The Ravitch Commission

By Drew Scott

One of the most important public meetings of the year will occur this Monday evening, September 22nd, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Nassau County Legislature Building in Mineola.

It's a meeting of the 13-member state appointed Richard Ravitch Commission. They are appointed by the governor to find out why the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York keeps raising its fares for commuters and continually operates its budgets in the millions of dollars in the RED!

By July of 2009, the MTA admits it will need $900 million to balance their books.

Experts I interviewed today, including MTA board member Mitch Pally, explain the problem is simple--fewer subsidies or grants of money from Washington, Albany and New York City. Additionally, they say with the current economic crisis on Wall Street, it might be better for the MTA to scale back some of its more ambitious projects.

Matt Crosson of the Long Island Association suggests there are more economic returns in adding a third LIRR track in Nassau than in the East Side Access project which will costs BILLIONS!

Smart growth planner Eric Alexander of Vision Long Island says we might have to re-think Congestion Pricing and the revenue it raises from automobile drivers.

But the most important people of all to offer suggestions aren't even being allowed to testify before the Ravitch Commission in person, because only invited organizations and officials are being allowed to speak! That, said many I talked to today, is a BIG problem. However you can e-mail your suggestions by using the following e-mail address: [email protected]

Give em' heck!