Everybody Hates Kathy

New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s first-in-the-nation “congestion pricing” system charges residents and out-of-state commuters in Midtown Manhattan a whopping $9 toll, officially ticking off everyone left in the state (and even New Jersey!) who wasn’t already wildly displeased with Hochul. 

Congestion pricing kicks in anywhere south of 60th Street during “peak hours,” which are pretty much all day long. On weekdays, “peak hours” are considered 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on weekends 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. And there’s still a toll for off-hours, though it’s reduced. 

Not to mention, the $9 tax is just the starting off point: by 2028, the toll jumps to $12, and by 2031, drivers are looking at a $15 charge. For those who regularly drive in the area, the toll could shake out to thousands of dollars a year. Some New Jersey commuters will be paying around $5,700 in tolls with the added “congestion pricing,” a FOX 5 analysis calculated. 

Hochul argues that congestion pricing is needed to reduce carbon emissions and traffic, and to fund New York’s troubled public transportation — specifically the broke MTA, which is reportedly short a stunning $25 billion. The state wants to bring in $500 million per year during its first three years, and eventually $1 billion dollars when the toll hits $15. 

Interestingly, Hochul was once opposed to the tax. Back in June, she argued that the toll was too burdensome for New Yorkers, especially given rising inflation.

That’s because, behind the scenes, the governor was responding to vulnerable New York Democrats who were worried that the unpopular toll would be used against them in upcoming elections. So, Hochul paused it. 

Her change of heart just so happened to come after the November elections.

And when she announced her flip, Hochul gave some of the most unconvincing spin ever witnessed in politics. She argued that she was saving New Yorkers thousands of dollars by imposing the $9 toll. After all, they’re lucky it’s not a $15 toll (yet).

.@GovKathyHochul: “We’re saving you 40%” by starting to charge $9 to enter Manhattan instead of $15 as we originally planned; “this lower toll will save daily commuters nearly $1,500 annually.” pic.twitter.com/rOWLY963j8

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) November 16, 2024

The spin did not work. Currently, it’s some climate activists, the MTA, and Hochul, versus just about everybody else. 

New Jersey’s Democrat Governor Phil Murphy, for example, gave Hochul a tongue-lashing for the move, which he likened to a bailout for the MTA. He’s even sued to try to stop the toll program from going into effect. 

“I am firmly opposed to any attempt to force through a congestion pricing proposal in the final months of the Biden Administration. All of us need to listen to the message that voters across America sent last Tuesday, which is that the vast majority of Americans are experiencing severe economic strains and still feeling the effects of inflation,” Murphy blasted, referring to the November election. “There could not be a worse time to impose a new $9 toll on individuals who are traveling into downtown Manhattan for work, school, or leisure.”

“New Jersey has never been meaningfully consulted on the design of this plan, either in its initial iteration or the version that was announced today,” the Democrat continued. “Perhaps that is because this effort has always simply been a way to take money from the pockets of New Jersey residents to bail out the MTA from a mountain of debt.”

“I urge Governor Hochul to reconsider the plan, and I urge all elected officials in the region — including those set to take office in January — to speak out against this proposal,” Murphy said in November. “Meanwhile, my administration will continue the fight to block this plan in court.”

Separately, the United Federation of Teachers, typically a strong Democrat ally, has also filed suit. The New York Farmers Bureau has spoken out against the toll, and Manhattan residents have filed a class action lawsuit. 

Additionally, Congressional Republicans have found some Democrat support for an effort to try to stop the toll program.

.@GovKathyHochul’s congestion pricing scheme is nothing more than a massive new tax on working families.

She thinks YOU should bail out the MTA for their crappy budgeting.

Visit https://t.co/BsnvjNW7kn and let Hochul know you’re against her congestion pricing cash grab! pic.twitter.com/nxTJtyHls4

— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) November 16, 2024

And President-elect Donald Trump vowed this past summer to rescind the federal approval for the “congestion pricing” program. 

Firefighters are against the toll, too, despite Hochul and the MTA specifically arguing that it will cut down on traffic and therefore reduce emergency response times. Firefighter unions say the tax will unfairly cost firefighters, as well as all other residents, and actually slow response times. The president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, Andrew Ansbro, publicly criticized Hochul for not even considering an exemption for firefighters. 

“All we were asking for was an exemption for our members bringing their vehicles into the zone,” he said. “Those vehicles are regularly used to transport firefighters to and from their detail to another firehouse when there’s a shortage in one spot, and they need them somewhere else. We were denied at every turn.”

Union leaders say firefighters frequently use their personal vehicles for transporting their heavy equipment, too. They say that if they’re forced to buy additional fire trucks to avoid those personal costs, it will cost taxpayers millions of dollars. 

Despite all this, Hochul has not budged on the issue, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams likewise has not offered them support. His office said in a statement that they “don’t expect” the tax to impact emergency responses.  

Suffice it to say, New Yorkers and New Jersey residents are not happy with Hochul. And it doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat, a firefighter or a teacher or a farmer, non-union or union, or a hyper-liberal Manhattanite.

Everybody hates Kathy.