I'm Assuming that Hochul is Running a Political Ploy

You may recall that New York Governor Kathy Hochul killed New York City's congestion pricing plan.

My guess is that much like all of her policy decisions, this was an an attempt to suck up to big donors.

Well now, the Governor has reversed herself and will support the plan.

New York will revive its once-abandoned plan for the nation’s first congestion-pricing program, but at a reduced rate of a $9 toll for most vehicles to enter Midtown and Lower Manhattan, according to five people familiar with the matter.

Gov. Kathy Hochul intends to announce the state’s revised proposal on Thursday, lowering the initial $15 charge for cars to enter Manhattan’s core at peak hours.

The new plan would be fast-tracked for implementation. It would go before the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board for approval next week, and would most likely take effect before President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office in January — a time frame that aims to pre-empt Mr. Trump’s vows to kill the program.

My guess is that she has not actually reversed herself, but that she is hoping that she can score political points for supporting the plan while allowing Donald Trump to kill it.

State officials believe that they will not need to repeat the lengthy environmental review process because the previous review accounted for a range of tolls from $9 to $23. The state and city must sign an agreement with transportation officials in the Biden administration, who have been supportive of the plan.

The last-minute effort to save the tolling plan comes as Ms. Hochul has faced growing pressure from transit advocates and state lawmakers to secure funding for the transit system. She also faces legal challenges from supporters of congestion pricing.

Ms. Hochul shocked New Yorkers in June when she announced she would pause the toll “indefinitely” just weeks before it was slated to go into effect. She has consistently insisted that she held up the plan because she believed that a $15 toll was too high, but many speculated that she also believed the toll could hurt Democrats in the November election.

Bullsh%$.  She wanted to pander to suburban commuters and f%$# the poors.

All Trump has to do is to rescind approval, something he has already promised that he will do, and it's dead.

Do not mistake a fraud for a policy change.