{"id":2269581,"date":"2024-06-17T12:56:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-17T16:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hochuls-congestion-pricing-reversal-exposes-vulnerability-to-challenges\/"},"modified":"2024-06-17T13:00:05","modified_gmt":"2024-06-17T17:00:05","slug":"hochuls-congestion-pricing-reversal-exposes-vulnerability-to-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hochuls-congestion-pricing-reversal-exposes-vulnerability-to-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"Hochul&#8217;s shift on congestion pricing reveals susceptibility to opposition"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhochuls-congestion-pricing-reversal-exposes-vulnerability-to-challenges%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2269581&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Governor Kathy Hochul&#8217;s\u200c decision\u200d to \u2062stop a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congestion-pricing-to-toll-drivers-moves-closer-to-reality-in-new-york\/\" title=\"NY's 'Congestion Pricing' to Toll Drivers Nears Implementation.\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bill-de-blasio-suggests-hes-considering-run-for-new-york-governor\/\" title=\"Bill De Blasio Suggests He\u2019s Considering Run For New York Governor\">congestion pricing<\/a> plan<\/a> intended to support New York&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-has-signed-40-executive-orders-and-actions-since-taking-office\/\" title=\"Biden has signed 40 executive orders and actions since taking office\">public transportation<\/a> may \u200daffect \u2064her reelection\u2063 prospects in 2026. The plan, although unpopular, was supported by powerful allies\u200c who were\u2063 unaware\u2064 of Hochul&#8217;s reservations about implementing it. This sudden shift\u2064 could lead to\u200c these allies either running against her or supporting another candidate. Hochul cited high inflation\u2062 and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/social-security-update-second-of-december-double-payments-worth-914-to-be-sent-out-in-23-days\/\" title=\"Social Security update: 4 double payments to be sent in 23 days on December 2nd\">additional financial burden<\/a> on New Yorkers as reasons for \u2063halting the\u200c plan. This decision\u200b has sparked disappointment among her supporters, including \u200bprominent figures\u200d who \u2062argue that better \u200ccommunication was needed, and who claim that this move \u200ddeprives the state of funds\u200c that could have created thousands of jobs through construction projects.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kathy-hochul\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kathy Hochul<\/a>\u2018s (D-NY) decision to halt a congestion pricing plan to fund public <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/infrastructure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"transportation\">transportation<\/a> could hurt her when she\u2019s up for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/campaign\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"reelection\">reelection<\/a> in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Although the plan that would have raised millions for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority was unpopular with voters, the governor\u2019s allies who had backed the plan didn\u2019t know Hochul had gotten cold feet about implementing it. And those powerful allies could turn into dangerous foes as they are reportedly weighing running against her or throwing their support behind another challenger. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs soon as something goes wrong with the MTA, everyone is blaming Kathy Hochul,\u201d Jasmine Gripper, a co-director of the left-leaning New York Working Families Party, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/06\/17\/hochul-congestion-pricing-problems-00163601?nname=playbook&#038;nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&#038;nrid=b184d69e-b2a2-4eb9-933e-7e669f36c25d&#038;nlid=630318\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told<\/a> <em>Politico<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>New York Building Congress President Carlo Scissura, a strong backer within the\u00a0coalition for the initiative, said he learned about Hochul\u2019s reversal through reading about it online. Scissura said he expected the money raised from the congestion pricing would help fund construction projects, thus creating \u201cthousands of jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe owes all of us answers,\u201d Scissura said. \u201cThe people who have supported her from day one should never be blindsided and deserve up-front clarity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hochul said her decision to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ny-governor-announces-delay-on-congestion-pricing-plan-in-shocking-backtrack\/\" title=\"NY Governor Delays Congestion Pricing Plan in Surprise Reversal\">halt congestion pricing<\/a> was due to the high inflation costs New Yorkers face.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt a time when inflation is still cutting into New Yorkers\u2019 hard-earned wages, the concern is that many would do exactly that,\u201d she said in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zrTboCirDGM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>a video message announcing<\/a> the decision, \u201cor that one more added cost would make residents rethink living or working here altogether, hurting our recovery even more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityandstateny.com\/politics\/2024\/04\/gov-kathy-hochul-hits-new-polling-lows\/395938\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Polls<\/a> in April revealed Hochul hitting the lowest approval rating of her tenure, at 49%, with only 40% of voters viewing her in a positive light. The poll also found that 64% of New Yorkers were against the $15 surcharge to enter the borough of Manhattan below 60th Street.<\/p>\n<p>Now, with Hochul\u2019s reversal, many state Democrats aren\u2019t as worried about their Republican challenger\u2019s attacks fueled by the congestion pricing. However, it\u2019s unlikely Hochul\u2019s reversal will win over new supporters and will cause her to lose people and organizations in favor of the congestion pricing. <\/p>\n<p>With Hochul up for reelection in two years, Democratic challengers being floated include Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and even disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople see weakness, and when they see weakness, they attack,\u201d Gripper said. \u201cShe\u2019s vulnerable to a credible challenge, and it could come from either direction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While many voters may be cheering for the failed congestion fee, those in support of the plan will be first to point to any failings faced by MTA. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>With congestion pricing no longer on the table, MTA faces a $1 billion shortfall meant to help keep up and finance the transit system. Hochul said she is \u201ccommitted to continuing these projects with alternative funding.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>However, a business tax increase that was meant to raise funds was rejected by state legislators.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gov. Kathy Hochul&#8217;s (D-NY) pause on a congestion pricing plan aimed at funding public transportation may impact her 2026 reelection bid. The plan, intended to generate millions for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, was unpopular among voters. Hochul&#8217;s decision surprised even her allies who supported the initiative<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2542,"featured_media":2269582,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP24137519994177.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2269581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP24137519994177.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2269581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2542"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2269581"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2269581\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2269582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2269581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2269581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2269581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}