NEW JERSEY — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) Friday joined with local elected officials in front of Teanack’s Christmas tree to highlight the terrible coming impact that the MTA’s Christmas-Crushing Congestion Tax would have on families visiting Manhattan for the holidays and commutes to work.
Their absurd Congestion Tax plan will whack drivers with a $23-a-day tax — $5,000-a year — to drive into New York City and south of 60th street — all of it going to the MTA.
If MTA CEO and Chairman Janno “Scrooge” Lieber continues to move ahead with the MTA’s Congestion Tax, it won’t be affordable for North Jersey families to drive into Manhattan during the holiday season. Families won’t be able to take a photo with loved ones in front of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, walk past Macy’s storefront windows, skate in Central Park, or watch the holiday displays on Fifth Avenue.
Impacts of MTA’s $23/day Christmas-Crushing Congestion Tax on local families visiting NYC for the holidays include:
- $23 more for your $6 hot chocolate — a 383% increase.
- It costs $10 to take your child ice skating in Central Park — the MTA’s Christmas-Crushing Congestion Tax is more than double that: at $23 — a 230% increase for each child just to go ice skating.
- $23 added to your $100 Radio City Christmas Spectacular ticket to see the Rockettes — a 23% increase.
Gottheimer announced that he plans to introduce new legislation to stop federal dollars in the upcoming government funding package from going to the MTA if they move ahead with their Congestion Tax plan. Gottheimer is also calling on the leaders of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations to cut off the MTA’s federal dollars until they address their woeful mismanagement and corruption.
“With their proposed $23-dollar-a-day looming Congestion Tax, it’s almost as if the MTA wants to rob families of those Christmas memories. If MTA CEO and Chairman Janno ‘Scrooge’ Lieber has his way, and moves ahead with their Christmas-Crushing Congestion Tax, it simply won’t be affordable for our families to drive into Manhattan and see the Christmas tree or visit the ice-skating rink. It’s as if he is trying to be the Scrooge in our Christmas Carol story. Well, I say bah humbug!” Gottheimer said). “I hope Scrooge Lieber is visited by his Ghost of Christmas future soon, before it’s too late for redemption. I’m announcing today a Christmas present for the cash-grabbing MTA, as part of my fight for Jersey and New York drivers. Next week, I’ll be introducing new legislation to stop federal dollars in the upcoming government funding package from going to the MTA if they move ahead with their Congestion Tax plan.”
Gottheimer was joined by NJ State Senator Gordon Johnson, NJ Assemblywoman Shama Haider, Teaneck Councilmembers Keith Kaplan, Michael Pagan, Karen Orgen, and Teaneck Town Manager Dean Kazinsky.
