Upstate Assembly Member Says City Delegation Killed Pricing

126.jpgWhat went on behind the closed doors of the Democratic conference the day congestion pricing died in the Assembly? According to a constituent letter from Binghamton rep Donna A. Lupardo, the "overwhelming majority" of New York City members were opposed to pricing, and upstate pols followed their lead.

Thank you for your recent email concerning Congestion Pricing for New
York City. As a committed environmentalist, I can appreciate how
important it is to reduce congestion (and the associated greenhouse
gases and asthma producing fumes), etc. It is also critical that we find
a way to pay for mass transit upgrades in New York City.

As you know, the congestion pricing bill did not come up for a vote in
either the State Assembly or the State Senate. Through six hours of
debate in the Democratic conference, the overwhelming majority of my
colleagues (all from New York City and the suburbs) expressed their
opposition. Honestly, the members representing Upstate New York could
not have possibly swayed the outcome. As we are often supported by our
New York City colleagues (e.g. The Upstate Revitalization Fund), many
felt obliged to defer to the opinions of those who represent New York City.

I’m sure that we have not heard the end of this matter. I will be sure
to keep your thoughts in mind as we move forward.

Sincerely,

Donna A. Lupardo

Member of Assembly

So where was Joan Millman when this was going down? Where were Micah Kellner and Richard Gottfried? Where was Sheldon "I probably would have voted for the bill" Silver? Did they speak up or stand down? Conveniently, we’ll never know.

By the way, you can place your free recruit-a-candidate ad here.

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Congestion Pricing Endgame Begins

|
With less than four weeks remaining for the city to meet the $354 million federal deadline, lawmakers are positioning themselves on one side of the other of the congestion pricing debate, as state and city prime movers quietly ready for "negotiations." According to the Sun, Governor Eliot Spitzer’s office is drafting a congestion pricing bill, […]

State Assembly Meeting in Manhattan to Talk Congestion Pricing

|
Brooklyn Assembly Member Jim Brennan (right) tells me that he sees sentiment against Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan running at about "three- or four-to-one against" among his colleagues. Brennan suspects that the plan may not even pass the Republican-controlled Senate. While Brennan supports congestion pricing himself, he is concerned that advocates have "over-sold the benefits […]

Assembly Dems Kill Pricing

|
Speaker Sheldon Silver, as quoted in the Daily Politics: "The conference has decided that they are not prepared to do congestion pricing," said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver after emerging from behind closed doors where he was closeted with members of his Democratic majority. "I think you can speak to the members of the conference who […]