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David Weprin, Labor, Advocates, Civics Protest MTA Service Cuts
(2010-01-17)
Former NYC Councilman David Weprin, joined by Assembly Member Rory Lancman, transit union officials – including ATU Local 1056 President Daneek Miller, Transport Workers Union Local 100's Charles Jenkins – and rank and file, advocates and civic leaders including Queens Civic Congress Vice President Harbachan Singh, urged all concerned residents to speak out, testify and rally against the service cuts at upcoming hearings. At a 12:00 noon, Sunday, January 17, 2010 news conference facing the Q76 bus stop on Francis Lewis Boulevard north of Hillside Avenue (at Foothill Avenue) in Hollis, Queens, the Democratic nominee for Assembly from the 24th A.D. will also press Albany and City Hall to look for efficiencies in the MTA budget that cover its budget needs.
As Chair of the City Council's Finance Committee for eight years through 2009, David Weprin always believed in the primacy of preserving core services. The MTA service cuts include no weekend service on the Q76. Other service impacts include eliminating the Q75, no overnight service on the Q30, and ending weekend service on the Q31 and Q79. Other lines slated to be shut down or cut incolude the Q26, Q56, Q74 and Q84. Subway lines affecting Queens residents include the G, M, Q, W and Z.
“As we begin the new year in earnest, we face a significant challenge to mass transit service that helps make a difference to our quality of life in eastern Queens,” stated Councilman Weprin. “Certain cuts proposed by the MTA to address its revenue shortfall makes no sense; and the impacts fall on our young, our seniors and hard-working residents who work off-hours. Whether or not you personally use these transit services, you likely know someone affected, a child, a parent, a co-worker, a neighbor, a worker at a store you shop at.”
“Just look at some of the cuts that impact eastern Queens. This includes the eliminating the Q75, no overnight service on the Q30, and ending weekend service on the Q31, Q76 and Q79. Other lines slated to be shut down or cut incolude the Q26, Q56, Q74 and Q84. Subway lines affecting Queens residents include the G, M, Q, W and Z.
“I urge all concerned residents to speak out, testify against the service cuts at upcoming hearings and press Albany and City Hall to look for efficiencies in the MTA budget that cover its budget needs. As Chair of the City Council's Finance Committee for eight years through 2009, I always believed in the primacy of preserving core services. Last year, the MTA package included plans to conduct a forensic accounting of the MTA and its operations; no doubt this long overdue review will identify areas such as outside contracting, administrative duplication and outright waste that any public agency must face up to before it looks to cut services to the public it ought to be serving.”
Other community leaders attending included Mike Augugliaro (Queens Colony Civic Association), Bruno and Lucy DeFranceschi (North Bellerose Civic Association, Community Board 13 {Bruno}), Marc Haken (Hilltop Village Cooperatives, Community Board 8), Steven Behar (Democrats for New Politics), Jagir Singh Bains (Sikkh community, Community Board 8), Mike Sydell (Community Board 8), Tammy Osherov (Meadowlark Gardens, Community Board 8) and many concerned community members affected by the service cuts.
