East Harlem.Com

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is leading the charge to implement Congestion Pricing in Manhattan.  A terrible plan which will charge everyday drivers $8.00 and trucks $21.00 to drive into Manhattan below 86th Street.  This plan is nothing but a money grab, a cash cow and a new TAX on the rest of us. Mayor Bloomberg’s Congestion Pricing is not a good idea for many reasons:

A New Tax!
Unfortunately this is exactly what the imposition of a fee is.  Mayor Bloomberg is raising our taxes under the guise of less congestion and health concerns.  The truth is that only slightly less people are going to keep away from Manhattan.  The congestion will be the same (and the Mayor knows this.)  The difference will be that the Mayor will have more money to play with. This is really what this plan is all about, separating the taxpayers from their money.

Health Concerns?
Mayor Bloomberg all sites health concerns.  He says that less cars will mean less fumes and therefore less asthma.  But we will still have emissions from all the buses that travel Manhattan and the rest of the city that reach us anyway.  And the Mayor has not countered arguments that the communities in Northern Manhattan will be adversely affected by all those wishing to park their cars in our communities, thereby adding more pollution locally to Harlem, East Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood. So much for health concerns.  Of course the Mayor lives in the area will there may be less cars, hence less pollution, what does he care about the rest of us?

Less Freedom
Mayor Bloomberg also wishes to curtail our freedom.  He is denying access to parts of the city which have always been free to drive through.  Has no one through of the implications of this?  Bloomberg is try to move us from a Free country to a country where we must pay to access parts of it. Where does it stop?

Other Concerns
If congestion pricing is implemented in this city, taxpayers need to be aware that the price of access to Manhattan will continually go up.  Like bridge tolls and taxes on cigarettes and gas, these punitive “access tolls” will never go down or ever leave us.  So expect access to Manhattan to go up every year.

Money from congestion pricing may tempt politicians to start taxing us in other creative ways.  There is always congestion in the subways, so why not impose a 50 cent tax on people using subways during rush hour, or a tax on very popular movies, plays, public events?  That will ease congestion in those areas, right?

It is very scary when public officials start taxing access to places.  God has given us this wonderful planet to take care of and people like Mayor Bloomberg wish to impose taxes in our movement throughout it.  If Bloomberg thought he could tax our everyday marital sexual activity and get away with it he would. 

Class Separation
The Mayor’s extra tax Congestion Plan would also limit access to Manhattan below 86th Street to only those who have the money to pay this tax.  So in a way he is clearing the way for those with (money) to have to deal with less of us without money when shopping downtown.  He is creating a situation where only those of means will be able to access Manhattan. 

He is leaving the little guy out of the equation, and giving him access but for a fee, a new TAX.  If the Mayor really wanted to cut congestion, he would limit all private cars access to Manhattan and without a fee. They would cut more congestion then just imposing a fee and eliminating the little guy from accessing Manhattan.  But of course he would not do this, how would all his rich friends have access to their places of business?  They would have to take public transportation. Which none are willing to do. The Mayor wants to provide less congestion for the rich. He knows they are willing and able to pay his new tax.

Business Tax
It has been reported that businesses in places with congestion pricing has seen less business.  And remember that the Mayor will also tax commerce by taxing the trucks in which our food and goods get delivered.  Businesses will pass this tax on to us, the consumers. So we get taxed yet again.  Any business which depends on daily deliveries will have to pay $21.00 per truck per delivery. How the mayor does not see this and care is beyond reason.

So what can we garner from the Mayor’s tax scheme?  That he wants money so badly that he is willing to deny people the freedom to travel freely and is willing to eliminate low to middle income New Yorkers from shopping in Manhattan in order to obtain money from the rich who will have a slightly better commute.  Congestion pricing will not work. Those in Manhattan’s northern communities will bear the brunt of a lot less parking where they live, higher prices for food and goods and less access to most parts of Manhattan.

Thank God for Congressman Anthony Weiner and our leaders up in Albany, who are asking that this plan be studied before being implemented.  Why the rush? The Mayor seems like a desperate man who is trying to push through an idea whether it is good or not, whether it is something we can live with or not.  All so that he can get his grubby hands on more money.  The hell with the rest of us  

Things we should tax
-Stupid ideas
-Stupid Elected Officials
-Stupid ideas from stupid Elected Officials
-Any idea which would cost the tax payer money
-Any idea which would cost the tax payer freedom to move about
-Billionaire Mayors who don’t care about the little guy and forget what it is like to be lower or middle class.

We Need to Revolt!!
The foundling fathers revolted for less than this.  This city needs a revolution. This writer is encouraging all drivers to hide their license plates when driving into Manhattan below 86th Streets in protest of this new TAX.  If need be, obscure photographic cameras view of all cars.  They can not charge you if they do not see your license plates.  DO NOT PAY THIS TAX.  It is also a tax on your FREEDOM.The time has come to stop over taxing citizens. We are over taxed and taken advantage of by leaders who don’t care about the average New Yorker. We need to lower taxes.  Mayor Bloomberg is just too taxing on New York City.

Held Accountable
All elected officials who help, approve or vote for this extra tax on New Yorkers will be held accountable come election day.  Those who impose an additional TAX burden will see the light of day and voters will be reminded of their choice to tax and limit our freedom. This website will list all who support this new tax.

Those Who Wish to Tax You More
Mayor Bloomberg
Governor Eliot “Tax and Spend” Spitzer
Congressman Crowley (sad that a Power Memorial Grad would do this)
City Council President Christine C. Quinn

Those Who Want A Commission to Study This Issue
State Senator Jose Serrano

Those Who Don’t Wish to Tax the Middle Class Away
Congressman Anthony D. Weiner