>
UNIONS: The real story on the PA toll hikes comes out
Labor to Dems: Don’t slam toll hike
As the barrage of press releases from labor unions and others supporting the Port Authority’s proposed toll hike make their way into the public domain, one voice – or rather a host of voices – is missing from the chorus.
Since the proposed toll and fare hike was announced Friday, Democratic state lawmakers have been almost universally absent from the criticism of the plan, which would raise the cost to cross the Hudson by 50 percent for some motorists. Sources tell PolitickerNJ the reason for the silence is twofold. First, organized labor has come out overwhelmingly in favor of the plan. The revenue generated from the hike will fund some $30 billion in capital improvements over the next decade, creating much needed jobs for labor’s rank and file, who have seen their unemployment rise as high as 40 percent. (Isherwood, PolitickerNJ)