Council Members Face Political Hitch Over Tow Proposal
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A proposal by the City Council to more than double tow truck fines for New Yorkers has some critics questioning the link between the bill's supporters and its political sponsors. NY1's Grace Rauh filed the following report.If your car breaks down outside your house, you can call the tow truck company of your choice. But if you get in a crash, need to be towed off the highway, or are illegally parked on private property, you are stuck paying a tow truck rate set by the city.
"The rates haven't changed in almost 10 years in some cases. And in almost 20 years in other cases," said Norman Teitler of Metropolitan New York Towing, Auto Body and Salvage Association.
To change that, the industry is backing a bill in the City Council that would more than double certain tow rates, raising them to $185 -- up from $70.
At the same time, they're doling out campaign contributions to two of the bill's most influential sponsors.
Queens Councilman John Liu, who is running for city comptroller and chairs the transportation committee, collected nearly $30,000 through the tow truck auto body and salvage industry, when public matching funds are factored in.
Nearly all the money was bundled by Teitler. Liu, however, says the donations are unrelated to his support for the rate hike.
"The bill is something that is unpleasant for people, Council members included, but it is also a matter of equity," said Liu.
Queens Councilman Leroy Comrie, who chairs the consumer affairs committee, has pulled in $1,300 with matching funds.
"It has no bearing on what we are doing on the committee. They are an industry that has been asking to be heard. With the cost of goods and services going up, with taxes going up, with gas going up, they wanted to make a case," said Comrie.
The state's AAA organization is opposed to the plan.
"We don't think it's justified or fair to drivers," said John Corlett of AAA New York.
Good government groups say the donations can't help but raise questions for New Yorkers.
"Who is looking out for us? Who is determining whether a jump of more than 150 percent in this fee is reasonable for not?" said Susan Lerner of Common Cause.
Just like the proposed tow rate, the answer to those questions are now open to debate.