Photo: Getty Images North America
Both President Donald Trump and New York Governor Kathy Hochul appear to be digging their heels in after a multi-layered meeting last Friday at the White House, in which congestion pricing came up more than once. Friday the 21st is the deadline for New York State to either turn off the congestion pricing cameras or risk losing federal funding for various programs. Speaking after the meeting, a defiant Hochul merely stated that the cameras won’t be going off. Trump, meanwhile, has quietly deferred when asked what he and Hochul discussed. Former New York City Council Minority leader Joe Borelli hopes that Trump holds firm in his commitment to abolish the controversial road plan. Speaking on 710 WOR’s Mendte in the Morning program, Borelli said he hopes the President doesn’t budge because he is backing the will of the people.
“This is one of those 80/20, 60/40 issues that I hope Donald Trump doesn’t back down from,” Borelli told host Larry Mendte. “This is one of those issues where the majority of people outside of uber-liberal Manhattan, brownstone Brooklyn, they don’t like this policy, and the politics for Donald Trump and for Kathy Hochul are much, much different. Her fear is the left flank. Sher is going to do whatever she can (because) even an 80/20 issue for her, that 20% is more important than the 80% because that 20% is who votes in Democratic primaries. That’s the backwards math of New York politics.”
Borelli believes that President Trump should stick to his guns on this issue, and other hot-button issues, for the good of the GOP. “Trump shouldn’t back down. He wants to help out gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey, he wants to help out the New York Republican party, he wants to help out, whether it’s Mike Lawler or maybe Bruce Blakeman, who might run for governor, he should do this because his voters will reward him. By the way- same thing with the migrant crisis!”
Photo Credit: Getty Images