Trump & Co. must put the brakes on idle threats – Latest News
“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
Those have been President Donald Trump’s phrases back in February after his Department of Transportation boss, Sean Duffy, revoked approval of New York’s congestion-pricing tax then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed by means of and now-Gov. Kathy Hochul applied in January.
The tolls needed to be gone, Duffy insisted, with a strict deadline set at March 21.
Great, however there was no “or else” — and by March 21, that onerous deadline was moved to April 20.
Now April 20 has passed by, the tolls are nonetheless up and Duffy has set a third deadline: May 21.
What offers?
Motorists are nonetheless paying by means of the nostril, with the toll at a whopping $9 a day.
OK, possibly this time, Team Trump actually, actually, actually means it: On Monday, the DOT boss did spell out (obscure) penalties if New York retains dodging its order.
If Hochul can’t adequately show trigger for why the feds shouldn’t slam the state for refusing to finish congestion pricing by May 21, DOT will yank doubtlessly billions in Federal Highway Administration funding and nix approvals for future initiatives.
That’s a steep price to pay for a wildly unpopular toll, however will it power Hochul to interrupt?
Or will she merely write off the new threats as simply as empty as all the others?
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Again, till Monday, Duffy’s response has been little more than to wag his finger and helpfully lengthen the deadline.
That dinged the Trump administration’s credibility.
Indeed, Hochul already sounds cocky.
On Monday, she snarked: “I received the letter from USDOT extending their congestion pricing threats once again. I repeat: congestion pricing is legal — and it’s working.”
She appears to be like set to call Duffy’s bluff and ignore the May 21 deadline, too.
In reality, it’s removed from clear Trump & Co. will ever be capable of finish the tolls, at the very least in the very close to future.
New Yorkers could also be caught with them for a whereas.
But that’s a motive to not make guarantees you may’t keep and threats you don’t comply with by means of on.
No, that doesn’t imply Trump shouldn’t keep making an attempt to close down these tolls.
New Yorkers hate them: They’re yet one more tax on high of all the different taxes they pay, in the most tax-burdened state in America.
But the prez must safeguard his credibility.
Shut down the tolls, for actual, Mr. President — or stop bragging that you just did.
