With his big plans for a whole new fleet of outer borough taxis stopped (at least temporarily) by a judge's order, Mayor Bloomberg is trying to turn the fight into a budget thing instead of the turf war that it really is. Because, you'll recall, the city's budget is banking on an extra billion bucks from the sale of 2,000 new yellow medallions. And now that extra dough is up in the air.
"It is worrisome," hizzoner said yesterday. "If it were delayed a little bit it would be difficult . . . If we were to not get it, it would be very serious." Or, if you'll let us whip out our Bloomberg-decoder ring: "our budget depended on Albany giving the City Council the runaround on this issue and so if you don't let me have my way now you are all going to suffer."
Right now there are three lawsuits against Bloomberg's taxi plans in the courts, and City lawyers have decided not to appeal the recent injuntion, instead pushing for a swift decision from Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron on the issues.
On the one hand, there are lots of positives to the idea of a new fleet of cabs serving the outer boroughs and upper Manhattan. But on the other hand, the Mayor's office clearly knew it wasn't acting on the up and up when it pushed its proposal through Albany last summer rather than through the Council, which has been handling cab-related issues for three-quarters of a century. Tough call!
