The City of New York does a decent job with the bus and train system. Public transportation needs to be subsidized to a certain point because if it wasn't the fares would be so high most people could not afford to use it. I have no objection seeing taxpayer money being used for mass transit as long as the money isn't wasted.
Once again my question is "how much" and not if. I'm not suggesting that we get rid of tax based funding.
New York City has traditionally had a good pubic transportation system. It was good when they first built it, but now it takes thirty years to build a station. The simplest work requires political squabbling, tons of environmental studies and usually ends up in failure. Look at the East Side Expansion project that failed. Look at the second avenue subway plans. Your subways are always packed and the trains are filled with homeless bums in most cars. Many of the conductors speak poor English and the intercoms are usually broken. Don't get me wrong, New York probably still has the best public transportation system in the country, but it is not what it used to be and with morons running it, the system is constantly getting worse.
I have no objection to a public transportation system being funded by tax payers, but I do object to the balance that currently exists. I do believe that taxation without representation should not exist. I'm not asking for perfection, but do not feel that one group of people should have to fund another in gross quantity.
Perhaps the City of New York could make additional funds by charging more for value added services such as first/business class on crowded subway trains(thought that would become a civil rights issue). Perhaps they could kick the homeless bums off of the trains and out of the city(once again a civil rights issue). Perhaps they could get rid of their affirmative action and hire employees based upon competency(Is this a civil rights issue?).