By Manny Grossman

About 100 people braved fierce thunderstorms on Oct. 11 to participate in a forum on congestion pricing held at Riverdale Temple. The event, sponsored by the Ben Franklin Reform Democratic Club and the temple, hosted two members of the 17-member commission created to recommend a final plan for the controversial proposal.

Speaking for the plan was Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City. Founded in 1979 by David Rockefeller, the partnership describes itself as a "nonprofit membership organization comprised of a select group of two hundred CEOs from New York City's top corporate, investment and entrepreneurial firms."

Speaking against was Assemblyman Richard Brodsky (D-Westchester). He previously was the chair of the Committee on Environmental Conservation where he authored the Environmental Protection Fund bill as well as the Clean Air, Clean Water bond act.

Mr. Brodsky said that while he is concerned about the environment, he opposes congestion pricing not only because of the "particular concrete problems" of actually implementing the plan, but also because he "did not enter public life to enable essentially well meaning, very nice but wealthy people to decide that there are some places people cannot go," within a city.

"The mayor is right," he said. "We have congestion, and we don't have enough money in mass transit, but the market shouldn't decide who gets into Manhattan." He also said he had a real problem with government setting up cameras to "spy on people," and that the plan would turn the Bronx into a parking lot for those who seek to avoid paying the fee. He called the plan a "regressive class-based model that says we're not going to let the Chevrolets in town, but if you have a BMW, come on down."