Frank Powers flip flops on his constituent paid E-ZPass perk

Frank Powers quickly backtracks on giving up his constituent funded E-ZPass;

Board members will vote on revocation of their lifetime privileges and a policy requiring them to use passes only when they're on official business.

Several members said they might reject such a resolution.

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No one pledged to reject the resolution outright - since it has not yet been finished - but several members also said they were "leaning" against restricting their perks.

"I believe we should have an outside counsel review the law," said board member Francis Powers.

Why have outside counsel review this? Well it seems the NY Attorney General is looking to shut the practice down and Powers may want to fight that;

After an exclusive Daily News report on the number of free E-ZPass tags granted to past and present MTA board members, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office warned the authority the freebies are illegal - and told the MTA to halt the free-travel privileges.

That is a far way from his previous statements that giving up his perks were the right thing to do;

With the MTA being a favorite punching bag of borough residents and lawmakers, Powers said that he would surrender the free E-ZPass he received as a perk of his service on the authority board and would reimburse the MTA for any tolls he's rung up.

"It's the right thing to do," Powers said.

Meanwhile his fellow board member says they deserve to keep their perks;

An MTA board member said yesterday he and his colleagues should be allowed to keep their free transportation privileges to encourage them to endure the "inconvenience" of riding trains.

Making the MTA a campaign issue

Frank Powers thinks his experience as a board member of the MTA will be "a positive in the campaign." I think that is a great stance for him to take and welcome having the despised transportation system a central issue in the election. I still think Harrison and McMahon are right in making Iraq and a quick and safe withdraw the key issue but that said the MTA and transportation may not be far behind.

I am not sure when the last time the MTA was in the news for something positive and that is no different today;

The MTA's finances have been tanking - and straphangers may get hit with another round of fare hikes - but that didn't stop Authority CEO Elliot Sander from snagging a raise.

Hired to the tune of $340,000 just 18 months ago, Sander last month received a $10,000 boost to his economic package, which includes a base salary and other benefits, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority confirmed Monday.

How great would it be to involve the Transportation Workers Union Local 100 against Powers the ridiculously wealthy MTA board member? With Fossella out of the picture unions can more easily back the Democratic nominee this time around, something that they have been hesitant to do in the past. In 2004 I often did phone banking for Frank Barbaro and worked side by side with several TWU members who really hit their messaging of transportation importance to the district. At the time we were going through recent fare hikes and the express bus service to the district had taken a significant increase. They would be an extremely powerful ally in GOTV efforts. Making this race about the working class versus executive board members would be a powerful message.

Frank Powers and the MTA out of touch with district residents

Frank Powers is still fleecing the residents of this district who struggle with transportation costs. via the Advance;

With the MTA being a favorite punching bag of borough residents and lawmakers, Powers said that he would surrender the free E-ZPass he received as a perk of his service on the authority board and would reimburse the MTA for any tolls he's rung up.

"It's the right thing to do," Powers said.

This wasn't the right thing for Powers to do until he started running for office. If it was the right thing to do all along why did he not turn it down, considering he is so rich he is about to loan himself $500,000 for this race. He certainly could afford to pay a few bridge tolls if he wanted, but he didn't. Frank Powers was above paying tolls.

The MTA has been slammed for giving out the lifetime passes, with some top officials getting as many as seven to give out to family members and friends.

Powers called the controversy "a big deal over nothing," and said he was the only person who used his agency E-ZPass.

Since giving up his E-ZPass is the right thing to do and this is all a big deal over nothing how soon until Powers requests that all of his fellow MTA board members give up their E-ZPass and reimburse their expenses as well? I hope he continues this "a big deal over nothing" theme because that will resonate so well with the hard working constituents of this district. Just how out of touch with the real world is Frank Powers?

Frank Powers and others rack up $14 million billion in lost revenue

Frank Powers free EZPass is costing you;

As straphangers face the possibility of higher fares and tolls, the MTA's freebie E-ZPasses are costing the authority $14 million in lost revenues a year.

In March alone, cars and other vehicles with a free E-ZPass made nearly 300,000 trips via Metropolitan Transportation Authority bridges and tunnels - amounting to approximately $1.2 million in uncollected tolls, MTA records show. Many of the trips were made by city employees, including on-duty police officers and firefighters.

The MTA is planning fare and toll hikes in 2010, but they could be put on the table for next year because of budget gaps. Given the MTA's shortfall, fare hikes could come around next year - and Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign said the city should pony up some dough.

Remember as a board member of the MTA Frank Powers has given himself a free E-ZPass that you ultimately pay for in fare and toll costs and increases.

You pay Frank Powers' tolls

Must be nice to be rich enough to serve on a board of directors and have pesky tolls paid for by hard working New Yorkers. I am not really sure how his serving on the board of the MTA is an attribute to this campaign.via the NY Times

For years, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has given its board members free passes to drive across its bridges and tunnels without paying tolls and to ride the subways, buses and commuter railroads without paying a fare. And when the board members retire, they are allowed to keep the passes for life.

On Wednesday the authority said it will go to court to defend the practice in the face of a challenge by Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, who said that giving E-ZPass tags to board members violates a law that they must serve without compensation.

This means Frank Powers has been crossing bridges in and out of Staten Island for free, while the residents of the district cover his tab through tolls and MTA fares. Despite being able to loan himself $500,000 to run for Congress he has felt the need to not pay tolls since 2005. How many residents in this congressional district have those perks?

Halt the MTA Fare Hike

The MTA still proposes fare increases on 86% of all trips taken by subway and bus riders - those who use discount or unlimited MetroCards. Fares for LIRR and Metro-North commuters as well as bridge and tunnel tolls are also slated to rise.

http://www.haltthehike.org/