From: rainbow@colition.gov   
      
   Do the math 12,000,000,000 / 8,300,000 is a bailout of 1445 dollars for   
   EVEREY MAN WOMEN AND CHILD IN NYC.   
      
   and that is just the bail out...   
      
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    gothamist.com   
   Without Federal Aid, NY State Comptroller Predicts "End Of Public   
   Transit As We Have Known It"   
   By Stephen Nessen, WNYC   
   4-5 minutes   
      
   The state’s fiscal watchdog is in agreement with the MTA that without   
   $12 billion in federal relief aid, New York’s public transit syst   
   em will be devastated. State comptroller Thomas DiNapoli sounded the   
   alarm on Tuesday, following the release of a bleak report on the MTA’s   
   finances.   
      
   “It would mark the end of regional public transit as we have known it,”   
   DiNapoli warned reporters over a conference call.   
      
   The MTA exhausted its last $4 billion in federal relief aid in July, and   
   is asking for $12 billion to cover farebox and tax revenue losses   
   through 2021. After the pandemic shut the city down in March, ridership   
   fell to below 90 percent on subways and buses, and even lower on the   
   commuter rails. According to the report, it’s not expected to return to   
   pre-pandemic levels until 2023.   
      
   DiNapoli’s report comes as the agency is preparing to present next   
   year’s budget at a November board meeting. The budget is expected to   
   include service cuts of up to 50 percent on commuter rails, and 40   
   percent on subways and buses, with thousands of layoffs, as well as fare   
   hikes.   
      
   According to the MTA, a severe reduction in services is the only way to   
   keep public transit running in some form.   
      
   "The comptroller's report authoritatively confirms that New York riders   
   face grave danger from federal austerity. Congress must stop doomsday   
   MTA cuts,” Danny Pearlstein, Policy and Communications Director with   
   Riders Alliance said. "Our city and state cannot recover from COVID or   
   economic collapse without a strong public transit system.”   
      
   Currently, ridership on subways is still down between 63 to 70 percent   
   of pre-pandemic levels, while buses are down about 50 percent. Long   
   Island Railroad is still down 72 percent of what it was before COVID-19   
   and Metro-North is seeing 75 to 78 percent fewer riders, according to   
   the latest ridership numbers released last week.   
      
   ***“The Comptroller's report is further independent validation that the   
   MTA faces fiscal calamity for years to come if the federal government   
   does not step up to provide the necessary $12 billion in COVID-19 relief   
   funding we've been aggressively seeking,” *** MTA Chairman Pat Foye   
   wrote in a statement. “Massive service and employee cuts, fare hikes, a   
   gutting of our historic capital plan, and more unsustainable debt, which   
   will only put future pressure on the fare box, are all on the table   
   without help from Washington.”   
      
   The losses are not just from a drop in ridership.   
      
   The state comptroller expects MTA revenue from dedicated taxes and   
   subsidies will be $5.5 billion lower than expected through the end of 2023.   
      
   His office also estimated the extra cleaning costs associated with the   
   coronavirus and overnight shutdowns will reach an extra $1 billion by   
   the end of the year.   
      
   The MTA Board is currently considering whether to borrow $2.9 billion   
   from the federal reserve’s Municipal Liquidity Fund program, which would   
   add to the agency’s debt, but could help stave off cuts for a short time   
   until there’s help from Washington. DiNapoli agreed it’s a good plan,   
   but he called it just a “band-aid.”   
      
   DiNapoli, like the MTA, Cuomo and de Blasio, believe the only way to get   
   through the financial crisis is for lawmakers to pass a federal relief   
   bill in Washington.   
      
   DiNapoli said he’s not pinning his hopes on Democrats taking control of   
   the Senate and the White House after the November election.   
      
   “I think we have to look at the situation as we have it,” he said. “Red   
   states are having some of the same revenue shortfalls that we’re   
   certainly having in New York City and New York State so I do think that   
   will increase the pressure overall for there to be a resolution.”   
      
   It’s unclear where President Trump will ultimately land on a federal   
   relief package for states. He seemed to back a relief plan at one point,   
   before reneging again. But the latest reports show Senate Majority   
   leader Mitch McConnell is blocking the way forward on any federal relief   
   deal for states, and the MTA.   
      
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