NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is mobilizing parents and straphangers in defense of the city’s endangered free student MetroCards. His office is seeking volunteers to hand out flyers at over 20 subway stations between 7am and 9:30am tomorrow, Thursday, February 18. The flyers will ask recipients to call Gov. Paterson and legislative leaders to restore the free student cards, which the MTA will cut to plug its latest budget gap. The state and city used to fully fund student passes, but their share of the costs has dwindled over the years. According to the Daily News, the state now contributes only $6 million annually towards a program the MTA says costs $214 million (the governor has proposed a slight increase, to $25 million).
Those interested in participating should contact José Davila at jdavila@pubadvocate.nyc.gov or (212) 669-7200. Flyering will take place at the following stations:
Bronx: 3rd Ave-149 St (2, 5); 161 St-Yankee Stadium (B, D, 4); Fordham Rd-Jerome Ave (4); Parkchester (6)
Brooklyn: DeKalb Ave (B, M, Q, R); Nostrand Ave (A, C); 7th Ave (F, G); 36 St (D, M, N, R); 59 St (N, R); Church Ave (F, G); Kings Highway (B, Q); Flatbush Ave-Brooklyn College (2, 5)
Manhattan: Canal St (J, M, N, R, Q, W, Z, 6); 72 St (1, 2, 3); 86 St (4, 5, 6); 168 St (A, C, 1)
Queens: 46 St-Bliss St (7); 74 St-Broadway (7); Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Ave (E, F, R, V, G); Forest Hills-71 Ave (E, F, R, V, G); Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer (E, J, Z); Flushing-Main St (7)
Staten Island: SI Ferry Terminal (Staten Island side)
So who should pick up the 214 million dollar tab for free MTA passes? Who does the public advocate believe should pick up the tab? My belief is that it should not be the MTA.
I would guess that the phrase “The flyers will ask recipients to call Gov. Paterson and legislative leaders to restore the free student cards” implies that de Blasio is asking the state to increase funding.
All I know is that when MTA fare hit 2 bucks that was it for my kid and myself. I can’t be the only parent in NYC that doesn’t go to a movie, or shopping, or enjoying sites with my child(ren) because when the cost of transit is factored in it makes funding of activities prohibitive. Great for a family friendly and booming NYC economy, huh?
Bloomberg: Need a maid for your Bermuda estate? I’m available and will work cheap. At least I could send my kid to public school there.
I would buy my kid a scooter to get to school, but I was a WTC 9-11 initial responder and eat condiments with curry (soup) now so my kid can eat real meals. I’d be making over 100K now if I didn’t become disabled from being Down There. Oh. I forgot. You think we are malingerers.
You are stupider than you like to look, Mike. If you had the balls to take on a woman, in her 50’s now, I’d be more than happy to take you and your 15 bodyguards on in a Queens parking lot.
“God help us. Every one.”
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