WMHT, New York – Recently, on the floor of the New York State Senate, State Sen. Tom Libous was adamant that upstate roads and bridges would be hurt by the new Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) bailout plan. The MTA, New York City’s public transit operator, has an operating budget deficit of some $1.2 billion, and has been forced to raise fares for commuters — with little consideration from the state capitol in Albany. There is not only an upstate-downstate divide among legislators, but also a further divide between politicians in New York City.

This New York Now report on WMHT public television — as a part of Blueprint America — looks at how state spending may relate more to power than to need when it comes to the New York’s aging infrastructure.

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WMHT, in Binghamton, NY, is a partner station of Blueprint America