January 3, 2025 • 43 mins
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has restarted the controversial congestion pricing program for New York City, with some new adjustments. Under the original plan, commuters would be charged $15 to enter Manhattan's Congestion Relief Zone during peak hours. Hochul dropped the congestion tax to $9 per car during peak hours. What’s the likelihood Boston takes up congestion pricing? What are the pros and cons?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's nice side with Dan Ray. I'm telling you by
Constance video.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Now, thank you very much. Okay, we're gonna have some
fun this hour. This is incredible. If you're going to
New York this weekend, on Sunday, specifically, you will be
one of the first people in New York City. And
(00:28):
I don't know if we had this in any other
cities around America, but New York, probably San Francisco now
that I think about it. But in New York they're
going to start congestion pricing on Sunday. So if you
have an easy pass and you drive down there, you'll
(00:48):
be charged if you drive into certain sections of the city.
Now it's not as simple as all that, but but
I'm telling you right now, I'm looking into my crystal ball,
and what happens in New York City this Sunday will
soon be happening in Boston, and it will be happening
(01:09):
in Baltimore, and it will be happening in Philadelphia and
Buffalo and every other city with Manchester, well maybe not Manchester,
New Hampshire, but every major city in America. The folks
who run the cities in America, they have a few
things in common. They don't mind criminal behavior. They're not
(01:30):
really anxious to put bad people in jail and get
them off the streets. No no, no, no, no no.
But the thing that they really like is they like
to harass people who drive automobiles because you and me
are the enemy. That's why when you see bike lanes
(01:51):
sprouting everywhere, that is not an effort to say we
welcome motor vehicles. No, quite the opposite. And the ultimate
game plan is congestion pricing. Now, the governor of New York,
Kathy Hokeel, if there's a dumber governor in America, I
(02:13):
will accept nominations, but I defy you to find a
dumber governor in America. This is Kathy Hokeel a few
days ago explaining congestion pricing, and she is going We're
going to play three sound bites for you. Just listen
to what this governor says. She basically says, she explains
(02:38):
what congestion pricing is. And then she says she tries
to tell you that with congestion pricing and it costing
you more money to drive into pretty much anywhere in
Lower Manhattan, that she's going to save you forty percent.
This will give you insight in how the minds of
(03:05):
politicians work. They look at your money as their money. Now,
I know you don't believe me, but when you hear
these three sound bites, you're going to agree with me.
So let's first of all, listen to Kathy Hokeel talk
about how wonderful congestion pricing will be for everyone. Cut
(03:25):
one rob.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I have made affordability for New York families a top priority.
I always have and I always will fight to put
more money in the pockets of everyday New Yorkers. That's
why back in June, I set up on behalf of
hard working families and simply said no No to a
(03:49):
new fifteen dollars congestion. Told that at that particular time
was just too much. Too many people were worrying about
high costs, groceries, rent, childcare. These are real challenges for
our families, and launching a toll that high really would
(04:10):
have hurt a working mom or working dad trying to
make ends meet, especially someone driving in from a transportation
desert or far from outside the center of the city.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Boy, she's wonderful, isn't she. She's just wonderful. She's going
to save us money. No she's not. No, she's not.
Instead of charging you fifteen dollars a day or every
time you drive into this area, she's only going to
charge you nine dollars. And she now is going to
(04:47):
try to tell you that she's saving you forty percent.
Think about what she's saying. We're gonna play the second
sound bite now, in which she is actually going to
try to make the argument that she me is saving
you money by charging you nine dollars. This is the
way her mind, and the minds of many progressive politicians work.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Cut to rub As governor, it is my job to
make decisions that take into account the needs of all
working New Yorkers. So I made the decision to put
the congestion pricing program on pause while we devise a
different path forward. State law requires that congestion pricing simultan
(05:35):
simultaneously raise money for the MTA and drive down traffic congestion.
These are important priorities, but I believe that no New
Yorker should have to pay a penny more than absolutely
necessary to achieve these goals. And fifteen dollars was too much.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Wow, Wow, what a hero, What a hero. So remember
she's still trying to tell you that she is working
for you. She is working for you. So she's about
to tell you that instead of charging you fifteen dollars
every time you drive into New York City, she's only
(06:20):
going to charge you nine dollars. She's saving you forty percent.
I mean, that's like going to a loan shark and
having the loan shark say to you, look, you don't
have to pay me back one thousand dollars a week.
You got in order, you got to pay me back
six hundred dollars a week. If you don't pay me
(06:42):
back six hundred dollars a week, obviously i'm gonna break
your legs. But I'm gonna save you four hundred dollars
because I'm really a good guy. Well, that's like a
robber coming in your house and asking you how much
money do you have in your house here, and you say, well,
I have three hundred dollars, and the robber says, okay,
(07:06):
I'll only take two hundred. So I'm really going to
save you one hundred. Okay, So they're going to take
two hundred dollars of The robber is going to take
two hundred dollars of your money, but he's going to
save you one hundred dollars. Now you don't believe me
that that's the theory of Governor Kathy Hokeel Cut three Rob.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
And I'm proud to announce we have found a path
to find the MTA, reduce congestion god and keep millions
of dollars in the pockets of our commuters. Under this plan,
the MTA will implement a congestion pricing plan with a
reduced daytime toll of nine dollars beginning in January. You've
(07:49):
heard that correctly. It was fifteen dollars before and now
it is nine dollars. That is a forty percent reduction.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
This tall.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
We'll save daily commuters nearly fifteen hundred dollars annually, and
that kind of money makes a big difference for our families.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
You will say fifteen hundred dollars annually, but you will
pay twenty five hundred dollars for congestion pricing. This to
me is just insane. And if New Yorkers do not
stand up and rise and say, what do you think
we're stupid? We're do what do you think we're absolute?
(08:35):
I mean stupid? I mean talk about adding insult to injury.
She thinks that by telling you we were going to
charge you fifteen, now we're going to only charge you nine,
that means you'll save six dollars a day. Multiply that over.
Let's say you are going in and out to New
(08:57):
York City two hundred times to save you're twelve hundred
dollars a year. No, it's not. It's gonna cost you
eighteen hundred dollars a year. And let me tell you,
by the way, I have the congestion pricing relief zone.
They call it a relief zone. It's not a relief
zone for drivers, is it now? Okay? They call it
(09:20):
the opposite of what it is. The MTA is phasing
in the toll structure over a six year period so
that it will be nine dollars for cars to start,
it will be twelve dollars in twenty twenty eight, and
it will be fifteen dollars in twenty thirty one. Small
(09:42):
trucks they're gonna pay fourteen forty. Large trucks, tour buses
will pay twenty one sixty At just unbelievable. What's gonna
happen is if you keep putting democrats in charge of
a big American cities. Big American cities will go absolutely,
(10:06):
they will be shadows of what they once were. If
you don't think it's coming to a city near you,
trust me, now is the time to speak up against it. Okay.
One of the things about this country is freedom. Freedom
to travel. Okay. And there should be no cost associated
with driving in or out of New York City, because
(10:29):
when you drive in and out of New York City,
you are paying through the nose. You pay through the
nose for your hotel room, you pay through the nose
to park your car overnight if you're lucky, you pay
through the nose. To the restaurants you go to, you
pay through the nose if you buy anything in New
York City. All this is going to do is say
to people, look, they are just picking my pocket every
(10:51):
minute of the day that I'm in New York City.
I don't need New York City. I don't need New
York City. I can find other cities that I can
go to and enjoy myself. And I can look at
pictures of New York City. They will kill New York City.
Go to New York City, drive the empty ride in
the MTA, and try not to get shoved in front
(11:13):
of an oncoming train. Go to New York City and
nod off in a subway system and hope that someone
doesn't light you on fire. Six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
If you don't think that they are watching in Boston, Massachusetts,
and in Washington, DC and everywhere everywhere, every big city,
(11:36):
this is just another scam to pick your pocket. My
name is Dan Ray. I believe so strongly in what
I have said and the hypocrisy and the absolute arrogance
of Governor Kathy Hockel to think that she could sell
that to you as a cost savings boggles my mind.
(11:58):
I'd love to hear from you. Join the conversation. B
right back on night Side.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
to night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
By the way, if if if you don't believe me,
you don't want to believe what you just heard, uh
you know, check it out, go joke, check out congestion
relief zone. It's wonderful how they they call this. And
now again, as Rob mentioned during the break, even if
you live in New York, let's assume you live in
(12:31):
New York and you don't have a car and you
don't care about it. By by the way, uh taxis
and for higher for higher vehicles, uh instead of paying
the daily toll taxis and for higher vehicles licensed with
the NYC Taxi and Limos Commission will be eligible for
a smaller per trip charge paid by the passenger for
(12:52):
each trip two from within and through the congestion relief zone.
So they have bought off the taxi cab drivers in,
the uber drivers and the lyft drivers. They're okay. But
if you're driving your car in, it goes for both
the peak and overnight period. The per trip charge for
high volume for higher vehicles will be a dollar fifty.
(13:13):
For taxi, green cabs and black cars, the per trip
charge will beat seventy five cents. So if you're a
wealthy New Yorker and you want to take a limo in,
it's going to cost you seventy five cents additional. How
about that? Huh? How about that? And of course the
cars of government officials like Governor Hochel, they don't have
to pay anything, but the porschemuck like you or me
(13:36):
that have to work in New York City, You're going
to end up paying nine dollars a day, five days
a week. And oh, by the way, all of the
trucks that deliver the commercial products that New York City
or any city needs to run, small trucks, single unit trucks,
some buses will pay a toll of fourteen forty during
(13:56):
the peak period, three point sixty during the overnight period.
Large trucks, tour buses will paid twenty one sixty. All
those costs are going to be passed on to you consumers.
If you're living in New York right now and you
want to defend your governor, I'd love to hear from you,
Or if you're living in New York and you are
(14:17):
as appalled as I am that the good people of
New York would have elected her governor. This is insanity.
Is it is built on the need, the theoretical need
for climate change. I mean, that's what these folks really
what drives them. Okay, the al Gore theories on the
(14:38):
John Kerries of the world, who will never pay a congestion,
you know, fee or cost ever. Ever, the people who
fly around to the conferences around the world and their
private jets and talk about global warming. But the thing is,
I am telling you what she is talking about coming
(14:58):
to New York this weekend, becoming to wherever you live.
If you happen to frequent a large city. Now, if
you live in Reading, Pennsylvania and you never have to
go to Philadelphia, you'll be okay. If you live somewhere
in western Maryland you have to never have to go
to Washington and Baltimore, you're okay. I guess if you
live in the Berkshires and your chooes have to come
into Boston, you're okay. I'll never go to New York again.
(15:22):
I will never ever ever go to New York again.
Let's go to phone calls. I got a bunch of
lines here, folks. If you are quiet on this topic,
we'll move on and we'll we'll talk about maybe what's
your favorite color or something like that. Six one, seven, two,
five four ten thirty six one seven nine three one
ten thirty. I think sometimes people think that I'm I'm
(15:46):
not telling you I'm trying to do a piece of satire. No,
I'm not doing satire. This is truth. This is truth.
So Zann used to live in New York. New York
is is very different place these days. Is in Welcome Back?
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Well then I had various roommates and in New York
and I'm in Massachusetts. But you know what's illegal on
the streets of New York is three card Monty, where
the guys have three cards and there's a price under one,
but you never get it. That's what Kathy Hilchem is
doing with New York City. She don't all to me.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Yeah, I think I think you're right on that. And
the point is for her to try to tell you,
or me or the people of New York because she's
really not talking to me that somehow she's going to
save you money, save you money by only charging you
nine dollars, and that's going to save them fifteen hundred
dollars a year. How stupid does she think?
Speaker 5 (16:46):
You know?
Speaker 4 (16:46):
You can get a taxi in New York You either
share it or you walk, or you take the subway,
or you just give up and say home. If you
if you take the subway, maker and you take the.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Down please rob. If you take the subway, you were
taking your life into your hands. People in New York
City are pushed in front of moving subway trains. The
woman that was lit on fire, grew up apparently in
New Jersey. So New York is not the place, Susan
(17:21):
bringer back is not the place that that you knew
many years ago. It has changed.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
Down anymore.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Yeah, all right, Susan. Appreciate you, Carl, thank you so much.
Talk to you soon. Have a great night. Good night
to me. It's it's unbelievable that we as citizens are
so compliant with what these politicians feel they can impose
(17:53):
upon us. I mean, we all understand. I think that
taxation is the price of civilisation. I get all of that.
I get all of that. But to try to tell
people we're only going to charge you nine dollars and
we're going to save you money absurd. Let me go
to Audrey in Cambridge. Audrey, welcome next time. How are you?
Speaker 6 (18:17):
Oh, I'm fine, Thank you.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
Dan.
Speaker 6 (18:18):
I had to call because you know, and I know
the next city that'll be doing this after maybe after Boston,
will be Cambridge.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Oh, Cambridge I'm sure is chopping at the bit and
followed close.
Speaker 6 (18:32):
They have destroyed our city. I mean, it's just unbelievable.
Between the bike lanes and of course the bicyclist do
not have to obey any traffic rules at all. Oh okay,
and the stores are suffering. I mean, this has been
going on and they're just now they're they're they're in
the process of redoing Cambridge Street. They've done every other
possible street they can do. Uh, and it's it's nageous
(18:56):
and it just gives that cream the statement the inmates
are running the asylum. I mean, it's just crazy, you know,
and I can see what's happening.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
How stupid do you think Governor Hokeel thinks her constituents
are to stand there and say to them, well, we
are going to charge you fifteen dollars, but I intervened
and we're only going to be charged nine. So you're
going to save fifteen hundred a year. Can you imagine that?
Speaker 6 (19:27):
No, you don't have to be a mathematical genius to
see that. I mean, it's just incredible that he would there,
she would think that people. That's stupid.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Do you know how much we spent? Do you know
how much was spent? I found out last night from
State Senator Nick Collins. Guess how much Boston has spent
on bike lanes? Take a guess, wild guest.
Speaker 6 (19:48):
Oh god, I don't even want to think about it.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
Take against take a guess ten million dollars, twenty million.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
Dollars, oh oh oh, at least I'd say twenty at
least at least.
Speaker 7 (19:57):
Underd to twenty one, one hundred and twenty one billion dollars.
Oh yeah, yeah, okay, And that's from bike lanes for
the two percent of the people in the winter who
will drive their bikes, you know, between I don't know,
Thanksgiving and Memorial Day rights, right, it's it's insanity.
Speaker 6 (20:18):
And the thing with the environment what kills me is
I've been thinking of all these kinds and the traffic patterns,
so bizign now that they stalled, you know, sitting in
traffic and all those films are coming into the environment,
and they don't think that way.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
You know.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
The other thing, the other thing that that they do.
And of course, if you really think it through here,
which we're going to do right now, is uh you
look at Cambridge on the map and you think to yourself, Okay,
that's a community that you know there has some cars
and all of that. If we can if we can
stop them, if we can make them compliant and and
(20:54):
and put nothing into the atmosphere that's going to save
the planet. Even though those companies and those countries in Pakistan, India,
China are belching stuff up into the atmosphere. But I'm
sure they think that, we think that all the stuff
that Pakistan and and and and China, uh and and
(21:15):
Indonesia belt into the atmosphere just kind of stays over
those countries and it doesn't affect us.
Speaker 6 (21:22):
Oh, I'm sure that's what they think. I'm sure that's
what they think, you know. I mean, it's just one
thing after the other. I mean, it's just but this.
I had a call. I said, oh my gosh, I
can't regeally the next city to do this. I mean,
these crazy people that are running out of city.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
It's well, you know, they done it in London, done
it in London for years. Uh. And of course, the
people who were never impacted by this, uh, the uber
wealthy who probably working working into their uh you know,
into their contract with law firms or whatever where where
they have a car. They get a leased car. They
don't have to pay for anything their employer. But the
(21:56):
average person, the guy who's a plumber and he has
some classes in New York City, he's the he's the person.
She's the person who's gonna have to pay for it.
And again it's just the arrogance. When I looked at
her and I thought to myself, you must think your
constituents are morons. Now again, if yeah, maybe she's right,
(22:17):
maybe they are. And if there are people listening in
New York tonight, and if you're happy with Governor Hulkel,
give us a call and tell us why it's well,
I'm telling you something. It's one of these mad as hell.
I'm not going to take it anymore. That's how I feel,
right well.
Speaker 6 (22:35):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, And I mean we're battling things here
all the time in Cambridge, as you know. I mean,
it's just it doesn't seem to do any good, but
you still have to keep fighting, you know. I Mean
we went against I don't know how many bicyclists of
a city hall one night just to delay the Cambridge
Street thing. And there were hundreds of them. When I
tell you what, little kids, little kids that could barely speak.
They put them up to the microphone and everything, and
(22:56):
there were two of us, but we had four hundred signatures.
So at least regard it's delayed. But that's not going
to stop it, you know.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
That's the problem. That's the problem, and the problem is
it will never stop until their goal is to be
in all private automobile traffic in Cambridge, in Boston, in
New York, and they're going to make it, make it expensive,
and then eventually they're going to say it's so expensive.
We don't want to impose this on anyone. So everyone
(23:24):
now has to take take take the take the the
MTA in New York. Uh, and just make sure that
no one pushes you in front of an oncoming train,
or no one lights you on fire if you happen
to nod off or sitting on a bench in the
subway station. Think about that, think about that. Take your
life in danger, put your you know, take your life,
and just just kind of roll the dice anyway, Audrey,
(23:47):
I love your calls. You got to call more off.
Speaker 6 (23:49):
Okay, thank you so well, Thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Happy New Year, Audrey, Thanks very much. Six ten thirty,
six one seven thirty. That's the best line right now.
I get two open lines there, six one seven nine.
Maybe you don't think congestion pricing is going to be
an issue in Boston, Well you're wrong. It won't be
an issue because we have a mayoral election coming up
(24:12):
this November. But I guarantee you that once New York
puts it in, Boston will not be far behind. And
it affects everyone, not just people in Boston, but people
come into Boston. So get on the record, join the conversation.
Back on Nightside right after this, at ten o'clock, we're
going to change topics and we're going to talk about
a new law in the state of Florida called the
(24:35):
Halo Law. We'll explain that as well, and then at
eleven tonight we will talk about your twenty twenty five
New Year's resolution. So if you want to weigh in
on this dial now we're coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
He're listening to us for the first time. Welcome to
Nightside with w With Dan Ray and w Easy. We
are talking about the implementation of congestion pricing in New
York City. Beginning on Sunday, cars going into New York
City and of course throughout the week, nine dollars every
time they go anywhere in what Manhattan meaning south of
(25:16):
Central Park, and the Governor of New York Kathy Hlkel,
who has to be one of the dumbest governors in America.
And believe me, it is a It is a competition
in that category. A competition is basically saying to people,
we're saving you money because we're not going to charge
you fifteen dollars. It's unbelievable. Let's keep rolling. You're going
(25:37):
to go to Alex in Stoughton, Alex next on nightside.
Welcome Alex. How are you.
Speaker 8 (25:42):
I'm doing well. I just really quickly want to talk
about I think all of this comes back to greed.
I think there are you know, politicians on both sides
of the aisle, doesn't matter who we are. We live
in a time where greed sort of reigns supreme. And
I think you look at people. You know, what happened
with the United Healthcare CEO, and on both sides of
the aisle, there was, you know, celebration, whether whether that
(26:05):
was appropriate or not, people celebrated because you see them.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
You know, I gotta be honest with you, Alex. If
your goal is to, uh, you know, in any way,
shape or form, celebrate that now look uh no, no,
that guy, that guy, that guy shot someone in cold
blood in the back. And I understand that. I do
understand that. However, here's the problem. Here's the problem government has.
Their appetite is just enormous. No matter how much money
(26:34):
you and I give the government, they're gonna want more.
And this is just another way. It's a scam to
get into your pockets. In my pockets, I will never
go back to New York City for a whole bunch
of reasons. One, I've been on the train in New
York City. I don't want to take my life in
my hands anymore. They can't control people getting pushed in
(26:55):
front of moving trains in New York City. Their concern
is getting extra money out of people who gonna drive.
I've been in New York City. Why would anyone go
to New York City at this point in their lives exactly.
Speaker 8 (27:06):
You know, it's rough when a government is telling you, hey,
you need to take money out of your pocket to
go to the city where you work and live. How
are you supposed to do that, especially when people aren't
making enough to live in general, right by the way.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
But also alex by the way, in New York not
only of course, like every American, do you pay federal
income taxes, but in New York you also pay state
income taxes. There are some states where you don't pay
state income taxes. People are moving to those states, like Florida,
South Carolina and Tennessee New Hampshire, Texas. But then New
(27:44):
York City. If you work in New York City, you
pay a city tax, so you've got to pay.
Speaker 8 (27:49):
It's a bysinal that they would and they would take
this money out of pockets of hard working Americans. It's
absolutely abysmal. I don't agree with it at all.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Yeah. Then also the governor thinks, did you and I
are so stupid, say, wasn't that great? She was going
to charge us fifteen dollars a day, but she's only
going to charge us nine to start, so we're really
saving double six dollars a day.
Speaker 8 (28:15):
It's from people who just need more money or trying
to get more money out of out of people's pockets,
and you know, it's it comes back to that greed,
you know. And I really wish that there were more
people who would say, hey, no, we can't be that
greedy as politicians or people at the top, but that
doesn't exist anymore. It's a very you know self centered,
(28:37):
self interested world we're living in right now.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
And just legislature in Massachusetts does just vote themselves big
pay raise exactly? What was the last pay raise? You got?
Speaker 9 (28:48):
Out periods?
Speaker 8 (28:49):
So what you know?
Speaker 2 (28:51):
What when was your last pay raise?
Speaker 10 (28:55):
Exactly?
Speaker 9 (28:56):
While in my current job, you got it?
Speaker 2 (28:59):
You got it? Hey, Alex, thanks for calling and calling
more often? Would I appreciate your call? I appreciate you call.
Good night. Let me go to Mark in Austin. Mark
next time nights? I go ahead? Mark? Is Mark there?
Speaker 4 (29:13):
No?
Speaker 2 (29:14):
I hit? Did hit the button? Go ahead and Mark?
That was my mistake, hit the button.
Speaker 11 (29:18):
I'd like to call your attention to a story which
appeared in the Sunday Globe a couple of weeks ago,
and it seems that about two thirds and two thirds
of the cases where UH funding new public transportation programs
(29:38):
around the country was on the ballot voters. The voters
voted for it. And you know, do.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
You think do you think the voters would would Mark?
You live in Boston, right, sure, you live in Brighton.
What type of car do you drive?
Speaker 11 (30:00):
I don't have a car.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Ah, Okay, so you would not. So therefore Boston.
Speaker 11 (30:06):
Nineties and have never looked back.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Yeah, if Boston were to come up with congested pricing,
whereby people who had to drive into the city would
have to pay money like in New York, that wouldn't
bother you would well, I you could be honest with me.
Speaker 11 (30:25):
Mark, it isn't officially on the table.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
I don't care if it's on. I'm telling you more.
Speaker 11 (30:33):
I keep hearing from my fellow MBK writers.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Mark, Mark, communication problem here, take car down if you would. Mark,
we're having a little communication problem here. I asked you
kind of a direct question. You don't have a car.
I asked you a trick question. I asked you what
type of car did you drive? And you gave me
an honest answer. You don't drive a car, so therefore
you could care less if if people if gas prices rose,
(31:02):
or if congestion pricing rose. Correct, you don't have a
dog in that fight. Correct, you can answer the question.
Speaker 11 (31:11):
Look, I am impressed by how much work. So obang
the A N B T A.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
We're not talking, Mark, Can I ask you one question?
I gotta peg him down again. Mark, Why is it
that you're incapable of answering a direct question? Bring them up?
Speaker 11 (31:32):
Easing Uh? R OTC guy.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Okay, r O t C. Have a great night Mark.
We'll talk about r o TC. Some night Mark is
a very difficult caller to deal with. I don't know
if it's an attention deficit disorder issue or if it's
just unwilling to answer direct questions. But that's what we
do one night side. I'll ask you a direct question.
You can ask me a direct question, you know I can.
(31:58):
I will tell you I will never drive to New
York City again. I will never go to New York
City again. If you catch me in New York City,
you can call me a liar. I have no interest
in ever being in New York City again. And if
Kathy Hochel is not the single dumbest politician in America,
she is so arrogant she's telling people. When you think
(32:21):
about it, if you heard the beginning of the hour,
I'm not gonna play the sound bites again. She basically said,
I'm gonna save you money because we were gonna charge
you fifteen dollars and now we're only gonna charge you nine,
So I'm saving you six dollars a day. Think about that.
That's what that is. The bs that she's spreading to
her constituents. Get her out of there. We'll be back
(32:43):
on nightside. I got open lines at six, one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty. That's the number to call. Gonna change topics
at ten o'clock. Talk about a new law in the
state of Florida that I actually support. It's called the
Halo Law. We'll explain. Coming back on nights side, we
have Tina in Wonsaka. She's up next to Robin Woobert.
Coming back on nightside.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Now back to Dan Ray Mine from the Window World
night Side Studios on WBZ the news radio.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
For those of you who are a little confused and
listening to w RKO, we are going to continue here
until about ten o'clock. You could join us at any night,
any weeknight from A to midnight on WBZ for Nightside,
a little bit of an opportunity to get some exposure
to w r k O listeners. Hope all of you
doing well. Let's go to Tina in Munsaka, Rhode Island. Hi, Tina,
how are you tonight?
Speaker 6 (33:30):
Oh?
Speaker 12 (33:30):
Hi Jane, Yeah, I'm doing I'm doing fine.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
And when you think about congestion, pricing and the Governor
of New York.
Speaker 12 (33:40):
Well, what I think is this. I'm gonna put a
political stint on it on Why why I called in?
They should have left former Governor Como in office. I
liked him, and I think just because he had these
little sexual escapade p.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
I think, yeah, we call them piccadillos, right, piccadillos kind
of like kind of like Bill Clinton.
Speaker 12 (34:09):
Yeah, I got Joe Killington. Yeah, it wasn't a big
deal at all. So I just had to say that.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
Okay, well that's okay. You know what, you brought a
different point of view to the table and you said
it directly, and guess what, we had a We had
a lovely conversation, which I always have with you. So
thanks very much, Tina. And are you going to New
York anytime? Sooner or no?
Speaker 6 (34:34):
No way?
Speaker 12 (34:34):
If I go on anyway, it's gonna be Boston, Massachusetts.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
Well come on up to Boston, and when they get
congestion pricing year, you won't be you won't be able
to drive without paying more money too. But it'll it'll
be coming right after the the this this falls election
in Boston, I predict. Thanks Tina, have a great weekend
and happy New Year, Happy New Year.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
Over.
Speaker 9 (34:55):
Thank you, Thanks Dan, talk.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Soon, Thanks very much. We go to Robin Ruburn. Rob
you next time nights. I want to try to get
everyone in here, Rob, go right ahead.
Speaker 10 (35:03):
Hey Dan, how's it going, brother?
Speaker 2 (35:05):
I think he's go find tonight. Go right ahead, Rob,
what's you're taking all of this?
Speaker 10 (35:09):
Well, if you want to talk about New York, here's
a guy on YouTube named Cash Jordan. This guy has
a lowdown on the migrant situation, the traffic situation.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
Yeah. Well, what I'd rather have you do is tell
me what your opinion is, because I got to be
honest with you. Well, let me be honest with you
to take him down. Rob. Let me be honest with you, Rob.
Just listen to me for a second. I don't like
to promote other podcasts. We do a podcast it's called
Nightside on Demand. Every night, all of our hours are
(35:42):
posted on Nightside on Demand. So I'm in the business
of promoting WBZ Boston's news radio Nightside, my program, which
is on Monday through Friday night from eight and to midnight,
and our podcast Nightside on Demand. So I'm really not
interested in in in hearing much about some guy who's
got a podcast in New York.
Speaker 10 (36:02):
But go ahead, you can Mustang and I drive into
Boston into Brookline regularly. I am a medical marijuana patient
and I go to the Brickline dispensary. If you guys told,
if you guys instituted condestant pricing in there, I would
stop going.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Yeah, well, I would agree with you. I would agree
with you.
Speaker 10 (36:25):
Cambridge the same way. I wouldn't go to anywhere in Cambridge.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Well, good, yea to micro Center.
Speaker 10 (36:30):
I'd go to micro Center for my computer part. I
wouldn't go to micro Center Nore.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Yeah, Michael said, it's a pretty nice place. I've been
there recently. They've got some people over there who are
very helpful. It's one of the stores that, yeah, that
I've been to. Oftentimes you'll hear me talk about some
of the big box stores. You go up to the
people wearing the orange aprons and you say, can you
tell me what asle you have hammers in? And they
look at like like you're asking for an airline ticket.
(36:56):
And I generally will say, gee, I'm sorry, I thought
you worked here. Thank you very much. Hey, Rob, do
me your favorite call back again?
Speaker 10 (37:03):
Okay, I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
YouTube, Happy New Year, that's Cake Roland. You're gonna go
to Jason in Danvers, Massachusetts. Welcome to rightside. Jason, got
to turn that phone down. Why don't you put Jason
on hold? And we lost Jason there. That's okay, Jason.
If you want to want to call back, you can.
He got a little confused. Let me go to Sandy.
There's an open line here if you'd like six one, seven, two, five, four,
(37:26):
ten thirty Sandy in West Roxbury, Sandy. How those bike
lanes are doing in West.
Speaker 5 (37:31):
Roxbury, Well, people ride them backwards more often than that.
They ride in the middle lane, you know, the one
that's for turning in for God. Another thing is a joke,
but you know the thing then, I'm very disappointed in
you because, I mean, think about it. Now, how are
(37:51):
they going to pay for their raises? If they don't raise.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Money, that's a good I mean you know something, dw.
Speaker 5 (37:56):
I mean they can't possibly live on two hundred and
sixty thousand dollars a year.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
I mean the sacrifice that the Speaker of the House
is making for us UH and the Senate President, it's
public it is public service. I mean they're doing it
out of the goodness of their heart, because frankly, they
could be if they weren't, you know, in the positions
of leadership at the House of Representatives, they probably could
(38:25):
be I don't know, you know, inventing new rocketry, uh,
probably finding the cure for diseases. But they feel that
their public service at the legislature is a much greater
gift to society. I can't tell you how strongly I
agree with you that they're doing it for us. They're
screwing us for us so.
Speaker 5 (38:50):
Many people, but who's I mean, I get so frustrated.
That's why I don't call sometimes, because this is just
nothing to say. I mean, there's people robbing us blind
and they're lining their own pockets. Not all of them,
some of them really are public servants.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
But I think that the state auditor who's attempted to
audit the state legislature, Diane Zaglio, is a true public servant. Uh.
And and I mean that honestly.
Speaker 5 (39:24):
I think, well, why did you walk across the state
to prove a point? I mean, you know, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
I also think the state treasure I think that deb Goldberg.
Those are two Democrats who I respect and admire. I
think she's done a good job. We run the lottery,
which is a way in which tax revenue, you know,
revenue is raised for the cities in towns. It's not
tax people participate in a program voluntarily, they get some
form of entertainment. It's better to have people paying the
(39:54):
lot playing the lottery than betting on football games and
lining the pockets of of of the sports betting community
in my opinion. But you know, that's that's just my thought.
I don't know Kathy Hockel, though. Can you think, can
you think offhand of a dumber governor than Kathy Hochel?
Speaker 5 (40:13):
Well, I mean, I mean, it's just it's the way,
not the way of the world. It's the way of
the current world, you know, to get what you can
and run. Not one politician comes out of the legislature
poorer than they went in.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
Yeah, that that is true. I'll tell you. You know,
I still my favorite governor. Uh smart as a whip
and honest as the day, as long as Christian who
knew uh yeah, and at this he did a great
job for the people. So last day in office today
a great job for the people of New Hampshire. Sandy.
I'm gonna let you run call more often. I want
(40:49):
to hear your outrage, because if we don't hear your outrage,
we assume that that people who don't call are happy
with the way things are, and I know you're not
happy with the way things Thanks. Did you listen last
night to State State Ceditor Nick Collins? Many chance?
Speaker 5 (41:06):
Yes, And I hope that they follow through and finding
out why the bike length class so much, which we
didn't need.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Twenty one million dollars we run.
Speaker 5 (41:15):
Next time out Jesus colored paints, because then she could
be one thirty one, one forty one, I think twenty
one million, and we can go for one forty one million.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
Bet, why not? It's only money. It's it's not their money,
that's for sure. Thanks. Andy, gotta go touch to you soon.
Let me go back to Jason here we thanks Sandy.
Happy New Year. Jason. You called back. Thanks very much.
You got about a minute and a.
Speaker 9 (41:37):
Half where you go ahead, Jason, Okay, Dan, I just
want to say that I work in the restaurant business
and when the tax when the gas prices went up,
they passed it along to the businesses. There's a search
out on all of our invoices, so beyond all of
the obvious stuff. I just want to state that all
of these delivery trucks going to all of the businesses,
not just restaurants, are going to be search outs the
(41:59):
same thing. And is that going to be passed along
to the restaurants.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
The restaurants aren't going to eat it. They're going to
pass it on to the patrons. As I do that right.
Speaker 9 (42:08):
Now, every delivery that comes to my place is a
five or six or a three or four dollar charge
for gas. Even when the gas goes down, ghost charges
don't go away.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
So hey, Jason, do you do you own a restaurant
or no?
Speaker 9 (42:21):
I do not own a restaurant, but I have worked
in many and I've seen it in every restaurant.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
The reason, the only reason I asked you was I
wanted to give you an opportunity to plug the restaurant.
If you want to plug the restaurant you're working at.
I like businesses and I like restaurants. I'd be more
than happy to if you'd like to give it a plug,
go right ahead.
Speaker 9 (42:40):
I work in a great place, rusty Can and byfield,
it's called rusty Rusty Can.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
Rusty Can in Byfield. What sort of food if I can.
Speaker 9 (42:50):
Ask I have some Texas style barbecue excellent.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
If I'm ever up in that direction, I'm going to
stop in. Thanks Jason, I appreciate you're very welcome. Thanks
for calling back. Okay, next time, keep that radio turned down. Okay,
that's the way it works. Thanks Jason, talk to you soon.
Happy New Year. We're done for this hour, and I
was gonna go two hours on this, but I'm not.
I'm gonna switch topics. So if you didn't call, you
(43:15):
missed the boat coming back on Nightside right after the
ten o'clock news
It's nice side with Dan Ray. I'm telling you by
Constance video.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Now, thank you very much. Okay, we're gonna have some
fun this hour. This is incredible. If you're going to
New York this weekend, on Sunday, specifically, you will be
one of the first people in New York City. And
(00:28):
I don't know if we had this in any other
cities around America, but New York, probably San Francisco now
that I think about it. But in New York they're
going to start congestion pricing on Sunday. So if you
have an easy pass and you drive down there, you'll
(00:48):
be charged if you drive into certain sections of the city.
Now it's not as simple as all that, but but
I'm telling you right now, I'm looking into my crystal ball,
and what happens in New York City this Sunday will
soon be happening in Boston, and it will be happening
(01:09):
in Baltimore, and it will be happening in Philadelphia and
Buffalo and every other city with Manchester, well maybe not Manchester,
New Hampshire, but every major city in America. The folks
who run the cities in America, they have a few
things in common. They don't mind criminal behavior. They're not
(01:30):
really anxious to put bad people in jail and get
them off the streets. No no, no, no, no no.
But the thing that they really like is they like
to harass people who drive automobiles because you and me
are the enemy. That's why when you see bike lanes
(01:51):
sprouting everywhere, that is not an effort to say we
welcome motor vehicles. No, quite the opposite. And the ultimate
game plan is congestion pricing. Now, the governor of New York,
Kathy Hokeel, if there's a dumber governor in America, I
(02:13):
will accept nominations, but I defy you to find a
dumber governor in America. This is Kathy Hokeel a few
days ago explaining congestion pricing, and she is going We're
going to play three sound bites for you. Just listen
to what this governor says. She basically says, she explains
(02:38):
what congestion pricing is. And then she says she tries
to tell you that with congestion pricing and it costing
you more money to drive into pretty much anywhere in
Lower Manhattan, that she's going to save you forty percent.
This will give you insight in how the minds of
(03:05):
politicians work. They look at your money as their money. Now,
I know you don't believe me, but when you hear
these three sound bites, you're going to agree with me.
So let's first of all, listen to Kathy Hokeel talk
about how wonderful congestion pricing will be for everyone. Cut
(03:25):
one rob.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I have made affordability for New York families a top priority.
I always have and I always will fight to put
more money in the pockets of everyday New Yorkers. That's
why back in June, I set up on behalf of
hard working families and simply said no No to a
(03:49):
new fifteen dollars congestion. Told that at that particular time
was just too much. Too many people were worrying about
high costs, groceries, rent, childcare. These are real challenges for
our families, and launching a toll that high really would
(04:10):
have hurt a working mom or working dad trying to
make ends meet, especially someone driving in from a transportation
desert or far from outside the center of the city.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Boy, she's wonderful, isn't she. She's just wonderful. She's going
to save us money. No she's not. No, she's not.
Instead of charging you fifteen dollars a day or every
time you drive into this area, she's only going to
charge you nine dollars. And she now is going to
(04:47):
try to tell you that she's saving you forty percent.
Think about what she's saying. We're gonna play the second
sound bite now, in which she is actually going to
try to make the argument that she me is saving
you money by charging you nine dollars. This is the
way her mind, and the minds of many progressive politicians work.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Cut to rub As governor, it is my job to
make decisions that take into account the needs of all
working New Yorkers. So I made the decision to put
the congestion pricing program on pause while we devise a
different path forward. State law requires that congestion pricing simultan
(05:35):
simultaneously raise money for the MTA and drive down traffic congestion.
These are important priorities, but I believe that no New
Yorker should have to pay a penny more than absolutely
necessary to achieve these goals. And fifteen dollars was too much.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Wow, Wow, what a hero, What a hero. So remember
she's still trying to tell you that she is working
for you. She is working for you. So she's about
to tell you that instead of charging you fifteen dollars
every time you drive into New York City, she's only
(06:20):
going to charge you nine dollars. She's saving you forty percent.
I mean, that's like going to a loan shark and
having the loan shark say to you, look, you don't
have to pay me back one thousand dollars a week.
You got in order, you got to pay me back
six hundred dollars a week. If you don't pay me
(06:42):
back six hundred dollars a week, obviously i'm gonna break
your legs. But I'm gonna save you four hundred dollars
because I'm really a good guy. Well, that's like a
robber coming in your house and asking you how much
money do you have in your house here, and you say, well,
I have three hundred dollars, and the robber says, okay,
(07:06):
I'll only take two hundred. So I'm really going to
save you one hundred. Okay, So they're going to take
two hundred dollars of The robber is going to take
two hundred dollars of your money, but he's going to
save you one hundred dollars. Now you don't believe me
that that's the theory of Governor Kathy Hokeel Cut three Rob.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
And I'm proud to announce we have found a path
to find the MTA, reduce congestion god and keep millions
of dollars in the pockets of our commuters. Under this plan,
the MTA will implement a congestion pricing plan with a
reduced daytime toll of nine dollars beginning in January. You've
(07:49):
heard that correctly. It was fifteen dollars before and now
it is nine dollars. That is a forty percent reduction.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
This tall.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
We'll save daily commuters nearly fifteen hundred dollars annually, and
that kind of money makes a big difference for our families.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
You will say fifteen hundred dollars annually, but you will
pay twenty five hundred dollars for congestion pricing. This to
me is just insane. And if New Yorkers do not
stand up and rise and say, what do you think
we're stupid? We're do what do you think we're absolute?
(08:35):
I mean stupid? I mean talk about adding insult to injury.
She thinks that by telling you we were going to
charge you fifteen, now we're going to only charge you nine,
that means you'll save six dollars a day. Multiply that over.
Let's say you are going in and out to New
(08:57):
York City two hundred times to save you're twelve hundred
dollars a year. No, it's not. It's gonna cost you
eighteen hundred dollars a year. And let me tell you,
by the way, I have the congestion pricing relief zone.
They call it a relief zone. It's not a relief
zone for drivers, is it now? Okay? They call it
(09:20):
the opposite of what it is. The MTA is phasing
in the toll structure over a six year period so
that it will be nine dollars for cars to start,
it will be twelve dollars in twenty twenty eight, and
it will be fifteen dollars in twenty thirty one. Small
(09:42):
trucks they're gonna pay fourteen forty. Large trucks, tour buses
will pay twenty one sixty At just unbelievable. What's gonna
happen is if you keep putting democrats in charge of
a big American cities. Big American cities will go absolutely,
(10:06):
they will be shadows of what they once were. If
you don't think it's coming to a city near you,
trust me, now is the time to speak up against it. Okay.
One of the things about this country is freedom. Freedom
to travel. Okay. And there should be no cost associated
with driving in or out of New York City, because
(10:29):
when you drive in and out of New York City,
you are paying through the nose. You pay through the
nose for your hotel room, you pay through the nose
to park your car overnight if you're lucky, you pay
through the nose. To the restaurants you go to, you
pay through the nose if you buy anything in New
York City. All this is going to do is say
to people, look, they are just picking my pocket every
(10:51):
minute of the day that I'm in New York City.
I don't need New York City. I don't need New
York City. I can find other cities that I can
go to and enjoy myself. And I can look at
pictures of New York City. They will kill New York City.
Go to New York City, drive the empty ride in
the MTA, and try not to get shoved in front
(11:13):
of an oncoming train. Go to New York City and
nod off in a subway system and hope that someone
doesn't light you on fire. Six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
If you don't think that they are watching in Boston, Massachusetts,
and in Washington, DC and everywhere everywhere, every big city,
(11:36):
this is just another scam to pick your pocket. My
name is Dan Ray. I believe so strongly in what
I have said and the hypocrisy and the absolute arrogance
of Governor Kathy Hockel to think that she could sell
that to you as a cost savings boggles my mind.
(11:58):
I'd love to hear from you. Join the conversation. B
right back on night Side.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
to night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
By the way, if if if you don't believe me,
you don't want to believe what you just heard, uh
you know, check it out, go joke, check out congestion
relief zone. It's wonderful how they they call this. And
now again, as Rob mentioned during the break, even if
you live in New York, let's assume you live in
(12:31):
New York and you don't have a car and you
don't care about it. By by the way, uh taxis
and for higher for higher vehicles, uh instead of paying
the daily toll taxis and for higher vehicles licensed with
the NYC Taxi and Limos Commission will be eligible for
a smaller per trip charge paid by the passenger for
(12:52):
each trip two from within and through the congestion relief zone.
So they have bought off the taxi cab drivers in,
the uber drivers and the lyft drivers. They're okay. But
if you're driving your car in, it goes for both
the peak and overnight period. The per trip charge for
high volume for higher vehicles will be a dollar fifty.
(13:13):
For taxi, green cabs and black cars, the per trip
charge will beat seventy five cents. So if you're a
wealthy New Yorker and you want to take a limo in,
it's going to cost you seventy five cents additional. How
about that? Huh? How about that? And of course the
cars of government officials like Governor Hochel, they don't have
to pay anything, but the porschemuck like you or me
(13:36):
that have to work in New York City, You're going
to end up paying nine dollars a day, five days
a week. And oh, by the way, all of the
trucks that deliver the commercial products that New York City
or any city needs to run, small trucks, single unit trucks,
some buses will pay a toll of fourteen forty during
(13:56):
the peak period, three point sixty during the overnight period.
Large trucks, tour buses will paid twenty one sixty. All
those costs are going to be passed on to you consumers.
If you're living in New York right now and you
want to defend your governor, I'd love to hear from you,
Or if you're living in New York and you are
(14:17):
as appalled as I am that the good people of
New York would have elected her governor. This is insanity.
Is it is built on the need, the theoretical need
for climate change. I mean, that's what these folks really
what drives them. Okay, the al Gore theories on the
(14:38):
John Kerries of the world, who will never pay a congestion,
you know, fee or cost ever. Ever, the people who
fly around to the conferences around the world and their
private jets and talk about global warming. But the thing is,
I am telling you what she is talking about coming
(14:58):
to New York this weekend, becoming to wherever you live.
If you happen to frequent a large city. Now, if
you live in Reading, Pennsylvania and you never have to
go to Philadelphia, you'll be okay. If you live somewhere
in western Maryland you have to never have to go
to Washington and Baltimore, you're okay. I guess if you
live in the Berkshires and your chooes have to come
into Boston, you're okay. I'll never go to New York again.
(15:22):
I will never ever ever go to New York again.
Let's go to phone calls. I got a bunch of
lines here, folks. If you are quiet on this topic,
we'll move on and we'll we'll talk about maybe what's
your favorite color or something like that. Six one, seven, two,
five four ten thirty six one seven nine three one
ten thirty. I think sometimes people think that I'm I'm
(15:46):
not telling you I'm trying to do a piece of satire. No,
I'm not doing satire. This is truth. This is truth.
So Zann used to live in New York. New York
is is very different place these days. Is in Welcome Back?
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Well then I had various roommates and in New York
and I'm in Massachusetts. But you know what's illegal on
the streets of New York is three card Monty, where
the guys have three cards and there's a price under one,
but you never get it. That's what Kathy Hilchem is
doing with New York City. She don't all to me.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Yeah, I think I think you're right on that. And
the point is for her to try to tell you,
or me or the people of New York because she's
really not talking to me that somehow she's going to
save you money, save you money by only charging you
nine dollars, and that's going to save them fifteen hundred
dollars a year. How stupid does she think?
Speaker 5 (16:46):
You know?
Speaker 4 (16:46):
You can get a taxi in New York You either
share it or you walk, or you take the subway,
or you just give up and say home. If you
if you take the subway, maker and you take the.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Down please rob. If you take the subway, you were
taking your life into your hands. People in New York
City are pushed in front of moving subway trains. The
woman that was lit on fire, grew up apparently in
New Jersey. So New York is not the place, Susan
(17:21):
bringer back is not the place that that you knew
many years ago. It has changed.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
Down anymore.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Yeah, all right, Susan. Appreciate you, Carl, thank you so much.
Talk to you soon. Have a great night. Good night
to me. It's it's unbelievable that we as citizens are
so compliant with what these politicians feel they can impose
(17:53):
upon us. I mean, we all understand. I think that
taxation is the price of civilisation. I get all of that.
I get all of that. But to try to tell
people we're only going to charge you nine dollars and
we're going to save you money absurd. Let me go
to Audrey in Cambridge. Audrey, welcome next time. How are you?
Speaker 6 (18:17):
Oh, I'm fine, Thank you.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
Dan.
Speaker 6 (18:18):
I had to call because you know, and I know
the next city that'll be doing this after maybe after Boston,
will be Cambridge.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Oh, Cambridge I'm sure is chopping at the bit and
followed close.
Speaker 6 (18:32):
They have destroyed our city. I mean, it's just unbelievable.
Between the bike lanes and of course the bicyclist do
not have to obey any traffic rules at all. Oh okay,
and the stores are suffering. I mean, this has been
going on and they're just now they're they're they're in
the process of redoing Cambridge Street. They've done every other
possible street they can do. Uh, and it's it's nageous
(18:56):
and it just gives that cream the statement the inmates
are running the asylum. I mean, it's just crazy, you know,
and I can see what's happening.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
How stupid do you think Governor Hokeel thinks her constituents
are to stand there and say to them, well, we
are going to charge you fifteen dollars, but I intervened
and we're only going to be charged nine. So you're
going to save fifteen hundred a year. Can you imagine that?
Speaker 6 (19:27):
No, you don't have to be a mathematical genius to
see that. I mean, it's just incredible that he would there,
she would think that people. That's stupid.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Do you know how much we spent? Do you know
how much was spent? I found out last night from
State Senator Nick Collins. Guess how much Boston has spent
on bike lanes? Take a guess, wild guest.
Speaker 6 (19:48):
Oh god, I don't even want to think about it.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
Take against take a guess ten million dollars, twenty million.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
Dollars, oh oh oh, at least I'd say twenty at
least at least.
Speaker 7 (19:57):
Underd to twenty one, one hundred and twenty one billion dollars.
Oh yeah, yeah, okay, And that's from bike lanes for
the two percent of the people in the winter who
will drive their bikes, you know, between I don't know,
Thanksgiving and Memorial Day rights, right, it's it's insanity.
Speaker 6 (20:18):
And the thing with the environment what kills me is
I've been thinking of all these kinds and the traffic patterns,
so bizign now that they stalled, you know, sitting in
traffic and all those films are coming into the environment,
and they don't think that way.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
You know.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
The other thing, the other thing that that they do.
And of course, if you really think it through here,
which we're going to do right now, is uh you
look at Cambridge on the map and you think to yourself, Okay,
that's a community that you know there has some cars
and all of that. If we can if we can
stop them, if we can make them compliant and and
(20:54):
and put nothing into the atmosphere that's going to save
the planet. Even though those companies and those countries in Pakistan, India,
China are belching stuff up into the atmosphere. But I'm
sure they think that, we think that all the stuff
that Pakistan and and and and China, uh and and
(21:15):
Indonesia belt into the atmosphere just kind of stays over
those countries and it doesn't affect us.
Speaker 6 (21:22):
Oh, I'm sure that's what they think. I'm sure that's
what they think, you know. I mean, it's just one
thing after the other. I mean, it's just but this.
I had a call. I said, oh my gosh, I
can't regeally the next city to do this. I mean,
these crazy people that are running out of city.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
It's well, you know, they done it in London, done
it in London for years. Uh. And of course, the
people who were never impacted by this, uh, the uber
wealthy who probably working working into their uh you know,
into their contract with law firms or whatever where where
they have a car. They get a leased car. They
don't have to pay for anything their employer. But the
(21:56):
average person, the guy who's a plumber and he has
some classes in New York City, he's the he's the person.
She's the person who's gonna have to pay for it.
And again it's just the arrogance. When I looked at
her and I thought to myself, you must think your
constituents are morons. Now again, if yeah, maybe she's right,
(22:17):
maybe they are. And if there are people listening in
New York tonight, and if you're happy with Governor Hulkel,
give us a call and tell us why it's well,
I'm telling you something. It's one of these mad as hell.
I'm not going to take it anymore. That's how I feel,
right well.
Speaker 6 (22:35):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, And I mean we're battling things here
all the time in Cambridge, as you know. I mean,
it's just it doesn't seem to do any good, but
you still have to keep fighting, you know. I Mean
we went against I don't know how many bicyclists of
a city hall one night just to delay the Cambridge
Street thing. And there were hundreds of them. When I
tell you what, little kids, little kids that could barely speak.
They put them up to the microphone and everything, and
(22:56):
there were two of us, but we had four hundred signatures.
So at least regard it's delayed. But that's not going
to stop it, you know.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
That's the problem. That's the problem, and the problem is
it will never stop until their goal is to be
in all private automobile traffic in Cambridge, in Boston, in
New York, and they're going to make it, make it expensive,
and then eventually they're going to say it's so expensive.
We don't want to impose this on anyone. So everyone
(23:24):
now has to take take take the take the the
MTA in New York. Uh, and just make sure that
no one pushes you in front of an oncoming train,
or no one lights you on fire if you happen
to nod off or sitting on a bench in the
subway station. Think about that, think about that. Take your
life in danger, put your you know, take your life,
and just just kind of roll the dice anyway, Audrey,
(23:47):
I love your calls. You got to call more off.
Speaker 6 (23:49):
Okay, thank you so well, Thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Happy New Year, Audrey, Thanks very much. Six ten thirty,
six one seven thirty. That's the best line right now.
I get two open lines there, six one seven nine.
Maybe you don't think congestion pricing is going to be
an issue in Boston, Well you're wrong. It won't be
an issue because we have a mayoral election coming up
(24:12):
this November. But I guarantee you that once New York
puts it in, Boston will not be far behind. And
it affects everyone, not just people in Boston, but people
come into Boston. So get on the record, join the conversation.
Back on Nightside right after this, at ten o'clock, we're
going to change topics and we're going to talk about
a new law in the state of Florida called the
(24:35):
Halo Law. We'll explain that as well, and then at
eleven tonight we will talk about your twenty twenty five
New Year's resolution. So if you want to weigh in
on this dial now we're coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
He're listening to us for the first time. Welcome to
Nightside with w With Dan Ray and w Easy. We
are talking about the implementation of congestion pricing in New
York City. Beginning on Sunday, cars going into New York
City and of course throughout the week, nine dollars every
time they go anywhere in what Manhattan meaning south of
(25:16):
Central Park, and the Governor of New York Kathy Hlkel,
who has to be one of the dumbest governors in America.
And believe me, it is a It is a competition
in that category. A competition is basically saying to people,
we're saving you money because we're not going to charge
you fifteen dollars. It's unbelievable. Let's keep rolling. You're going
(25:37):
to go to Alex in Stoughton, Alex next on nightside.
Welcome Alex. How are you.
Speaker 8 (25:42):
I'm doing well. I just really quickly want to talk
about I think all of this comes back to greed.
I think there are you know, politicians on both sides
of the aisle, doesn't matter who we are. We live
in a time where greed sort of reigns supreme. And
I think you look at people. You know, what happened
with the United Healthcare CEO, and on both sides of
the aisle, there was, you know, celebration, whether whether that
(26:05):
was appropriate or not, people celebrated because you see them.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
You know, I gotta be honest with you, Alex. If
your goal is to, uh, you know, in any way,
shape or form, celebrate that now look uh no, no,
that guy, that guy, that guy shot someone in cold
blood in the back. And I understand that. I do
understand that. However, here's the problem. Here's the problem government has.
Their appetite is just enormous. No matter how much money
(26:34):
you and I give the government, they're gonna want more.
And this is just another way. It's a scam to
get into your pockets. In my pockets, I will never
go back to New York City for a whole bunch
of reasons. One, I've been on the train in New
York City. I don't want to take my life in
my hands anymore. They can't control people getting pushed in
(26:55):
front of moving trains in New York City. Their concern
is getting extra money out of people who gonna drive.
I've been in New York City. Why would anyone go
to New York City at this point in their lives exactly.
Speaker 8 (27:06):
You know, it's rough when a government is telling you, hey,
you need to take money out of your pocket to
go to the city where you work and live. How
are you supposed to do that, especially when people aren't
making enough to live in general, right by the way.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
But also alex by the way, in New York not
only of course, like every American, do you pay federal
income taxes, but in New York you also pay state
income taxes. There are some states where you don't pay
state income taxes. People are moving to those states, like Florida,
South Carolina and Tennessee New Hampshire, Texas. But then New
(27:44):
York City. If you work in New York City, you
pay a city tax, so you've got to pay.
Speaker 8 (27:49):
It's a bysinal that they would and they would take
this money out of pockets of hard working Americans. It's
absolutely abysmal. I don't agree with it at all.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Yeah. Then also the governor thinks, did you and I
are so stupid, say, wasn't that great? She was going
to charge us fifteen dollars a day, but she's only
going to charge us nine to start, so we're really
saving double six dollars a day.
Speaker 8 (28:15):
It's from people who just need more money or trying
to get more money out of out of people's pockets,
and you know, it's it comes back to that greed,
you know. And I really wish that there were more
people who would say, hey, no, we can't be that
greedy as politicians or people at the top, but that
doesn't exist anymore. It's a very you know self centered,
(28:37):
self interested world we're living in right now.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
And just legislature in Massachusetts does just vote themselves big
pay raise exactly? What was the last pay raise? You got?
Speaker 9 (28:48):
Out periods?
Speaker 8 (28:49):
So what you know?
Speaker 2 (28:51):
What when was your last pay raise?
Speaker 10 (28:55):
Exactly?
Speaker 9 (28:56):
While in my current job, you got it?
Speaker 2 (28:59):
You got it? Hey, Alex, thanks for calling and calling
more often? Would I appreciate your call? I appreciate you call.
Good night. Let me go to Mark in Austin. Mark
next time nights? I go ahead? Mark? Is Mark there?
Speaker 4 (29:13):
No?
Speaker 2 (29:14):
I hit? Did hit the button? Go ahead and Mark?
That was my mistake, hit the button.
Speaker 11 (29:18):
I'd like to call your attention to a story which
appeared in the Sunday Globe a couple of weeks ago,
and it seems that about two thirds and two thirds
of the cases where UH funding new public transportation programs
(29:38):
around the country was on the ballot voters. The voters
voted for it. And you know, do.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
You think do you think the voters would would Mark?
You live in Boston, right, sure, you live in Brighton.
What type of car do you drive?
Speaker 11 (30:00):
I don't have a car.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Ah, Okay, so you would not. So therefore Boston.
Speaker 11 (30:06):
Nineties and have never looked back.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Yeah, if Boston were to come up with congested pricing,
whereby people who had to drive into the city would
have to pay money like in New York, that wouldn't
bother you would well, I you could be honest with me.
Speaker 11 (30:25):
Mark, it isn't officially on the table.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
I don't care if it's on. I'm telling you more.
Speaker 11 (30:33):
I keep hearing from my fellow MBK writers.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Mark, Mark, communication problem here, take car down if you would. Mark,
we're having a little communication problem here. I asked you
kind of a direct question. You don't have a car.
I asked you a trick question. I asked you what
type of car did you drive? And you gave me
an honest answer. You don't drive a car, so therefore
you could care less if if people if gas prices rose,
(31:02):
or if congestion pricing rose. Correct, you don't have a
dog in that fight. Correct, you can answer the question.
Speaker 11 (31:11):
Look, I am impressed by how much work. So obang
the A N B T A.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
We're not talking, Mark, Can I ask you one question?
I gotta peg him down again. Mark, Why is it
that you're incapable of answering a direct question? Bring them up?
Speaker 11 (31:32):
Easing Uh? R OTC guy.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Okay, r O t C. Have a great night Mark.
We'll talk about r o TC. Some night Mark is
a very difficult caller to deal with. I don't know
if it's an attention deficit disorder issue or if it's
just unwilling to answer direct questions. But that's what we
do one night side. I'll ask you a direct question.
You can ask me a direct question, you know I can.
(31:58):
I will tell you I will never drive to New
York City again. I will never go to New York
City again. If you catch me in New York City,
you can call me a liar. I have no interest
in ever being in New York City again. And if
Kathy Hochel is not the single dumbest politician in America,
she is so arrogant she's telling people. When you think
(32:21):
about it, if you heard the beginning of the hour,
I'm not gonna play the sound bites again. She basically said,
I'm gonna save you money because we were gonna charge
you fifteen dollars and now we're only gonna charge you nine,
So I'm saving you six dollars a day. Think about that.
That's what that is. The bs that she's spreading to
her constituents. Get her out of there. We'll be back
(32:43):
on nightside. I got open lines at six, one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty. That's the number to call. Gonna change topics
at ten o'clock. Talk about a new law in the
state of Florida that I actually support. It's called the
Halo Law. We'll explain. Coming back on nights side, we
have Tina in Wonsaka. She's up next to Robin Woobert.
Coming back on nightside.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Now back to Dan Ray Mine from the Window World
night Side Studios on WBZ the news radio.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
For those of you who are a little confused and
listening to w RKO, we are going to continue here
until about ten o'clock. You could join us at any night,
any weeknight from A to midnight on WBZ for Nightside,
a little bit of an opportunity to get some exposure
to w r k O listeners. Hope all of you
doing well. Let's go to Tina in Munsaka, Rhode Island. Hi, Tina,
how are you tonight?
Speaker 6 (33:30):
Oh?
Speaker 12 (33:30):
Hi Jane, Yeah, I'm doing I'm doing fine.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
And when you think about congestion, pricing and the Governor
of New York.
Speaker 12 (33:40):
Well, what I think is this. I'm gonna put a
political stint on it on Why why I called in?
They should have left former Governor Como in office. I
liked him, and I think just because he had these
little sexual escapade p.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
I think, yeah, we call them piccadillos, right, piccadillos kind
of like kind of like Bill Clinton.
Speaker 12 (34:09):
Yeah, I got Joe Killington. Yeah, it wasn't a big
deal at all. So I just had to say that.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
Okay, well that's okay. You know what, you brought a
different point of view to the table and you said
it directly, and guess what, we had a We had
a lovely conversation, which I always have with you. So
thanks very much, Tina. And are you going to New
York anytime? Sooner or no?
Speaker 6 (34:34):
No way?
Speaker 12 (34:34):
If I go on anyway, it's gonna be Boston, Massachusetts.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
Well come on up to Boston, and when they get
congestion pricing year, you won't be you won't be able
to drive without paying more money too. But it'll it'll
be coming right after the the this this falls election
in Boston, I predict. Thanks Tina, have a great weekend
and happy New Year, Happy New Year.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
Over.
Speaker 9 (34:55):
Thank you, Thanks Dan, talk.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Soon, Thanks very much. We go to Robin Ruburn. Rob
you next time nights. I want to try to get
everyone in here, Rob, go right ahead.
Speaker 10 (35:03):
Hey Dan, how's it going, brother?
Speaker 2 (35:05):
I think he's go find tonight. Go right ahead, Rob,
what's you're taking all of this?
Speaker 10 (35:09):
Well, if you want to talk about New York, here's
a guy on YouTube named Cash Jordan. This guy has
a lowdown on the migrant situation, the traffic situation.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
Yeah. Well, what I'd rather have you do is tell
me what your opinion is, because I got to be
honest with you. Well, let me be honest with you
to take him down. Rob. Let me be honest with you, Rob.
Just listen to me for a second. I don't like
to promote other podcasts. We do a podcast it's called
Nightside on Demand. Every night, all of our hours are
(35:42):
posted on Nightside on Demand. So I'm in the business
of promoting WBZ Boston's news radio Nightside, my program, which
is on Monday through Friday night from eight and to midnight,
and our podcast Nightside on Demand. So I'm really not
interested in in in hearing much about some guy who's
got a podcast in New York.
Speaker 10 (36:02):
But go ahead, you can Mustang and I drive into
Boston into Brookline regularly. I am a medical marijuana patient
and I go to the Brickline dispensary. If you guys told,
if you guys instituted condestant pricing in there, I would
stop going.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Yeah, well, I would agree with you. I would agree
with you.
Speaker 10 (36:25):
Cambridge the same way. I wouldn't go to anywhere in Cambridge.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Well, good, yea to micro Center.
Speaker 10 (36:30):
I'd go to micro Center for my computer part. I
wouldn't go to micro Center Nore.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Yeah, Michael said, it's a pretty nice place. I've been
there recently. They've got some people over there who are
very helpful. It's one of the stores that, yeah, that
I've been to. Oftentimes you'll hear me talk about some
of the big box stores. You go up to the
people wearing the orange aprons and you say, can you
tell me what asle you have hammers in? And they
look at like like you're asking for an airline ticket.
(36:56):
And I generally will say, gee, I'm sorry, I thought
you worked here. Thank you very much. Hey, Rob, do
me your favorite call back again?
Speaker 10 (37:03):
Okay, I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
YouTube, Happy New Year, that's Cake Roland. You're gonna go
to Jason in Danvers, Massachusetts. Welcome to rightside. Jason, got
to turn that phone down. Why don't you put Jason
on hold? And we lost Jason there. That's okay, Jason.
If you want to want to call back, you can.
He got a little confused. Let me go to Sandy.
There's an open line here if you'd like six one, seven, two, five, four,
(37:26):
ten thirty Sandy in West Roxbury, Sandy. How those bike
lanes are doing in West.
Speaker 5 (37:31):
Roxbury, Well, people ride them backwards more often than that.
They ride in the middle lane, you know, the one
that's for turning in for God. Another thing is a joke,
but you know the thing then, I'm very disappointed in
you because, I mean, think about it. Now, how are
(37:51):
they going to pay for their raises? If they don't raise.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Money, that's a good I mean you know something, dw.
Speaker 5 (37:56):
I mean they can't possibly live on two hundred and
sixty thousand dollars a year.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
I mean the sacrifice that the Speaker of the House
is making for us UH and the Senate President, it's
public it is public service. I mean they're doing it
out of the goodness of their heart, because frankly, they
could be if they weren't, you know, in the positions
of leadership at the House of Representatives, they probably could
(38:25):
be I don't know, you know, inventing new rocketry, uh,
probably finding the cure for diseases. But they feel that
their public service at the legislature is a much greater
gift to society. I can't tell you how strongly I
agree with you that they're doing it for us. They're
screwing us for us so.
Speaker 5 (38:50):
Many people, but who's I mean, I get so frustrated.
That's why I don't call sometimes, because this is just
nothing to say. I mean, there's people robbing us blind
and they're lining their own pockets. Not all of them,
some of them really are public servants.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
But I think that the state auditor who's attempted to
audit the state legislature, Diane Zaglio, is a true public servant. Uh.
And and I mean that honestly.
Speaker 5 (39:24):
I think, well, why did you walk across the state
to prove a point? I mean, you know, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
I also think the state treasure I think that deb Goldberg.
Those are two Democrats who I respect and admire. I
think she's done a good job. We run the lottery,
which is a way in which tax revenue, you know,
revenue is raised for the cities in towns. It's not
tax people participate in a program voluntarily, they get some
form of entertainment. It's better to have people paying the
(39:54):
lot playing the lottery than betting on football games and
lining the pockets of of of the sports betting community
in my opinion. But you know, that's that's just my thought.
I don't know Kathy Hockel, though. Can you think, can
you think offhand of a dumber governor than Kathy Hochel?
Speaker 5 (40:13):
Well, I mean, I mean, it's just it's the way,
not the way of the world. It's the way of
the current world, you know, to get what you can
and run. Not one politician comes out of the legislature
poorer than they went in.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
Yeah, that that is true. I'll tell you. You know,
I still my favorite governor. Uh smart as a whip
and honest as the day, as long as Christian who
knew uh yeah, and at this he did a great
job for the people. So last day in office today
a great job for the people of New Hampshire. Sandy.
I'm gonna let you run call more often. I want
(40:49):
to hear your outrage, because if we don't hear your outrage,
we assume that that people who don't call are happy
with the way things are, and I know you're not
happy with the way things Thanks. Did you listen last
night to State State Ceditor Nick Collins? Many chance?
Speaker 5 (41:06):
Yes, And I hope that they follow through and finding
out why the bike length class so much, which we
didn't need.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Twenty one million dollars we run.
Speaker 5 (41:15):
Next time out Jesus colored paints, because then she could
be one thirty one, one forty one, I think twenty
one million, and we can go for one forty one million.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
Bet, why not? It's only money. It's it's not their money,
that's for sure. Thanks. Andy, gotta go touch to you soon.
Let me go back to Jason here we thanks Sandy.
Happy New Year. Jason. You called back. Thanks very much.
You got about a minute and a.
Speaker 9 (41:37):
Half where you go ahead, Jason, Okay, Dan, I just
want to say that I work in the restaurant business
and when the tax when the gas prices went up,
they passed it along to the businesses. There's a search
out on all of our invoices, so beyond all of
the obvious stuff. I just want to state that all
of these delivery trucks going to all of the businesses,
not just restaurants, are going to be search outs the
(41:59):
same thing. And is that going to be passed along
to the restaurants.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
The restaurants aren't going to eat it. They're going to
pass it on to the patrons. As I do that right.
Speaker 9 (42:08):
Now, every delivery that comes to my place is a
five or six or a three or four dollar charge
for gas. Even when the gas goes down, ghost charges
don't go away.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
So hey, Jason, do you do you own a restaurant
or no?
Speaker 9 (42:21):
I do not own a restaurant, but I have worked
in many and I've seen it in every restaurant.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
The reason, the only reason I asked you was I
wanted to give you an opportunity to plug the restaurant.
If you want to plug the restaurant you're working at.
I like businesses and I like restaurants. I'd be more
than happy to if you'd like to give it a plug,
go right ahead.
Speaker 9 (42:40):
I work in a great place, rusty Can and byfield,
it's called rusty Rusty Can.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
Rusty Can in Byfield. What sort of food if I can.
Speaker 9 (42:50):
Ask I have some Texas style barbecue excellent.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
If I'm ever up in that direction, I'm going to
stop in. Thanks Jason, I appreciate you're very welcome. Thanks
for calling back. Okay, next time, keep that radio turned down. Okay,
that's the way it works. Thanks Jason, talk to you soon.
Happy New Year. We're done for this hour, and I
was gonna go two hours on this, but I'm not.
I'm gonna switch topics. So if you didn't call, you
(43:15):
missed the boat coming back on Nightside right after the
ten o'clock news
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