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Bronx County Green Party Faults State And City Elected Leaders For Lack Of Action With MTA Crisis

Announces New Initiative To Get "Good And Honest" People On The Ballot To Help Working New Yorkers

PRESS RELEASE
February 4, 2009

Bronx County Green Party
http://www.gpbx.org

CONTACT:
Lukas Herbert 917-748-1119

Green Party of New York State Committee members from Bronx County will appear at the MTA Fare Increase hearing at Lehman College today.

"The crushing MTA 'doomsday' budget is squarely the fault of our elected officials for failing to do anything to help their constituents" said Lukas Herbert, a Green Party official from the South Bronx. "People, like State Senator Reuben Diaz, have held the State Legislature hostage while they attempt power grabs over things like preventing gay marriage - all while the economy goes down the drain.  Why aren't they dealing with this MTA crisis? Are things like gay marriage more important to their constituents than keeping subway and bus fares affordable? It's already February and the State Senate hasn't even passed one bill yet."

The Green Party hopes to point out that many of the politicians who have ignored the MTA problem have run on the ballot on the Democratic, Republican and Conservative Lines. "This has got to stop," said Herbert. "We need good and honest people on the ballot - and the Green Party is ready to win back ballot status, and give New Yorkers a real choice when they go to vote through more candidates for local offices."

Carl Lundgren, the Bronx County Green Party Chairman noted "the Green Party has already been active on a number of issues that matter to the people of the Bronx – issues that many Democratic office holders have ignored. We have been active in the fight against artificial turf in our parks, as well as the fight against the use of parkland for the new Yankee Stadium and the Water Filtration Plant in Van Cortlandt Park. We have also been active in providing better nutritional and health programs in the South Bronx. Now we're here to help support lower MTA fares for working people. Our priorities are clear – helping people and helping the community."

It's Time for a Real Change in New York!

With fare hikes enacted as recently as 2003 and 2007, the MTA Board is back at it again with a proposed 23% increase to fall primarily on middle and low-income New Yorkers. But unlike the previous fare increases, this crushing "doomsday" budget plan is squarely the fault of our elected officials for failing to do anything to help their constituents. Our elected officials in Albany chose to squabble over "who controls what" while problems like the MTA budget have gone ignored.

POWER SHAKEDOWN WHILE IGNORING THE MTA BREAKDOWN
People like State Senator Reuben Diaz, Sr. held Albany hostage so he could shake down incoming Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith for a committee chairmanship as well as a promise to never introduce a bill to allow gay marriage. Smith played along with it, when he should have told Diaz and the others to get to work. What about fixing the MTA? Sorry, not as important as stopping gay people from marrying!

PATERSON DITHERS WHILE THE MTA WITHERS
Governor Paterson should have been doing more to solve the MTA budget, but instead he was too busy basking in the limelight as a powerbroker – charged with appointing a new US Senator to replace Hillary Clinton. Ignoring the MTA problem, he was more interested in installing an inexperienced pro-gun tool of the NRA as our new Senator after making us wait 2 months!
Obviously, the MTA budget was not his priority.

BILLIONAIRE MAYOR HELPS BILLIONAIRES FIRST
Mayor Michael Bloomberg plays "MetroCard Mayor" by being chauffeured to a subway station in 2 SUV's. But when it comes to giving more City aid to the MTA, he'd rather give another $400 million in tax-free bonds to the Yankees to install a new HD jumbo-tron and granite countertops in the new Yankee Stadium. Transportation for working people is clearly, not his priority. He's in touch with what his fellow billionaires want, but not in touch with you.

HOW DO WE GET OUT OF THIS MESS?
When you go to the voting machine, all too often the election is decided before you even vote.
Bronx politicians like Reuben Diaz run on the Democratic, Republican and Conservative party lines with no competition. Those in the Democratic majority seem content to sit back and do nothing while they divvy up the spoils given to them by an election process that often places only one person on the ballot. This has got to stop! We need more choices on Election Day to begin to make changes that matter to all New Yorkers!

WE NEED MORE CHOICES ON ELECTION DAY GOOD AND HONEST PEOPLE TO REPRESENT YOU
The Bronx County Green Party has teamed up with the New York Committee for Real Change to bring you more choices when you vote. We have hardworking, honest New Yorkers ready to run for local and State offices but we need your help to get them on the ballot to challenge these people who are too interested in themselves and not interested in you. The Green Party is ready to give you an alternative. Visit our website to learn more!
The Green Party Says "No" to the Hike and "Yes" to
government that involves you !