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Jul 10, 2007 7:55 pm US/Eastern
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Red-Hot Bloomberg Takes Congestion Fight To D.C.
Mayor Running Out Of Time To Get His New Fee Passed
by Marcia Kramer
WASHINGTON (CBS) ―
The congestion pricing clock is ticking. Only six days to win approval and Mayor Michael Bloomberg was here to step up pressure on one man, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.
A green light on congestion pricing means over $500 million in federal transportation funds -- a red light means New York City gets nothing, though it's no surprise Bloomberg is seeing red because Albany won't help him get the green.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for New York City," Bloomberg said. "I can't guarantee that it's going to work, but I can guarantee that doing nothing is intolerable."
But not everyone in Albany is in the mayor's sights. New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been supportive. Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, both Republicans, came with the mayor to meet with federal officials.
"Everybody knows it's got to get done," Bruno said. "It's got to get done."
They want Assembly Speaker Silver to sign off on Bloomberg's bill, but Assembly Democrats now have their own bill and surprise, surprise there's no $8 fee to enter Manhattan. It's got carpools to ease congestion, tax credits for businesses to have employees telecommute -- work at home, on computers.
Bloomberg quickly slammed that idea.
"It's a preposterous piece of paper," Bloomberg said. "I find it hard to understand why we would pass a bill that encourages Connecticut commuters to stay at home."
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)