| Bloomberg's
Inconvenient Truth
By
Rafael Martinez-Alequín
May
6 , 2007
Mayor Bloomberg’s administration has been
in the forefront of creating a clean environment. When he announced
the congestion price $8.00 (tax?) for cars entering Manhattan South
of 86th street, it seemed a win-win situation, for the environment
and for the average citizen.
At the time, the mayor made his announcement citing a similar program
in London as the model for New York City. Also, former Vice-President
Al Gore, during a news conference at the opening of the Tribeca
Film Festival, endorsed the mayor’s congestion price enthusiastically.
However, Mr.Gore, does not realize the political history of previous
City Hall administrations. They tried to impose tolls on the East
river bridges. In a Bronx news conference, when a New Jersey reporter
asked the mayor how the congestion price would affect New Jersey
drivers, the Mayor’s response was, “New Jersey, and
Connecticut drivers will not be affected, because they already paid
a toll getting into Manhattan.”
Since NYC leaders have not been able to impose a toll on the East
river bridges, the Mayor and his advisors are trying to sneak another
tax on the crumbling middle-class and the poor, who are living in
the outer boroughs. The mayor, his fellow billionaires and the Manhattan
elites, who drive Mercedes, BMWs, Jaguars and even Roll Royces,
will be the reigning monarchs of Manhattan. Manhattan will be Verbotten
for the working class residents that built and maintain it. The
tax works in London where citizens enjoy good wages, socialized
medicine and free education. Rents in Britain are not cheap but
affordable compared to New York City. The pound, (their currency)
is valued at almost two American dollars. As enticing as the mayor’s
congestion prices are for a clean environment, the question remains....
Why the working class has to subsidize Bloomberg’s chosen
people? Watch Bloomberg blast at:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-597854670332341663&pr=goog-sl
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