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Padavan Goes Off−track

One of the things we have always appreciated about state Sen. Frank Padavan is his willingness to swim against the tide when he thought doing so was in his district’s best interest. Although a Republican, he did not hesitate to stand up to his party.

Until now. Padavan chose last week to join upstate Republicans in a partisan effort to derail the MTA bailout deal. The deal includes a payroll tax and other revenue−raising measures, including a 50−cent surcharge on all yellow cab rides, and will allow the MTA to avoid massive hikes in bus and subway fares and service cuts that were part of the so−called “doomsday budget.”

With the infusion of cash, the MTA will scale hikes back to 10 percent. The unlimited ride, monthly MetroCards for subways and buses that would have risen from $81 to $103 will now increase to $89. The one−way cash fare will go from $2 to $2.25, not $2.50.

Under the doomsday plan, as many as 1,000 workers were slated to be laid off, including hundreds of bus drivers and mechanics. Some subway stations might have been closed and some subway lines would have no longer offered 24−hour service. Most layoffs will now be averted.

We are not surprised Republican senators representing upstate districts would stand against the Democratic majority. But we cannot understand why Padavan opposed the plan without offering an alternative. He told us he offered a plan which was rejected.

Nevertheless, the senator must know how important mass transit, including the LIRR, is to his constituents. He must understand how poor the bus service is in his district. All elected city officials must encourage mass transit. Does Padavan believe his constituents would be better off driving their cars to work each day?

The fare hikes would have been devastating to low−income families struggling to get by in these difficult times. The hikes would have discouraged ridership and the MTA would have remained strapped for cash.

The bailout is not the ultimate solution. In the words of Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, the MTA remains “bloated, “a black hole” and a “runaway train.” The plan that passed last week is a temporary solution, but an important first step.