Cuomo, from Blasio, says weed and congestion taxes will fund New York subways



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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday a plan to transform the state's transportation system by using funds drawn from a proposal by Cannabis tax and so-called tolls of "congestion pricing" extracts from commuters the city.

Blasio tweet

Cuomo and Blasio said funding priority would go to "metro, new signage, new cars, lane and car repairs, accessibility, bus improvements and parking systems." 39, buses and additional investments in increasing the availability of public transit to peripheral areas limited public transit options. "

Of the three sources of funding proposed, only the online sales tax is already in effect. This tax, imposed on large online sellers registered outside New York, automatically came into effect after the country's highest court eliminated the ban on such laws in June, according to the Tax and Finance Department. from New York.

Meanwhile, Cuomo presented a tax on cannabis in his State of the State address last month. The long-time legal marijuana foe changed its tone last year in the midst of a controversial primary battle against progressive challenger Cynthia Nixon and new data showing that taxes on agricultural produce could generate revenue substantial.

Cuomo expects its marijuana tax plan will yield $ 300 million when it is fully implemented.

An energized Democratic state legislature is expected to pick up the proposal later this year. Other states have submitted similar plans. Michigan, for example, will allocate 70% of its taxes on the sale of marijuana to infrastructure and schools starting in October.

The Congestion Pricing System will involve electronic toll devices in New York City neighborhoods most affected by suburban traffic. This plan has long been supported by advocates of reducing traffic in New York's crowded streets.

De Blasio's opposition to congestion pricing was based on the assertion that it would cause disproportionate harm to the poor, although this conclusion was questioned by rights groups, who claim that the poorest New Yorkers will probably be the first beneficiaries.

The congestion charging system is not a lock even with Cuomo and Blasio on board. The plan will still travel to Albany to get approval from the state legislature, where legislators remain divided, according to local media reports.

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