Governor Paterson released a draft budget proposal today in which the dedicated taxes and fees that fund the MTA take another big hit. In a statement, MTA Chair Jay Walder said the budget would deliver $104 million less than expected for the agency in 2010.

That $104 million comes on top of $143 million the state took from the MTA last December to plug a looming budget gap, and the huge shortfall in revenue from the recently enacted payroll tax. 

In related news (file under "crisis equals opportunity"), the draft budget also proposes deploying speed enforcement cameras, which would be a first for New York State. The cameras would be located "in 40 work zones and 10 additional areas," according to the Times-Union.

We’ll have more on these stories as they develop. For now, I think it’s a good time to revisit the question that John Kaehny posed here last month. Are bridge tolls dead, or are they inevitable?