Albany's Insanity

This was the beginning rally at a vacant lot at 63rd St and Buffalo Ave. As you can see people were dressed for the cold and that it was.

Protesters March Against Grand Island Tolls, Possible Increases

About a dozen people gathered in the Saturday morning snow to show their displeasure with the state’s Thruway Authority.

The two community groups, LaSalle Pride of Niagara Falls and No Grand Island Tolls, marched across the Grand Island Bridge and handed petitions to elected officials in attendance.
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Overall the day went pretty well, if it wasn’t so cold I am sure more people would have come out. Senators Maziarz and Thompson were pretty sick and I want to thank them for coming out and showing their support. Assemblywoman Delmonte was also there but she carried the same old line as wait till the audit comes back.

Protesters call on Spitzer to halt Thruway Authority’s toll hike plan

More than 20 protesters marched across one of the Grand Island bridges Saturday and called on the governor to help put a stop to the proposed Thruway toll increases and remove the toll barriers for the Grand Island bridges.

During a morning rally near the north Grand Island bridges, members of the Niagara Falls citizens group LaSalle PRIDE and No GI Tolls asked Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer to assist in their fight.
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Please join us and send a message to Albany and Governor Spitzer.

Toll flap targets Grand Island – Business First of Buffalo:

Festering anger about the tolls being charged on the Grand Island bridges is leading to a walking protest, set for Saturday morning and for a Niagara Falls community association to join the growing regional fight.

LaSalle Pride, a Cataract City community group, has joined ranks with the NoGITolls group to urge the state Thruway Authority to remove the Grand Island tolls. Grand Island is the only upstate community where commuters and residents have to pay a toll. The long simmering anger has grown to new heights in the wake of a proposed 20 percent toll hike being considered by the Thruway Authority. (more…)

So ridership is up in the subway and down on the thruway, gee I wonder why. Gas prices are higher than I have ever seen them, I just paid 331.9 for a gallon it’s becoming un-affordable to drive. So we here in Western New York get punished with toll increases. It’s not like we have a choice or an alternative route to take especially here on Grand Island.

It does make me wounder though if it is Spitzer pushing for these higher tolls, after all his budget is 4.3 Billion in the red.

Silver to MTA: Keep Subway Fare at $2 at LoHo10002

Gov. Eliot Spitzer abruptly announced yesterday that he was shelving a plan to raise the base subway fare, saying that an unexpected increase in ridership and other revenues have made it unnecessary. This coincided with a statement from Assembly Speaker Sheldon Speaker we received today: (more…)

Seems the gov can control things in NY City but when it comes to Western New York he has no power or control? No, I think it is more like having the desire to do what is RIGHT for the people here.

The Grand Island Tolls are a commuter tax, get rid of them. They are keeping us down in many ways economically and we have no choice but to drive over the bridges, there is no other way across Grand Island.

November 21, 2007
Hon. Eliot Spitzer
Governor, State of New York
New York State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Spitzer:

I read with interest your efforts to stop the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) from imposing a new fare hike on the New York City mass transit system. On the day before Thanksgiving, I’m sure many New York City residents are thankful for your decision.
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Be there!

The March across bridges to protest higher tolls

NIAGARA FALLS — A march across the North Grand Island bridges will protest proposed toll increases.

Those wishing to participate should meet at 11 a.m. Saturday at 63rd Street and Buffalo Avenue.
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WNED: Rally Planned Against Thruway Tolls (2007-11-24)
Chris Caya

NIAGARA FALLS (2007-11-21) The effort to remove the tolls booths on the Grand Island Bridges is picking up speed.

Rus Thompson, founder of nogitolls.com, says his group has formed a coalition with Buffalo developer Carl Paladino and “LaSalle PRIDE,” a Niagara Falls neighborhood organization.

Thompson says so far they’ve collected about 7,500 signatures from people supporting the toll removal.
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He can’t do anything about our toll situation but he can wave his wand for downstate!!!! Once again, who is running this end of the state? The Governor or the Thruway Authority?

Spitzer balks at fare hikes in N.Y. City
Says hands are tied on Thruway increase

Just one day after declaring he has no current control over Thruway Authority plans to raise tolls on its upstate highway, Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer rejected a similar proposal by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to increase charges on subways, buses, bridges and tunnels in the New York City area.

Speaking to reporters Monday in Buffalo, the governor pointed out that, since appointees of his predecessor, George E. Pataki, still run the Thruway Authority’s board, he can do little at the moment except monitor the situation.

“I’m not in a position to mandate one way or another what the Thruway Authority does,” Spitzer said.
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NoGItolls gains more momentum as a Niagara Falls community group called LaSalle Pride joins in with the Toll fight. We will be having a joint Press Concerence tomorrow 11-21-07 at 10:30 AM to announce the coalition and they will add 1000 signatures to our Petition. Our total now is more than 7500 signatures and growing. Carl Paladino will be joining us tomorrow and at the rally on Saturday.
With the newest talk of raising our tolls 20% in two years the demand for an audit has come from Congressman Brian Higgins and others have followed suit. I called for an audit two months ago and have been relentless emailing all our representatives in demanding it and the removal of the Grand Island Tolls.

Governor Spitzer was in town Monday and he claims that there is nothing he can do about the toll increase except try to keep it to a minimum. Once again they are either not hearing us or he is bowing to the Thruway Authority. It has come to a time for real citizen action and a protest. Please read below and be there Saturday as we walk across the North Grand Island Bridge.
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