Centro, the group that manages public transportation in Syracuse,
N.Y., recently proposed a budget that will continue the policy of
eliminating bus stops while increasing fare rates across the board.
The budget will go into effect on April 1.
The biggest increases will be in Onondaga County, where Syracuse
is located. Bus fares there will increase by 60 percent—from $1.25
to $2. This will total a 100 percent increase since 2009.
Major bus routes connecting the city to areas in the county and
beyond will be eliminated. This will be particularly damaging for the
city’s working class. Like many cities, Syracuse has gone through a
process of de-industrialization, with most manufacturing and
processing jobs moving out of the state and the country. As a result,
many workers in the city now find employment in the suburbs.
The budget will also cut 20 buses from the fleet, reduce weekend
service and eliminate all service after midnight.
Bus drivers, mechanics, and other workers represented by the
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 580 did not receive their scheduled
cost-of-living pay increase. They have been working without a
contract since October 2010.
New York is facing a $10 billion budget gap. Gov. Andrew Cuomo,
who recently threatened to lay off 9,800 workers,
is seeking to place the deficit squarely on the backs of workers.
Democratic and Republican politicians alike tell workers that
there are no other options. Yet, the state refunds 100 percent of the
stock transfer tax, a small tax applied to every single stock trade.
Since the vast majority of all stocks are in the hands of a tiny
clique, the refund is corporate welfare. According to some analysts,
the budget crisis could be filled if only 90 percent of that tax was
refunded.
A public hearing will be held at the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention
Center in Syracuse on March 9 at 5 p.m. Join the ANSWER Coalition as
we say “Chop from the top!” and “Tax the rich, not the poor!”
For more information, please e-mail [email protected].
