At least Willie Sutton was being humble when he declared, “I rob banks because that’s where the money is”; Gov. Kathy Hochul is now boasting about her version of the same insight.
That is, the gov’s congratulating herself for raking in big bucks from her “congestion” tolls — hundreds of millions as the scheme hits the six-month mark, on track to hit $500 million by year’s end.
Hochul’s PR blast over the weekend called this a “huge success”; Willie could’ve claimed the same about most of his capers, smirking much as she does in the social-media-campaign part of her “victory tour.”
Sorry: Forcing middle- and working-class New Yorkers to pay an exorbitant amount of their income just to get to work — to drive on roads their taxes already funded — is neither a genius nor a heroic one.
And the bragging only adds insult to the injury.
The tolls help “businesses make deliveries and save costs,” claims Hochul’s office.
Huh? Food distributors are looking at six-figure added costs, while the likes of FreshDirect are slipping in added fees for congestion-zone customers. Small restaurants are also reeling.
This move remains a cruel money grab wrapped up in a green pseudo-justification, one the gov knows people hate — that’s why she postponed it until after last November’s elections.
We guess she hopes voters will simply have forgotten, or grown resigned to the hit, by the time she faces them in November 2026.
Beware: If she actually wins re-election this way, the plans are already drawn up to move toward doubling the tolls soon after.
