George Pataki has reportedly been speaking to voters in Iowa. If his responsibility for the situation at New York’s MTA is as described in this editorial in the (liberal) New York Observer he should stay there:
“In the wake of the four deadly terrorist attacks on the London subway and bus system last week, New Yorkers have experienced a strong rush of sympathy for our cousins across the Atlantic, as well as an uneasiness about the security of our own mass-transit system. Many probably assume that, having borne the brunt of the worst terrorist attack in world history in 2001, New York has done all it can to fortify its transportation infrastructure. But that assumption would be wrong: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has been asleep at the switch, despite having access to an abundance of federal funds. Although the authority committed $600 million in 2002 to upgrading security, it turns out that only $30 million of that money has been spent. Furthermore, the authority walked away from a deal with the U.S. Army that would have installed some of the Army’s most advanced anti-terrorism technology in our mass-transit system. This reckless disregard for the safety of millions of residents and commuters is outrageous.”