Reinvent Albany • NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign
Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC)
Riders Alliance • TransitCenter
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Statement
Transit watchdog and advocacy groups strongly support Governor Cuomo’s proposal that he, legislative leaders and the mayor of New York City all represent themselves on the MTA Capital Program Review Board (CPRB). The groups say a public discussion of the MTA’s $50B plus 2020-2024 capital plan by the state’s political leaders would inject much needed transparency and accountability to wrangling over the public investment in the transit system at the core of the New York City and State economy. The groups thanked Governor Cuomo for his proposal and urged him to “represent himself” at open and public CPRB meetings regardless of what other leaders do.
Transcript of Governor Cuomo in radio interview with Alan Chartock October 1, 2010.
(Source: Governor’s office.)Governor Cuomo: Well because the way I do it is just by injecting myself publically. Now, I’ll give you the next step the capital plan – you’re right – they just came up with the capital plan of $50 billion, which is the largest capital plan in history. Which we need, I believe that. Not just for the city subway for Long Island Railroad, Metro North. And you’re right, it’s a concern for the entire state because it’s a big revenue generator. They came up with the $50 billion plan. What’s supposed to happen now? Well they put forth the $50 billion plan. Then goes to a committee called the CPRB and the CPRB are innocuous, anonymous committee where the State Senate, State Assembly, the Mayor of New York, the Governor get to appoint somebody to this committee. And that committee any one person on that committee can veto the plan. How can that be?
Alan Chartock: Okay, I got one more minute, I want to ask you something.
Governor Cuomo: Okay well, this is what I want to say, I want to be my representative on the CPRB and I think the Mayor should be his representative and the Senate Leader should be her representative and Carl Heastie should be his representative. Because if you want to veto a $50 billion plan that affects half of the state then you should stand up and do it in your own name and not some anonymous individual. So I’m going to say to them, we should be CPRB. If somebody’s going to veto the plan, I’m not going to hide behind my appointee and I’m not going through another Amazon with the State Senate where they hide behind an individual senator. We have a $50 billion plan. You want to veto it, the Mayor wants to veto it, put on your big boy pants, stand up, look at the camera, and say “I’m vetoing the $50 billion plan and this is why.”
Alan Chartock: Okay.
Governor Cuomo: Put in the law that they have to explain the vote, but then they have to be an appointee who actually has a public profile because who cares if Joe Smith who you’ve never heard of vetoes the plan and has a definition. Let’s get real political accountability and transparency.