^^ MTA bosses wants free cars and free Gasoline

MTA bosses want free travel on trains

MTA raises fares2 times in a year

Want to visit an Apple Store? One is coming near you, in about 20 min., just have your ticket ready!

MDN pointed out that the MTA is seriously in debt, as are a majority of public services such as public transportation authorities. Yet the MTA held out and won a great lease from a major, major traffic driving tenant. Which will bring many other shoppers to the other retailers, thereby creating more revenue (if those leases include a percentage of sales as rent) or will drive up lease rates for future lease renewals/new tenants. Nice job, MTA!

So is it unfair that McDonald’s can offer to pay 4x more than you for the corner lot at a major intersection, and pay in cash rather than getting a loan, and the property owner thinks that’s a better deal than your offer? Really?!?

And I don’t “happily waste” anything, at home or at work. I change my own oil, spark plugs, struts and shocks, rotate my own tires, install my own siding and drywall, etc. I am a fixer rather than a tosser. I recycle. I have donated thousands of hours to my work for free. I have worked through many holidays. I seek to save money anytime that I can and I have often traveled on weekends on *my* time so that I am at the job on Monday morning through Friday evening. So, you might be able to see why I don’t appreciate the blanket disparagement of government and government workers that is currently so rampant in politics and society. If you are an American citizen, then *you* are the government. Take some responsibility for it.

If you can’t appreciate that most people – public or private sector – are doing the best job that they can, then I feel sorry for you. Because your holier than thou, condescending attitude likely means that you have very few friends, and no really good ones at all.

You are now on the “Ignore this Retard” list.

During the past few days you have literally thrown out your bias hate for Apple on a number of posts on this site.

When a person trolls a site, it’s obvious that they are effected by the content, in the case of trollers like yourself, does it really do you any good to reafirm your inadequacies and fear of a better company and products compared to what you do use, say “Android”, Microsoft” etc…

Nice that you come around, we can use a little comedy in our lives and boy you are a side show to say the least.

And by the way, that write up by the “Post” is a opinion piece and nothing more, the “Post” started this awhile back, it was looked into and found that nothing was given to Apple by the MTA, but a few people disliked the idea of Apple coming to the MTA, and now the post try’s to resurrect an old story that died, such as the Post.

If the MTA is having having the money troubles MDN mentioned, then (on behalf of the taxpayers) they should be patted on the back for doing everything they could to get that Apple store in there.

Good job MTA!

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli should loose his job, the taxpayers don’t want him!

Gee, Ain’t the Internet cool? Even people who have no idea whatsoever about what they are talking about can pull up a soap box, stand on it, and yell “Hey! I have no idea what the hell I’m talking about but like to open my pie hole in public places!”

I am now 8 pages into my 40-page printout.

Yes. It is notable that Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli takes the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to task for the following “errors”

1) The MTA desiring a magnetic anchor tenant like Apple to attract foot traffic (something that mall owners would saw off several toes to obtain)

2) Demanding that the new anchor tenant (Apple) pay $5M cash to move in (apparently, a bad thing because only a big, evil corporation can do)

3) Getting four times as much rent per square foot as the previous renter (also apparently a bad thing for the Metro, its services, its patrons because a less-advantaged company with fewer resources should have had a chance via a lottery of some sort).

It’s notable that mall owners, when trying to attract an anchor tenant, typically give anchor tenants a big break but the MTA did the opposite and got the largest possible concessions from Apple and the most possible cash for their cash-strapped public transportation system.

I see why Frédéric Bastiat came to mind when you saw that. It sort of seems to me that Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli doesn’t “get” the U.S.’s free-market system and would rely instead upon what Bastiat would call “false philanthropy” (tax the crap out of the ‘evil fat cats’ and pass it around so that everyone can be equally poor).

BTW – Having the money to afford prime space is NOT and unfair advantage.
Yes, I would have loved to opened up a boutique shop in that same space but, well . . . I just didn’t have the money.

Waiting for your list of “similar designed major chain…”

…

Keeeerect!

kingmel didn’t say government/state was above reproach or beyond criticism. He’s not even saying the MTA is faultless in their financial situation. He’s saying MDN consistently attacks government and related organizations regardless of (or in willful ignorance of) the facts. Here we have a clear case where a government-affiliated entity is in the right, and MDN STILL attacks them.

That is wrong. criticize when it’s warranted, but give credit where it’s due.

I’m curious… In what context is nearly $100,000/month in lease payments “not much”?

MDN’s political bias is detracting from any credibility they might have left.

MDN blasts the MTA as being mired with $31 billion in debt and suffering from a $900 million gap in its 2011 operating budget. Yeah, that sucks. But are you aware of the background behind that data? Who sets the budget? Who sets the rules? Is the MTA given authority commensurate with its responsibility? The ability to establish long term, stable development and operations plans? Or is the MTA told, meet these requirements and don’t raise fares? I don’t know. My point is that MDN is likely ignorant of the details, as well, and is just taking potshots at anything and everything outside of the private sector. The “Wow, someone in a government organization actually got something right” has gotten very stale.

MDN appears to have partaken of the Kool-Aid in the popular flavor, “All governmental and quasi-governmental organizations are evil, corrupt, and populated by people who are stupid, lazy, and lack sound judgment.” Grow up MDN staff. The world is not that simplistic. There are a lot of good people working in the public sector. And yes, there are some bad ones, too…same as everywhere.

I can appreciate the Apple leaning comments given that this website does not hide his love affair with Apple, but no company should ever be given an advantage over another in any negotiations that entails fair play for all.

Read Frederic Bastitat.