New York State Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) sent our paper a press release lambasting the MTA’s most recent fare increase and calling upon the state legislature to support his legislation that seeks a forensic audit of the agency.
Good for Ra in criticizing their expenditures, but why isn’t he supporting Sen. Dean Murray‘s (R-Patchogue) legislation that would actually place the MTA under a state financial control board, as recommended by the Center for Cost Effective Government?
Even if he gets his audit, it will do nothing. We already know of the tremendous waste and abuse in the agency. What’s needed is the authority of an independent agency to force changes upon the MTA. Only a state financial control board can invalidate archaic work rules and rewrite the contracts that have created such inefficiencies.