Congestion Pricing Dies

Albany is where Mayor Mike Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan went to die.

The State Senate will apparently not consider a bill on the proposal and one Democrat, The Bronx's Rev. Ruben Diaz, tells me that Bloomberg probably did not have the votes to get it passed anyway.

"It's not going to go anywhere," said Rev. Diaz just a few moments ago. "The whole thing with calling us back to Albany failed. Bloomberg got a taste of what we are all about."

Rev. Diaz said he was particularly offended by Bloomberg's use of Black and Hispanic children from areas with high asthma rates to sell the plan. Though the mayor said this plan would help clean their air, Rev. Diaz said the evidence does not support that, and that in fact their air could get dirtier if the pricing plan passed.

"They only use Black and Hispanic children when they need something," said Rev. Diaz. "It's all about the money. Once they get what they want, we never see it."

Rev. Diaz added that he could not support the plan without an environmental impact statement outlining where traffic would go and just what effects it would have on the outer boroughs.

"It might work. But suppose it doesn't work. It might backfire," said Rev. Diaz. "It's a gamble. They're gambling with our children's health."