Education, Mass Transit, Healthcare Top of Mind for NYC Mayor Eric Adams in Albany

DC: It's Tin Cup Day, when leaders from local governments across the state come to Albany to ask for funding in this year's state budget. It's a very big deal because it's a rare day that the mayor of New York City visits the state capitol. He's looking for more support from the state for things like education, mass transit and health care in the state budget.

Eric Adams: When you look at many of the initiatives that just are unique to New York, I mean, we're paying into a health care fund that we're not getting $1 for. So, we can't continue to just look towards

New York, and I think we have done our share when it comes down to the MTA and everyone should share that cost and I think the state has an obligation to make sure we fill those gaps.

DC: While the MTA primarily serves people in the city and the suburbs, we're expecting it to be a major issue in state budget talks.

For everyone outside New York City, that's the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a state agency that runs the city's subways, buses, and commuter trains into the five boroughs.

The MTA finances are not looking good. The chair of the MTA has said if there's not a major infusion of cash, they'll be running a deficit by 2025, and with help or not, they're still planning to raise fares. Governor Hochul and the legislature are already talking about solutions as part of this year's state budget. Hochul wants to raise a payroll tax for businesses and use casino gambling revenue to close that gap, but progressives don't like that plan. They want to freeze fares, fund trains to run on time and make buses free. They say the state has the money to do it or could raise it through higher taxes on the wealthy.

Senator John Liu, a Democrat from Queens, is a supporter of that plan.

John Liu: We need to fix the MTA. We need to fix their mindset. Keep the fares, improve the subway service so that nobody needs to wait more than 6 minutes and we will then get more people to get out of their cars, into the buses and into the subways and that is the best thing for our economy, for our climate, for the future generation and for all New Yorkers.

DC: We'll be watching that fight.