Mayor Mike is trying to hit commuters in wallet

New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has been the best mayor the city has had in a long time. I am in Manhattan a great deal and the work he is doing and has done is evident. Mayor Mike knows the city, its people and its business. The only down side is that I am pretty sure he hates New Jerseyans, based on the congestion pricing plan he is pushing through.

The measure, which will create a new fee to enter the city (on top of the various tunnel and bridge charges and those of the NJ Parkway and Turnpike, respectively), has passed the NY City Council.

This model has been shown to work in London, and from an economics point of view it has been done well before. But in New Jersey, between our own state punishing residents for living here with excessive taxation, chasing out businesses daring to put out their shingle here, and gas prices that are the highest in history, this is not the time for this measure.

The idea is to bolster the use of buses, ferrys, etc. But in my experience, mass transit isn't always the way to go for every city destination. With absolutely no attempt to improve mass transit lines from Jersey to more stops in the city, or providing more reliable cab hubs in the city, the first thing being done is to hit the commuters in the wallet.

I like Mayor Mike. I would probably vote for him in a 'New York minute' for president, but he's looking to kill my already injured wallet. Only New Jersey's governor is doing more to harm my wallet at this moment, but I'd have to think long and hard about voting for him again at this point for anything.

Click on the headline to read about congestion pricing in the APP.

Caption: A re-enactor at Yorktown representing a U.S. Army doctor during the Revolution. Medical help may be needed to revive New Jersey commuters after congestion pricing gives them an acute wallet attack.