Kathy Hochul once fought to PROTECT drivers — now she’s looking to squeeze them dry

The twelvemonth is 2006.

The New York State Thruway Authority is charging a stifling commuter taxation connected drivers connected I-190.

For tens of thousands of hardworking Southtowners, this toll is simply a regular burden, hitting their wallets hard arsenic they commute to their jobs successful Buffalo.

Gas prices are skyrocketing, families are struggling to marque ends meet.

The toll is profoundly unpopular, unfair — and unaffordable.

But there’s hope.

A conjugation of voices — concern leaders, section officials and residents — is loudly demanding change.

Among them: Hamburg Town Board subordinate Kathy Hochul and concern person Carl Paladino.

Together, they successfully writer the authorities of New York to abolish this unjust tax.

Hochul then, deservedly, positions herself arsenic a champion for working-class families and commuters.

Fast guardant to today: Kathy Hochul has undergone a governmental transformation.

Now governor, she is the driving unit down 1 of the astir regressive and unfair taxes successful authorities history: the alleged congestion-pricing tax.

Under her “leadership,” the authorities is rushing to charge drivers an added $9 toll, starting Jan. 5, for the privilege of driving into Midtown Manhattan.

This comes astatine a clip erstwhile necessities from gasoline to groceries are crushing moving families, and the metropolis itself is inactive struggling to get backmost connected its feet aft the pandemic.

No longer is Kathy Hochul the champion of the moving families, warring to support financially struggling commuters who simply question to get to their jobs — and inactive marque ends meet.

And ne'er caput the lawsuits and furious absorption she’s sparked, including from entities arsenic divers arsenic New Yorkers Against Congestion Pricing Tax, the United Federation of Teachers, vicinity groups, section elected officials, members of Congress from New York and New Jersey, arsenic good arsenic Jersey’s governor.

These voices each admit the harm this commuter-tax scam volition bash to families and to the system of the full region.

This clip around, Hochul is the toll hike’s biggest proponent.

And she’s utilizing the afloat value of her authorization arsenic politician of New York to force-feed it to the 64% of metropolis residents and 72% of suburban commuters who reason this stifling tax.

Indeed, Gov. Hochul and MTA Chairman Janno Lieber person utilized their robust grip implicit the MTA committee to thrust the congestion pricing money-grab similar a tank, crushing moving radical beneath its treads.

Even arsenic they flush hundreds of millions of dollars down the drain connected worthless, outdated systems similar the Help Point exigency subway intercom system, as The Post has pointed out.

And get this: When the politician announced (immediately aft the election, naturally) she was hitting the “restart button” connected this misguided commuter tax, aft having halted it pre-election, she sought to pat herself connected the backmost for someway saving New York drivers money. 

That’s right: Hochul really claimed that the caller $9 commuter taxation she was announcing is someway a taxation cut, because it’s little than the absurd, off-the-charts archetypal program of charging a $15 toll fee.

Please.

You person to beryllium willfully naïve not to spot the $9 interest arsenic 1 of the astir onerous taxation hikes successful authorities history.

Yes, Kathy Hochul, who erstwhile fought to extremity tolls for distressed commuters, is present ramming done an extortive pricing strategy that volition compression each past dollar from moving families — each portion having the audacity to telephone it savings.

New Yorkers should cognize that Senate Republicans basal firmly opposed to this commuter tax.

We’re committed to warring this strategy and immoderate different policies that summation the already unbearable outgo of surviving successful New York.

When we instrumentality to Albany successful January, Senate Republicans volition propulsion for policies to reduce costs for families and businesses.

We’ll advocator for existent affordability — not articulator service.

And we’ll combat for working- and middle-class New Yorkers who consciousness forgotten by their government.

New Yorkers merit amended than this misguided, punitive tax. They merit leaders who volition combat for them, not against them.

The combat for affordability is conscionable beginning.

Rob Ortt is the Republican person successful the New York authorities Senate.