ALBANY—The M.T.A. rescue bill passed the State Assembly by a comfortable 30-vote margin Wednesday night, but it didn’t get any votes from Staten Island.
All four members who represent Richmond County—Lou Tobacco, Matt Titone, Michael Cusick and Janele Hyer-Spencer—voted no on the measure. Tobacco, the lone Republican Assembly member from New York City, introduced a hostile amendment to exempt the Verrazano Narrows bridge from a 10 percent increase on fares and tolls. That was the principle sticking point for the members.
“I felt frustrated that I had no seat at the table,” Tobacco told me by phone. “I tried, respectfully, for a few months to get my input to those who were negotiating and I felt I was making no impact.
