The Second Avenue Subway and the Abomination of Taxpayer Waste

I have recently written to the Daily News as a rebuttal to an article about the relocating of tenants, demotion of buildings and the destruction of businesses on Second Ave. Since that time I have done additional research into the matter after having attended the CB8 MTA meeting last week. Curiously, I was the only candidate in attendance as well as there not being any incumbents. No surprise there.
All that seems to be coming from the progenitors of the wasteful hole in the ground is that it is a fait accompli and nothing can really be done about it. That it will not be finished in the proposed time and at the proposed cost is further exacerbated by the apathy of the community except to say that they are disturbed and disenchanted with the entire situation. There is a lot of anger and vehemence concerning this issue and though it may be only a local matter, it does involve the entire city.
Here is the rebuttal which was ignored by the press.
“I am aware, and with great concern and distress, that long-time residents will have to uproot their lives to satisfy the needs of the Democrat Party lines and their obvious “deals” through the guise of eminent domain, an antiquated, if not totally vapid concept. This is a quality of life issue and should be maintained as non-partisan but it is not. The inadequate “handout” being offered to the tenants to find new and/or comparable housing in this district is next to impossible. The proposed plan is completely unfair though it may “look good on paper” as suggested by Jessica Lappin. It is obvious to everyone that the rich are trying to eliminate the less financially well-off.
The inadequacy of the Second Avenue Subway to nowhere can be readily replaced by an intelligent light rail system for practically one tenth the cost and one that can be installed within a much smaller time frame. As well, it can be extended to the length needed by the populace in all areas of the city.
Will the city also offer Public Assistance to seniors and those incapable of dealing with this issue for themselves? Or is this just another form of the Robert Moses philosophy? All of the ancillary aspects of the Second Avenue Subway are being used to cover up unconscionable incompetence and a profoundly arcane management system. A time for government reform and real-value change is now.”
At the meeting I was informed rather brusquely, that the people did have their say as far back as 1993 and that the light rail system was eliminated as an alternative. I question the validity of that relative to the interests those who could directly profit from the building of the subway. Additional concerns to be taken into consideration are the reality that the project will be totally outdated by the estimated time of completion. Though we are being told it should be done by 2016 – 2017, I assure you, dear voters that this fiasco will continue on into the 20’s, the cost overruns will stagger the imagination and the fare will rise accordingly to approximately $3.50 per ride and don’t be surprised if they do away with the senior fare and transfer system. The contracts being awarded and those that have already been awarded and the amounts being paid is tantamount to “Let’s Make a Deal and the Public be Damned.”
A new wrinkle in the project is that the buildings on Second Ave are in dire need of being shored up against the excavations. Many of the old buildings will not withstand the removal of bedrock.
How long are the people going to be put through this wringer of greed and obstinacy? It is rampant throughout the entire fabric of society and if there is not change, and soon, we will have lost all credibility for our own well-being while having to continuously be subject to the whims of self-serving politicians. Or is it a question of indifference that breeds social lethargy?