Marty Goodman 12/20/04
spewnyc@aol.com

Below is the text of comments I made to the MTA Board on December 16th, the
day the MTA voted on the fare hike and service cuts. Please remember that
speakers are limited to two minutes for comments.
 
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HELLO, MY NAME IS MARTY GOODMAN. IıM A STATION AGENT AND A MEMBER OF THE
LOCAL 100 EXECUTIVE BOARD.

I WANT TO THANK THE MTA BOARD FOR DOING A FANTASTIC JOB OF WINNING THE
PUBLICıS SYMPATHY FOR OUR CONTRACT STRUGGLE NEXT DECEMBER. THE MTA IS IN
PERPETUAL WATERGATE MODE.

YOUıRE UNELECTED. 

YOUıRE LED BY A BILLIONAIRE.

YOU GIVE YOURSELVES BIG RAISES AND CLAIM DEFICIT.

SCANDALS AND OVERUNS RIVAL HALEBURTON.

WALL STREET WILL PROFIT FROM YOUR FARE HIKE.

AND, OF COURSE, YOUR FAMOUS ³TWO SETS OF BOOKS.²

YOUıRE NIXONıS MISSING TAPE AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION ROLLED INTO ONE.

BUT HEY, WEıVE GOT THE PEOPLEıS ³HEARTS AND MINDS.² THANKS.

IF THEREıS ONE LESSON LEARNED FROM ALL THIS - ITıS AN OLD ONE AND NOT VERY
FASHIONABLE -- ONLY TRANSIT WORKERS HAVE THE POWER TO TAKE YOU ON AND WIN.

IN 2005, I WANT US TO USE THAT POWER. I SAY WE HAVE A HUMAN RIGHT TO STRIKE,
IF WE SO CHOOSE! 

LOCAL 100 IS UNDER INCREDIBLE ATTACK NOW, LIKE RIDERS. MASSIVE BOOTH
CLOSURES AND COMPUTERIZED TRAINS AIM TO WRECK US, ROBBING OUR JOBS AND
POWER. 

PEOPLE, THATıS ALSO YOUR SAFETY AND SERVICE GOING DOWN THE DRAIN.

AND LET US NOT FORGET PRIVATE BUS LINES. SECRETLY BLOOMBERG AND THE MTA ARE
HATCHING A CONSPIRACY. RIDERS, ESPECIALLY BUS WORKERS, ARE AFRAID. WE HAVE A
RIGHT TO KNOW. LET OUR RAGE TODAY BE ABOUT THAT ALSO!

BUT, IF MTA PLANS GO THROUGH TODAY I SAY THIS: FOR THOSE THAT WILL WAIT IN
THE FUTURE IN THE COLD LONGER FOR A BUS OR A TRAIN AND FOR THE IMMIGRANT
DELI WORKER WHO DEPENDS ON A 7- DAY PASS..... SUPPORT THE TWU CONTRACT FIGHT
NEXT DECEMBER AND WE ALL WILL WIN. A STRONG TWU IS YOUR BEST DEFENSE.

WE OPPOSE THIS FARE HIKE AND CUTS. LEND US YOUR STRENGTH TO CONTINUE THE
FIGHT IN 2005 AS WE FIGHT FOR CONTRACT JUSTICE AND A REAL PAY RAISE. BRING
BACK OUR NO LAYOFF CLAUSE!! NO MORE ZEROS!!
 
TODAY, IN CHICAGO, MASSIVE TRANSIT CUTS WILL BE DECIDED. BACKGROUND?
SO-CALLED DEFICITS AND UNDER-FUNDING; A $119 MILLION OFFICE SPACE FOR
CHICAGOıS T.A. BRASS; AND A TRAIL OF BROKEN PROMISES.

SOUND FAMILIAR?

MIGHTY CHANGES ARE NECESSARY. THE WEALTH GAP TODAY IS APPROACHING DEPRESSION
LEVELS. 

THE MONEY FOR MASS TRANSIT IS HERE. LIFE IS SIMPLE. THEY WANT YOU TO BELIEVE
OTHERWISE. LETıS LOOK AT THEIR PRIORITIES, NOT JUST COOKED BOOKS. THEY HAVE
BILLIONS FOR WAR, BUT NOT MASS TRANSIT.

REINSTATE NEW YORKıS OLD STOCK TRANSFER TAX AND THE MTA CAPITAL FUNDING GAP
IS OVER. END WELFARE FOR THE RICH. STOP PAYMENTS TO THE BANKS AND TAX-FREE
BONDS......STOP ROBBING THE FARE BOX!

EXPAND - DONıT CUT. HANDS-OFF PRIVATE BUS LINES! NO CUTS! NO FARE HIKE! NO
ZEROS! NO LAYOFFS! NOT NOW, NOT EVER!