The Cult Of Rebates And Tax Cuts

That stupid, stupid, stupid asinine Christmas rebate back in 2005 is looking stupider and stupider now that the MTA is squawking about consecutive years of fare increases:

The subway fare is accelerating faster than a runaway express, as the MTA yesterday announced two fare hikes in the next 30 months.

Straphangers are due to get slammed by the pair of increases — totaling 13.4 percent by January 2011 — on the cost of tolls, commuter tickets and MetroCards, according to the MTA’s financial plan.

An 8 percent hike is slated for July 2009, and another 5 percent is due to be tacked on 18 months later. Added to the 3.85 percent hike enacted in March, the fare will have risen nearly 18 percent in 34 months.

“I don’t want to pay more money,” said Wendell Trupe, 49, of Harlem. “What are they doing with the money from the last fare hike? These damn people are out of their minds.”

The 8 percent increase, due to raise $202 million next year, is proposed to take effect six months earlier than originally planned. It is the first time riders have been hit with fare hikes in consecutive years since the early ’80s.

The MTA is also expecting to spring a 5 percent raise on the cost of MetroCards in January 2011 to bring in an additional $272 million that year.

“This is a function of where we are now,” said MTA executive director Elliot Sander. “The last thing we want do is to be up here right now asking for this.”

(And are we in for a similar shock after years of idiotic property tax rebates? Likely!)