACT BEFORE APRIL 7

Tonight, the New York City Council voted 30-20 in favor of congestion pricing. We tried, but we unfortunately did not have the purchasing power that our Mayor has. Luckily, this must pass both the State Senate and the State Assembly before it can be enacted into law. State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says that the Assembly will not even consider congestion pricing until the budget in Albany is passed. Knowing the usual dysfunction in Albany, this may be the best thing that has happened yet for the congestion tax opposition, so long as it stays that way.

Though the Mayor may believe this is a victory for him, he and his newfound supporters will inevitably be reminded for the rest of their lives that they did not win this battle in the Council by making the stronger arguments and convincing others by the merits of their principles. Rather, they got this victory the only way a billionaire businessman knows how: pay the representatives of the people to sell out their constituents and their principles in exchange for cash.

Here’s an analysis. Though the Mayor once was a registered Republican, albeit in name only, none of the Council’s three Republicans voted in favor of the congestion tax. Considering the Republican Party line has been historically “no new taxes”, they appear to be consistent in following that philosophy here and were not swayed by promises of pork and donations. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the Senate Majority.

Brooklyn and Queens Council Members stood the strongest on principle and voted against it more than from any of the five boroughs, also demonstrating their honorable fortitude in the face of mounting pressure from large campaign cash incentives, and pork barrel projects. We must thank Council Member Lew Fidler, David Weprin, and Tony Avella in particular for really leading the fight in the Council. All the more credit goes to one of the newest members of the Council, Mathieu Eugene, for standing up against another tax on his constituents.

Not surprisingly, every Manhattan Council Member voted in favor, but several outer borough Council Members did as well. I know the Bloomberg administration dwarfed the stats to make it seem that so few people drive into or within Manhattan, but for their sake, they better hope drivers don’t vote more than mass transit riders.

What will prove the most interesting is whether members of the Council who voted in favor of the plan and who are looking to run this fall or next fall for higher office will face a landslide of opposition from outer boroughs.

I think it’s worth highlighting the following apparent contradiction from the Senate Majority, which supports Bloomberg’s Congestion Tax.  Below is from a Senate press release promising to reject one of former Governor Spitzer’s proposed tax increases on cars.  Hopefully, there will be enough members of the Senate Majority who will realize that they will jeopardize their credibility and purpose with the people of New York State if they break their no-tax pledge by passing the Congestion Tax on New Yorkers.

SENATE TO REJECT “SPITZER CAR TAX”
PROPOSED 300 PERCENT HIKE WOULD UNFAIRLY BURDEN NY DRIVERS

The New York State Senate Majority today announced it will reject the “Spitzer Car Tax” when it advances its budget next week, since the proposed three hundred percent tax hike would unfairly burden Upstate and Long Island drivers and their families. [Read more →]

At Monday’s City Council hearings, the news was out that Governor Paterson finally introduced legislation to implement the Congestion Tax, with less than a week for the City and State to make a decision by its own March 31st deadline.

The legislation was subsequently sponsored in the State Senate by Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and just yesterday, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver did the same, apparently with echoing boos from his fellow conference members.

The Senate bill is S.7243, and the Assembly version does not have a number yet.
[Read more →]

Civic Center Residents Coalition Opposes Mayor Bloomberg’s Congestion Pricing Plan

Recently Released DOT Placard Parking Survey Backs Lower Manhattan Residents’ Claims that Bloomberg’s Congestion Pricing Plan Will Not Work

The Civic Center Residents Coalition, an alliance of Lower Manhattan residential complexes and small business owners formed after 9/11, has long been calling attention to the impact of illegal placard parking on the safety and well being of Downtown residents and businesses for years.

The long awaited N.Y.D.O.T. study, entitled “Placard Parking Usage in Lower Manhattan, issue 3″ provides the best documentation of the magnitude of the problem. This 400+ page document released just two weeks before the Congestion Pricing vote is still not posted on the DOT’s website. The study also provides strong evidence that Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed Congestion Pricing Plan will not provide significant reduction of vehicular traffic in Lower Manhattan. [Read more →]

We have been in touch with 1010 WINS and other media about purchasing some ad space/air time to inform the public about the website and what they can do to fight the Congestion Tax.

Since this is the last week before the deadline to pass the Congestion Tax, we would really need your help in paying for this extra advertising.

Using ChipIn technology, I have placed an online fundraising tool on our site that allows anyone to contribute securely via PayPal to StopNYCCongestionTax.org.

Our fundraising goal would be about $1,000 by the end of this week. If you think about it, that’s 100 people paying $10 each, or 50 people paying $20 each. Either way, it’s a small investment now to save ourselves and the people who make New York City the greatest city in the world an extra $2,000 a year at least.Please consider making a small donation today at StopNYCCongestionTax.org to keep the fight alive at this crucial hour! And please forward this to all your friends! Thank you very much!

The State & Federal Legislation Committee hearing on congestion pricing and the Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission’s final recommendation will take place in the City Council Chambers this Monday, March 24, 2008.

There will be two sessions, one at 10 AM and another at 6 PM.

The hearings will start off with a panel of speakers, and then the public will be able to sign up to speak.  It’s first-come, first-served–so if you want to tell the members of the City Council what an awful idea this is, be sure to be there and sign up!