Tuesday, November 19, 2024

All Your Money Belongs to Us

By Noah Rothman

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

 

Andrew’s analysis of New York governor Kathy Hochul’s conspicuously timed resurrection of New York City’s “congestion pricing” scheme is spot-on. It’s certainly not designed to do much of anything about congestion. And while the program might scratch the itch of the aspiring central planners who harbor an irrational animus toward cars, that’s not its value proposition. Rather, congestion pricing is little more than a cash grab aimed at milking ever more revenue from the declining population of out-of-state commuters.

 

According to Hochul, the targets of her plot should be grateful. After all, it could have been worse:



The carnival barker pretense the governor slipped into here illustrates how Hochul sees her relationship with your money. Only a Democratic politician could envision a brand-new tax, revise it downward under duress and amid intense public hostility, and then call it savings. Only by operating from the assumption that, by shuffling into town every day and producing value, commuters are somehow stealing from the city would such a paradigm make any sense.

 

Even if Hochul herself doesn’t necessarily buy that, New York’s government is replete at all levels with technocrats who do. She’s probably attempting to provide them with a superficially clever talking point that might soothe the skeptics. But as talking points go, this is an especially dumb one.

 

It’s hard to imagine anyone familiar with the Metropolitan Transit Authority would believe the organization is maximally streamlined and proficient enough to do more with less. What’s more, those put upon commuters for whom public transportation is prohibitive (time is money) are unlikely to be as enthused by the supposed savings Hochul has generously bestowed upon them. After all, as she conceded, “Your toll today is $0.” And in January, it won’t be.

 

Kathy Hochul seems to be expecting a “thank you.” It’ll be a long wait.

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