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Community Corner

MTA reduces future fare hikes from 7.5% to 4%

I recently wrote a Speak Out called

Hocus Pocus, Alakazam! I didn't raise taxes.

In that article I mentioned the taxes on your cell phone bill.  I didn't breakdown the taxes and surcharges, but one of them is the surcharge from the MTA (LIRR, MetroNorth, etc).  Yes that is correct, one of the charges on your Cell Phone Bill goes directly to the MTA.  Make a phone call - pay the train. :-)

Did you know that?

Did you know that a portion of your sales tax on everything you buy goes directly to the MTA?

This is a great follow-up to Hocus Pocus, Alakazam! I didn't raise taxes. So please read on.

You may have read today the MTA will reduces the planned fare hikes from 7.5% to 4% for their riders.  I'm happy for those riders but why aren't they completely paying their own way? I know why, but I would like to get you thinking a seeking and asking questions.  Lets get a large public discussion about this because most people are clueless this is going on.

Before you seek an answer to that please know the following facts:

In Suffolk County the total sales tax rate is 8.625% so lets break that down

Every time you buy a taxable item it goes like this

Suffolk county gets 4.25%
the state gets 4%
and the "long island railroad" (MTA) gets 0.375

Every taxable purchase in New York,  Bronx, Kings , Queens, Richmond , Rockland, Nassau, Suffolk, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester counties is affected.  That's a lot of people and a lot of "tax" collected.

In addition to this MTA tax in the sales tax, there are also MTA payroll taxes.

WOW!

Your are paying for the MTA (LIRR) In your sales tax, in your pay check, in your cell phone bill, in every gallon of gas you pump, and it doesn't stop there.

All this and the system is faltering and can't survive on the people who directly use it.

38% of the the income for the MTA comes from the fair box - that is from the people actually using the trains.  Where does the other 68% of their income come from? 

Yep you guess it......... your pocket. 

Oh, and guess who will eventually be paying the difference between 7.5% and the lower 4% hike the riders are getting......... you.

Don't let officials sell you a bill of false goods and get away with saying things like "Well the trains add to the economy greatly" or "Imagine more cars on the LIE!  Boo!".  Because I say "Hey man, ya got a point, but is it fair that the riders pay only 38% of the way while 62% of the money you get comes from "taxes" of people who don't ride?  Of cause the riders living in the area pay those taxes too but lets face the facts, most people do not use the LIRR or MetroNorth and are paying for it without knowing. 

Don't get me started on the tolls on the bridges!  I'm saving that for another Speak Out!

I expect to be attacked here in the comments section by many of those  MTA fake disability pension guys.  :-)

Looking forward to that long distances phone call guys.

I thank those who took the time to read this whole thing and hope they have a super duper wonderful weekend!

























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