I think I should start bringing a video camera with me for every interview I do so we could get the whole dam interview plus the video clip isn’t up yet. There is so much more to these interviews and you never know what is going to be on.

Next year the TA will “BORROW” 45 Million plus to re-deck the north bound south bridge. Borrow? Why? If the money stayed here as they all have said for years there would be enough cash on hand to build new bridges. Instead it leaves and the only thing that gets paid for is minor maintenance and the toll workers pay, health care and pensions. In the mean time we get shafted again with more tolls to last more and more years. When will this insanity end.

It’s legislation that would transfer control of the I-190 and Grand Island bridges and likely end tolls there. But that proposed legislation is sitting in committees in Albany.

Rus Thompson has been fighting for years to get the tolls on the Grand Island bridges removed. He thought he was getting close. In February, George Maziarz sponsored a bill in the state senate that would transfer the operations of the I-190, including the bridges, from the thruway authority to the state department of transportation.

“Why do you think this is needed,” 2 On Your Side’s Josh Boose asked Maziarz last February.

“It would effectively remove the tolls on the Grand Island bridges,” Maziarz replied. “It would get the thruway out of what really is the local highway system.”

Maziarz said the bill breezed through committee and thought it would be voted on in the senate by June. That didn’t happen. And now the bill is sitting back in committee. Thompson says Maziarz recently called him to tell him what happened.

“He said somehow the thruway authority got to Governor Paterson and somehow Paterson reached into the senate and stopped the vote from being taken,” Thompson said.

A spokesman for the governor says that doesn’t make sense. “The senate does its own business,” a spokesman for Governor David Paterson told 2 On Your Side. “The senate and thruway authority are controlled by republicans.”

“What happens now,” Boose asked Thompson. “Are you back to square one?”

“No absolutely not,” Thompson replied. “Now, as far as I’m concerned I’m head to head with the governor. What they would like me to do is just shut up and go away. It just furthers my resolve to keep on fighting this thing.”

2 On Your Side asked Maziarz in February and July if the bill would be voted on.

“So we’re looking by the end of June, we should know something,” Boose asked Maziarz in February.

“I would say so yes,” Maziarz replied.

“I plan on passing that bill this year,” Maziarz told 2 On Your Side’s Scott Brown in July.

“This year, ‘08,” Brown pressed. “This year, ‘08,” said Maziarz.

“And you’re going to hold me to it aren’t you?”

“We will definitely hold you to it,” Brown told him.

2 On Your Side spoke with Maziarz late Thursday night.

“I’m going to move this bill out of committee,” he said.

As for the governor having a hand in sending it back to committee, Maziarz commented, “The governor is concerned about any legislation that would diminish revenue.”

There is a companion bill in the assembly. Sam Hoyt is the bill’s sponsor. It has never gotten out of committee.