The NJ Transit rail strike which threatens to leave 350,000 daily commuters stranded for days (or weeks) is another manmade disaster courtesy of the Murphy Administration, Save Jerseyans.
On Friday, the first full days of the strike, state Senator Latham Tiver (R-8) renewed his call to pass legislation, S-2957, the aptly named “New Jersey Transit Accountability Act,” which would mandate an independent audit of NJ Transit’s finances and operations.
“This strike is not just about contract disputes. It’s the culmination of years of fiscal mismanagement and the wrong priorities at NJ Transit — failures we warned about over a year ago,” said Tiver who represents portions of Burlington and Atlantic Counties. “The public deserves to know how one of the state’s most critical agencies is spending its money — and clearly, it’s not where it’s most needed.
The engineers’ union is deadlocked with the administration over pay raises.
While there’s a difference of opinion as to whether the conductors are underpaid (or at least by how much), it’d undeniable that NJ Transit has wasted money on a myriad of objectively dumber items in recent years.
“NJ Transit has a half-billion dollars for a swanky new headquarters and $53 million for decorating the interior of that unnecessary building,” opined Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) National President Mark Wallace on Thursday. “They gave away $20 million in revenue during a fare holiday last year. They have money for penthouse views and pet projects, just not for their front-line workers.”
“The Democrat-led legislature and Governor blocked my NJ Transit audit bill, which could’ve stopped this mess. NJ Transit spent $500 million on new offices and millions on interior design, but can’t even operate the trains for 350,000 daily commuters. Now they’ll say they need to raise taxes and fares to pay workers. The money is always there. It’s just being wasted,” added Tiver. “Our economy relies on a safe, reliable, and functional transit system. Taxpayers, commuters, and transit workers all deserve transparency and accountability.”
The parties are expected to meet again on Sunday to renew negotiations.
