Dec 17, 2008 7:45 pm US/Eastern
This Shoe's For You: Emotions Boil At MTA Hearing
Security Intervenes Just As Furious Amtrak Worker Makes As If He Was Going To Toss Footwear At Transit Head
High Drama At Public Hearing; Opposition Make Voices Heard
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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It was high drama Wednesday morning as protestors expressed their discontentment with the MTA's passing of the 2009 'Doomsday' budget. An Amtrak worker is escorted out of the venue after he threatened to throw a shoe at the board in disgust of the plan.
CBS
Sparks flew and a shoe nearly came off, as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved its doomsday budget plan on Wednesday.
In a scene straight out of Baghdad, one angry commuter took his cues from the Iraqi journalist who threw a shoe at President George Bush.
The target of his frustration was MTA CEO Elliot Sander.
"This budget ought to be thrown in the garbage can," irate Amtrak worker Steven Miles said.
Public hearings about rate hikes are often impassioned, but this was a first.
"We need a rollback in the fares, we need a moratorium," Miles said. "Where is Elliot Sander? You made $300,000 last year. This shoe is for you."
But before he could hurl his size 10 1/2, Miles was escorted out and given a summons for disorderly conduct.
There were other protestors present, but none as demonstrative. Emotions were raw about the drastic service cuts, a 23 percent fare hike, as well as doubling the fares for access-a-ride passengers.
"This is a full frontal assault on the people who are the most vulnerable," Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said.
But MTA board members said they had no choice but to pass this doomsday budget because by law they must have a balanced budget by Jan. 1. They're still hoping Albany will come to the rescue and approve the recommendations of the Ravitch Commission, which include a payroll tax, East River tolls and a smaller, 8 percent fare hike.
"My New Year's wish will be that we are back here in 2009 to enact another alternate budget, made possible with help from the state and federal government," MTA Chair Dale Hemmerdinger said.
New Yorkers told CBS 2 HD they need more than wishful thinking.
"They have to manage better; service is terrible; can't have fare hike," straphanger Violet Felix said.
"It's outrageous. They should be cutting salaries and giving us a cut because of the economy," another woman added.
"It's fair at all," Andre Tyler said.
A 23 percent hike could push the price of the monthly MetroCard over $100.
No fare hikes or service cuts would be enacted until June, after a series of public hearings in January and February.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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