Enough of E-Z Pass Ed
To the Editor:

Am I the only guy in Transport Workers Union Local 100 who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder.

Secretary-Treasurer Ed Watt took 839 free toll trips in one year! It averages out to be 2.2 trips per day if he worked seven days a week. It averages out to 3.2 trips per day if he worked 5 days per week (without taking any vacation or holidays). If Ed Watt took vacation time and holidays, along with his other union out-of-town trips, then the 839 trips translate to four free toll uses per day. All that use and the MTA board only meets once a month on average. And on top of all that, we are told by the union spokesperson that he was doing MTA business every day.

It would also be very interesting to hear Mr. Watt's explanation, given the fact that he makes sure that any union staff that uses the union E-Z Pass pays for it out of their paychecks.

Some people might think that I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. I hardly recognize this union anymore.

Less than 50 percent of the members are paying their dues, the union hall building resold for 30 million more than we sold it for two years ago, the union dues check-off is still not restored well over a year since it was taken away. The list goes on and on. The strike was proved to be for nothing, other than costing us a fortune. The private lines are still without a contract, and our illustrious president is taking liberties by placing his cronies in positions without elections.

Leaders are made, not born. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. It's another thing to lead when your world is crumbling down around you, and from my view that has not been happening at Local 100 for a long time.

Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of doom here, I'm just trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I believe in this union. In my career I've had the privilege of seeing some of this union's greatest moments and some of its worst. Right now I've had enough and I believe that it's time to clear out these bozos at 80 West End Ave. and get this union back on track with leaders that care about the members.

Let's tell them all that we've had 'enough!' PAUL ROSENBERG, Bus Operator