Another example of a shameful, greedy, corrupt official at the MTA. The obvious graft is astounding. I cannot trust that the new overhaul being announced today will go forward without the same behavior. The fish stinks from the head down. Decades of leadership like Lhota’s allows lesser and later management / contractors to crookery, over and over and over. How can this end??
7
There's a very old saying; "If you want to get something done, give it to a busy man!" Frankly, I don't care if Joe Lhota is juggling 4 or 5 jobs. The question is, can he get the subway back on its feet again? His track record for past endeavors is very very good.
3
My God, a brilliant proven leader appears and politicians, scoop hungry reporters unable to find a real story, and general disrupters want to taint, and possibly destroy, him!!
2
MTA agencies (all of them) allow every employee the right to have side hustles. I would venture at least half of the employees have a side gig, some in the same line of business. Read the 2013 report by the Controllers office titled "MANAGING DUAL EMPLOYMENT
Agencies Can Strengthen Oversight
Of Employee Time and Attendance". This will enlighten you and explain why many employees are likely compromised by the second job, but it is allowed if properly approved. Just remember it isn't just the people that are in high positions with more than one job ....
2
So The MTA is a mess. I know!! Let’s get a “career politician” in there to run things! And we all know the only requirement for success as a politician is incompetence in everything else they’ve tried outside of politics. I don’t know if Lhota is the right guy or not. But I’d like to see someone in there with a proven track record of turning a huge transit system, or something equally complex, around when it ran into trouble. A person like that would be well worth “big bucks!”
The MTA has never been so bad as it has under the self-dealing Joe Lhota's administration. He truly needs to be fired and sent away from NYC with his tail between his legs.
The only public official who bears more responsibility for the sorry state of mass transit is Andrew Cuomo, who likewise needs to be bounced out of office for starving the state-run agency of needed capital funding. That alone is reason to give Cynthia Nixon a chance in Albany.
3
In March he worked 22 hours per week? Really? The MTA is a massive organization and it should be a full time commitment for him or any subsequent leader. Look to the board of directors, this is on them.
1
At a time when the THEORY of competitive markets seems to be ascendant, the PRACTICE of monopoly power continues to grow -- because monopoly power is power. It's how things get done. Mr. Lhota's conflicts of interest are real, AND they make him more likely to achieve his goals -- which probably include a functional subway system, as well as a public transit system that serves the interests of NYU Langone, the Dolan family, etc.
Conflicts, Yes. Does he oranyo e else in power care? NO. The new goal of public service is amassing one’s own power for one’s own interest. Mr. Lhota should resign. And please don’t tell me doesn’t get paid so it doesn’t matter.......it does. Please resign.
5
No wonder NYC subway is in such a mess. Thank you Mr. Lohta for doing such a 'great' job is ruining the NYC subway system.
5
So Lhota’s is heading the the MTA -- and presumably being paid as such -- while his "primary employer" is the N.Y.U. Langone Health colossus?
AND he just joined the Board of the Garden, who clearly has a very very vested interest in how the MTA plans and implements things? No possible conflict of interest there, eh, Joe?
And aren't you already rich enough, Joe?
Jaw-dropping conflicts of interest and apparent perversion of the whole idea of "public service" these days!
And the "example" of our Conflicter-in-Chief and Double-Dealer in the White House will only fuel the chutzpa of such self-promoters!
10
So what's the problem? We have a man in the Oval Office who possibly works as much as 4 hours a day when he's in the mood. Why would it take even that much to run the MTA?
4
This guy has 4 jobs, others struggling to find 1!
6
So, Mr. Lotha is an employee when it suits him, but not when it doesn't. He says, "his other jobs did not pose conflicts because he was not actually an M.T.A. official. He said he had forfeited the $300,000 M.T.A. salary he was entitled to."
Well, anybody articulating that idea is corrupt, and by definition ineligible for the job.
12
So the man charged with restoring the subway system to functionality will have another FULL TIME job. The Onion could not generate a more ludicrous story.
25
not sure what lhota has done to deserve such high praise, but if he wants to help the MTA without being an MTA employee and thereby have no conflicts of interest (because it sure has the APPEARANCE of a TON of conflicts), as well as having no pay, why doesn't he give up his title/position at the MTA and just servee as an informal advisor until a more permanent individual can be found.
as for his position about having more people have access to healthcare via public transit, that was very heartwarming. i bet every business would just love to have the public pick up the dime to build, service, and maintain a fully functioning transportation sustem right to their front door!
the cesspool of public officials with so many conflicts of interest is disgusting. even more stomach churning is their position that none of it could ever cause a conflict. I don't know about anyone else, but you really can only report to one "master" if you will... Cuomo has to go. this entire mess is his fault lock stock and barrel... if you recall what he said when the 2nd Ave subway was finally opened, you'll recall just who he thinks is in charge of the subway...
21
Thank you fir this very important reporting. I hope the New York Times devotes far more resources to covering the infrastructure issues in NYC— especially, the subway system, Metro North and LIRR. They’re all in dire straights. Please forget about covering expansion of the subway into Brooklyn. Please focus on these kinds of stories— that the basic transportation needs are barely being met. More public pressure is needed to get the leadership on this we need. We are in bad shape. The public needs the New York Times to do more on this. Metro North passengers can’t even ride the train because of a thunderstorm. Recall the train crash in Hoboken a few years ago. The subways are routinely delayed and over crowded. We are supposed to be the best city in the world, where is the leadership? We can’t rely on Cynthia Nixon, though her hashtag campaign is a start. And de Blasio needs to pay more attention to his constituents on this issue— he should be paid blocky shames for throwing his hands up on this. Wish Bloomberg were paying attention to this too! Where are the leaders?
9
*ttps://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/business/fiat-takes-tighter-hold-of-chrysler.html
"...Sergio Marchionne will remain the chief executive of both Fiat, which is based in Italy, and Chrysler, based in Auburn Hills, Mich., and have responsibility for their North American business...
Said another way - several million strap-hangers are lucky that someone like Lhota came back...Even on a part-time basis...
People like Marchionne - and Jobs - and Lhota - don't transform things by showing how to work harder...
They inspire for how to work smarter - and be greater...
Keep in mind the fractious politics and fragmented management of the MTA probably distinguishes it as one of the only bureaucracies on the planet less able to attract and retain competent executive talent than the current WH...
One person can make a difference - vs leadership by uninspired bureaucracy...
*https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/business/for-helping-immigrants-choba...
...but given that the reward for doing any such job effectively is some contingent of haters - has to be some sort of corresponding upside
Doesn’t have to be personal wealth - or even power...
*ttps://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/13/books/review/bloomberg-biography-chris-mcnickle.html
...just some sense of getting things onto the “right track”
.....
Wonder how many times Bloomberg had to tell Sadik-Khan no - to putting bike lanes alongside the tracks in MTA tunnels...
GOP thief-of-a-feather Lhota's disgustingly racist past mayoral campaign (complete with side-by-side TV-ad appearance with alternative-facts-America's Mayor and Worst Lawyer Ever, Noun-Verb-9/11) disqualifies him from ANY job, let alone that of both his well-paying main jobs and his side one at the MTA. His resignation is long overdue, and may he and his superiors be replaced with people who won't use the Authority as their checking account.
Talking about how Lhota mismanages the MTA would be like talking about how "covfefe" mismanages the Cabinet, so I won't. Neither even earned their purported offices, let alone the expertise they require, so duh.
6
He may have good genes, but he is ethically challenged. What's Cuomo's excuse?
8
Another Cuomo flim-flam! Brian Rosenthal's excellent reporting on the egregious cost of track construction (3-7 times higher than Paris, London, Tokyo) and the terrible level of service provided by Cuomo's MTA resulted in the sham recruitment and appointment of Joe Lhota. Image over substance and the assumption that New York sate voters are too stupid to notice the difference.
13
Joe Lhota, corrupt? You don't say....
6
He had a “widely praised stint in the same position in 2012”? Doesn’t that mean that he presided over the complete mismanagement of the subway system that has led to our current mess?
I seem to recall recently reading about those years of leadership mistakes in this newspaper.
15
Mr. Lhota seems to be a very capable business executive with a good reputation.
However, the MTA needs a full time Chaiman/CEO - it's pathetic to think Gov. Cuomo can't find someone to fill the positon.
The head of the MTA should not be taking money from the Dolans.
17
To honor our President's speech pattern, I have a tremendous, humungous amount of issues with this terrific guy whose supposed to have a transportation background. I thought I'd seen it all with bean-counter Walder who itted on the system worse than my feral cats but Lhota's record is abysmal (sorry Donny). The E train is incapable of going from Point A to B and his solution is to call passengers everyone and not to fix this mess. What does he have on Cuomo that lets him remain. I won't be with you Andy in November and DeBlasio is worse.
5
A centuries' old warning that should be heeded - "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other...."
3
So how many city pensions does he collect? There was a NJ guy with multiple jobs including dog catcher for multiple counties. He's out and so should Joe. Conflict of interest. Like most (honest) people we are hired to do one job for a 8 hour day and collect one salary. Joe?
5
This article is a joke right? How does anyone amass so much power and influence? How many topics can't he talk about in each of his positions? Who would give him up if he violated? The best thing, he isn't elected and he is beholding to no-one. Same old, same old.
4
Pretty simple really: If the guy can't do the job, fire him and find someone who can (and will)?
2
Forgive me for wanting a dedicated transit professional dedicated and focused on the task at hand. Please, no more slurping at the public tough for well-connected, well-intended, well-fed Renaissance guys.
35
Just another glorified, over-compensated middle manager and ‘fixer’ for the politically connected. Heaven forbid in a metropolitan area of about 16 million people we are unable to find, oh, I don’t know, a doctor or group of doctors to run NYU Medical Center, or a group of architects, urban planners and engineers to maintain and improve a regional transit system. Why must we always keep coming back to the same kind of generic bosses who know where the ‘forward’ button on an email app is located, but not much else about the organization they are charged to lead? When will America give up on these types of empty-suited leaders, and instead seek to find competent professionals who know their trade? We need to get beyond the types of ‘leaders’ whose LinkedIn profile might as well say ‘boss-at-large’.
30
So true. It's the professionals underneath these political bosses who are really doing the work, but they never get promoted to the top spots. It's always the in crowd of political appointees who keep control all to themselves.
3
Nah! No conflicts. Conflicts of interest are for little people.
17
It's a shame one of his side jobs isn't Mayor. Would be a vast improvement over the current occupant.
1
Like Ryan Seacrest?
The NYC subway is such a mess and hasn't improved since Lhota came into power. With only 24 hours in a day and a few needed for sleeping, he obviously doesn't have enough time to devote to to the MTA as his other positions are equally demanding. New Yorkers deserve better than this lousy deal Cuomo cut with him!
32
This is a case of "lets find every loophole and jump thru it".
And once again Cuomo is involved
Why do I say that?
This guy was his choice ..I'm sure Andy is getting a piece here too, like he does with everything else .
And Sadly no Nixon is not the answer.
3
Joseph Lhota should choose. Or Andrew Cuomo should choose for him. We have enough trouble with mass transit without its CEO claiming he doesn't need to sleep and can run the MTA on 22 hours a week. But then, he's not using its services to get to work.
10
Of course it's a conflict of interest, one of colossal scale. Is he trying to be another Robert Moses? If only to discipline his ego, he must step down from these boards while he is serving the MTA, which certainly needs his full attention.
12
Golly, should let him run the MTA and NYU, and keep it at that. This would provide managable COI aspects while giving the guy plenty to work on (two fulltime jobs). We are grateful for his skilled help on MTA, but he should be willing to be reasonable.
1
Especially since the MTA needs a lot of clever thoughful fixin'
1
How can I get one of those paid board positions? I want some easy money, too.
5
The reason why Mr. Lhota, with multiple potential conflicts of interest, can be the part-time CEO of the largest metropolitan transit system in the country is simple: he, just like the majority of the MAT board, is appointed by our current Governor, Mr. Cuomo. The myth that the disrepair of the New York subway is somehow the city's responsibility is indeed "fake news" at its finest - that buck stops in the Governor's mansion, nowhere else. Having Mr. Lhota, who might well be a capable manager if focused and working full time for the MTA, in this current position as a glorified volunteer is emblematic of the malign neglect that Mr. Cuomo has subjected New York's metro transit system and its millions of daily users to for years. Why are we sending billions and billions of New York State income and sales tax from downstate to Albany? What are we getting for our money? We certainly don't see it at work in our public transit system.
34
While Mr. Lhota seems to be trying to do an honest job at each of his jobs, it is too much to expect that one man, no matter how energetic, can do an adequate, much less an excellent job at all of these jobs. To add to the mix, 4 hours of sleep is no where enough for any human. Once in a while or even one or two nights a week of 4 hours sleep may be over come, but each day is impossible to function at a high enough level. I cannot believe we cannot get other people to take over these jobs and leave Lhota to his primary role at the MTA.
8
How is it that I often read that the MTA is in total meltdown, and yet Lhota has at least 2 full-time jobs, and maybe more. Somebody needs to manage this guy. He may have the "time" but is demonstrating zero leadership or crisis management by running scheduled meetings and missing appointments. Is he doing this just to spite DeBlasio, his former election opponent?
14
I think he may be overstretched but both of the main organizations he works fore , Langone and MSG, provide services to the public.
Improved transit facilities for either of these parties will improve transit options for the general public as well as the organizations.
I sometimes think New Yorkers and The NY Times have too much time on their hands and go looking for trouble.
The issues at the heart of this , Cuomo’s adversarial relationship with the Mayor and NYC in general and the chronic underfunding of the Subway are long term issues which are not Lhotas fault.
Langone and MSG provide services to the public in the sense that, if you have money, you can use their services. Is there a company that doesn't behave in such a manner?
If Lhota's other jobs were for the Parks Department and one of the public hospitals, your comment would make sense.
11
It doesn't surprise me that Cuomo doesn't see this as a huge conflict of interest given his situation.
7
We are all multitaskers now, so as long as he isn't corrupt and gets the job done it should be ok. One doesn't have to work 24/7 to be a good administrator.
2
Robert so I guess the CEO of a company could also be the President of a union representing the employees.
8
But he is corrupt! How can he be a part of negotiating on the part of Madison Square Garden when he is the head of the MTA? Multitasking yes, holding down multiple full-time jobs for large corporations and sitting on numerous boards would explain the lack of progress in improving the MTA.
8
Bet you voted trump. And don't begrudge him that he spends more time golfing than working. Cause golfing is schmoozing is work, right...?
1
This does not pass the sniff test. The MTA is in catastrophic condition: the subways are in ruins, overcrowded, late, and the stations are appalling; Metro-North trains shut down in bad weather, leaving thousands stranded either unable to get to work or to get home from work. In the face of this, Ken Langone pays Joe Lhota more than $2 million per year to work at a medical center named for Langone, and allows Lhota to have a position in charge of the MTA that should require 80 hours of week by itself. Who does Lhota answer to? The people of New York? The riders that depend on the MTA? No, he answers to Ken Langone, who pays him. Anyone wonder why the MTA isn't getting fixed?
65
I think these people who complain so bitterly about the subways never rode them in the 1980s. I find them clean, relatively frequent, and you have signs telling you when they are coming. I have not seen any rats, no trash on the tracks, no smells. You don't know how bad it can be, is what I think. It's hard to believe that what were once revelatory brand-new cars could be aging out already. When the Bombardier cars arrived, they were like a godsend, not that the older ones weren't functional, and better in some ways. I can remember the rattletrap cars still in use in the 1960s. The only thing I find deplorable is the electronic fare system.
3
"I have not seen any rats, no trash on the tracks, no smells."
Well then you've lost your senses because the rats and the odors are overwhelming.
While I do agree that the MTA is something of a miracle in how it continues to function, it's a fact it performs far below its potential. The sad state of the subways in the 80s should be regarded as an example of history that should not be repeated, not as a reason to accept the status quo. Why shouldn't we strive for a better transport system when it would so greatly benefit the city and its citizens? Many of our peer cities have proven that this is achievable with proper priorities and political will. I adore the MTA but cannot deny that it is a disgrace for a city of New York's stature.
3
Oh, please. Lhota is the only person in the world who can do the job? The fact is that the Bd. of Directors for each authority is the same so that capital resources can be distributed wisely to the authorities, each of which is independent: NYCTA (New York City Transit Authority), MaBSTOA (Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority, SIRTOA (Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority), etc. The chairman of the MTA must be a full-time devoted public servant without conflicts of interest because it is the MTA Board that determines where capital is distributed.
30
Would the Dolans by paying Lhota so much for so little if he were not the MTA chair? Common-sense conflict-of-interest rules would prevent this venal double-dipping (or triple- or quintuple-dipping), though it's long been clear that enforcement of any basic ethics code would cause the MTA to stop in its, um, tracks ...
24
This arrangement of management and compensation has a stench to it. Sounds like there are those that are "paying" for Lhota's influence or him to use his influence to get what they want.
All of this has such a HUGE "ICK" feel to it.
36
Why on earth should New Yorkers accept less than a full-time head of the MTA? The scale of the MTA system and the breadth of its problems have proven too much for many previous F/T heads to manage. Why should we now be asked to accept that a less than full time Director will be more successful than they were?
42
Why would anyone be surprised at this? Trump and his family and hangers on are feeding at the public trough. So why not lesser officials. In Michigan we have so-called police chiefs and school superintendents who move from job to job, city to city and collect serial retirement monies while uninformed taxpayers pay more attention to British pseudo-aristocrats and performers of pornographic sex acts than high treason and election fraud. Taking a cue from P.T. Barnum, Don Corleone, and Donald Trump, there's no need to make Americans dumb again, they've done it to themselves.
14
I'm no fan of Joe Lhota, who was deputy mayor for operations when I was an assistant commissioner at the Department of Buildings, which Lhota oversaw. In my experience, Lhota was a short-sighted and unimaginative manager. But fair is fair, and this article isn't fair.
As the Times itself reported when Lhota was appointed, Lhota didn't want the MTA job. Governor Cuomo pursued him hard, and went to lengths to tailor the job to Lhota's desire to remain in his NYU Langone job. For instance, Lhota's MTA salary is $1 per year - in other words, it was never intended for the MTA position to be his full-time job.
Also, Cuomo agreed that Lhota's job would be largely limited to policy - he agreed to create a new executive position to be responsible for daily operations.
Both of these facts were reported by the Times when Lhota was appointed, but omission of these facts in this article is unfair to Lhota.
politicsbyeccehomo.wordpress.com
9
Lhota should be interim leader while they search for someone who will take the salary and be fully present. How 'bout it, Cuomo?
3
Mr. Lhota could have simply refused to be a stopgap appointee , and have Andrew Cuomo look elsewhere for an actual full-time public transit professional - alas, he didn't. The current appointment suits Mr. Cuomo just fine. The previous CEO of the MTA, Mr. Prendergast, just wouldn't shut up about the need for more substantial investment into the MTA'so infrastructure by the state. With Mr. Lhota, there are no such pesky reminders of the Governor's responsibility for the transit authority and its operations.
6
He doesn't have to be incompetent or have dirty fingers to be in a major conflict of interest. Would the public be comfortable with anyone one else who has so many masters. with so much money at stake?
His point that he is not accepting a salary for his work is actually part of the dilemma: to whom does he owe allegiance? He may be a good man, but we know that doctors can be swayed with a free lunch -- and his rewards from MSG and NY Langone constitute a lot more meals than NYS can provide alone -- but through his no-pay job he can enhance the budgets of both.
The inherent problem is that in the particular peat bog that comprises State and City governments, it may take an ultimate insider to deal with the wheeling and dealing that is the norm here. NY, which gave rise to Trump, who is running the Administration like Tammany Hall. Outsiders might be frozen out, I suppose, because of their lack of power. Kind of a NY Metro-oligarchy seems to rule.
To repeat, he may be a "good person," but is he beyond all greed? Beyond all temptation? Are these competing interests acceptable for anyone who might be appointed?
Is there really no one else in the country who might possibly have something more to offer?
18
Something tells me that running the MTA is more than a full-time job by itself. In this arrangement, none of the orgs he works for are really getting their money's worth, or the guy's true capabilities, irrespective of any conflicts of interest.
12
Trust me, when the city pay tens of millions to the Dolans as part of the Penn Station rebuild they will have gotten their money's worth!
2
Yes, his side businesses, supposedly lucrative jobs, are a hugh conflict of interest. If he cannot dedicate his full being into resolving what seems intractable (for lack of attention), he does not deserve to hold that position. Period.
17
You know, looking at calendars is only one measure of contribution to a job or role. If I'm overcommitted, I may show up for a meeting - but my thoughts may well be elsewhere.
Assuming Joe Lhota is just a human like the rest of us - what level of thought, creativity, and contribution can one person bring - especially when managing such a tangled web? And while keeping track of ethical questions too of course.
Get someone full time. Sheesh. What happened to Andy Byford - that guy from Toronto and London Underground who was supposed to be working here this year?
19
Andy Byford likely saw just how tangled the political web of dysfunction controlling the MTA is and decided an ethically challenged crony is better suited to the job than an experienced professional. Because make no mistake, Llota may be experienced but his web of conflicting commitments demonstrate he's anything but professional.
9
Byford is the President of the Transit Authority, not the MTA. He reports to the Managing Director of the MTA who reports to Lhota.
3
Let's assume it's not a conflict of interests (though helping manage the Garden and Penn Station is a problem) but given the amount of effort and focus the Subway deserves and needs it would probably be better to have someone more laser focused.
12
"MSG Networks hired Mr. Lhota as a board member in 2016 and The Madison Square Garden Company hired him to its board last December. "
This disgusts me to no end. Resign from these boards immediately. MSG is a travesty. It needs to go.
44
So what happened to Andy Byford, the British guy who I thought had been the President of the MTA since January 2018?
He doesn't show up on the org chart that you include the link for - Patrick Foye's listed as President there - and he's not mentioned anywhere in this article.
6
Byford leads the City Subway, a division of the MTA.
2
Andy Byford is President of the Transit Authority, not the MTA. His position is on the organizational chart under V. Hakim, the Managing Director of the MTA, who reports to Lhota.
1
A new Robert Moses. Perhaps he can also run the Port Authority and Jersey Transit...
13
let him fix the subway first
2
Just a simple common sense question, when does he have the time to do anything of use while holding all these jobs? Its really amazing. Either Mr. Lhota is a genius and can focus on several things at once or Mr. Lhota is great at getting paid for just showing up sometimes.
64
I thought the Democrats are supposed to be the good guys? Based on #MeToo (don’t forget Spitzer and Weiner!) Cuomo’s and DeBlassio’s corruption, and this story, they are just as bad as Republicans. And just like the Republicans, they have convinced their party members that they are the good guys who are above the fray and do no wrong. Stop being sheep. No politician cares about the people.
12
Lhota ran for mayor as a Republican...
10
Lhota is a Republican. What were you saying about Democrats?
3
Yet another reason maybe Mike Bloomberg should come off the sidelines and run for governor if NY. he has the money and the cache to win a statewide election.
In a great city like NY its a sad statement that a sitting governor has to hire a PT leader for one of the largest, most important and complex transit systems on the planet. wake up NY, Cuomo is apparently not the man for the job.
31
Ehhhhh not a fan. Every single measure of affordability and income inequality got way worse under Bloomberg. For whatever else he might be at least DiBlasio has made some efforts with some success on helping out normal folks in NYC.
Also, though I initially shied away from Cynthia Nixon in the governor's race the more and more I see of her the more and more I like.
Unfortunately we need to clean house in the NYS Senate and Assembly to have any hope of making any progress in NYS.
32
"In March, he worked 22.1 hours per week at the M.T.A."
So a part-timer is running an operation as enormous, challenged, and critical to NYC as is the MTA. You can't make this stuff up.
101
I'd wait to see outcomes before jumping in the way of potential progress. This guy is obviously talented and knows how to get things done. The marriage of MTA and proven competence may have some significant upside for the city. Wait and see what he gets done.
2
The issue is not his competence but conflicts of interest. The interests of the MTA and some of his other appointments, especially Madison Square Garden, are so intertwined that he cannot represent both of them with the impartiality that is required.
4
Hard to believe that the city picked a part-timer (at best) to fix
what is critical to the future functioning of New York City.
38
Please get the facts straight and note that it is the State's governor, Andrew Cuomo, who appointed Mr. Lhota, NOT the city. The city and the major weren't even asked, which seems to be Mr. Cuomo's style.
61
It was Cuomo who chose him - read the article and you’ll find out. It was not the city.
28