New York Road, Bridge Tolls Might Have To Double In Order To Pay For Cuomo's Tappan Zee Bridge Boondoggle

Yancey Roy at Newsday:

New York might have to double tolls on its highways and bridges over the next  five years to help pay for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s plan to rebuild the Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River, a financial expert said Wednesday.

The rest of the story is behind a paywall but if you've been watching the TZB project closely, you know it's got a hefty price tag that hasn't been paid for and when that money comes due, it will come from not only an increase to the TZB toll but increases to tolls all across the state.

When Cuomo and Christie wanted to raise the Port Authority tolls and PATH fares, they coordinated in secret to keeo the politicla heat off of themselves.

I am sure Cuomo will try and do the same with TZB boondoggle.

But without a hapless entity like the Port Authority to take the heat, Cuomo is going to be squarely in the sights of people looking to cast blame.

This was his baby, his boondoggle, his toll increases.

Joe Lhota May Not Even Win Staten Island

Staten Island is considered a GOP stronghold in NYC. 

The borough voted for Giuliani twice and Bloomberg three times (77% the first two times, 66% the last time.)

A Republican who wants to be elected mayor of NYC cannot lose Staten Island and expect to win the election.

Joe Lhota lost Staten Island in the GOP primary.

According to Capital Tonight, Staten Islanders are pissed at Lhota for the Verrazano Bridge toll hike and seem to be holding that against him in this election.

The Lhota campaign has countered with all the wonderful things Lhota did for Staten Island during the Giuliani administration (including closing the Fresh Kills landfill and making the Staten Island Ferry free.)

Still, this isn't helping him with voters there.

Capital Tonight concludes:

The latest poll showed Bill de Blasio with an early lead in the Mayor’s race. Lhota supporters knew this would be an uphill battle. But he also can’t be explaining transportation policy to angry Staten Islanders a few weeks before the election and expect to win the borough.

Just another reason why Joe Lhota is not going to be mayor of NYC. 

When a GOP candidate in a NYC mayoral race cannot count on Staten Island, he's in serious trouble.

I long have thought that Lhota's tenure at the MTA was not so helpful to him.

Yes, he got the subways running after Sandy - but he also raised the fares on the bridges and the subways.

People hold that stuff against bureaucrats and politicians - like they should.

And right now the reliably Republican borough of Staten Island is holding the toll hike against Republican candidate Joe Lhota.

Good luck getting over 35% without winning big in Staten Island, Joe.