New York Democrats' new tax law pushes middle-class workers into illegal subway tunnels.

With the return of workers to offices following the coronavirus pandemic, New York Democrats are encouraging them to use the subway system in Manhattan through policies such as the new congestion fee on cars and trucks entering busy areas.

The new subway fee, which has been criticized as a regressive tax, aims to motivate individuals to utilize public transportation, thereby reducing air pollution and generating revenue for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The cost for drivers to travel south of Central Park or enter downtown Manhattan from Brooklyn or New Jersey is $9.

This week, Scott LoBaido, a Staten Island artist and frequent critic of New York's Democratic leaders, demonstrated against the move at 61st Street and Broadway, the same intersection where supporters of the new fees celebrated when they went into effect earlier this week.

A passerby expressed support for the new fees because they would be good for the environment, according to him.

LoBaido told Planet Chronicle Digital Friday, "I just said, 'Excuse me, son. I don't feel like going on fire. I don't feel like getting stabbed in the back of the head."

LoBaido was referring to a string of recent subway attacks.

An undocumented person from Guatemala is accused of setting a woman on fire, fanning the flames, and watching her burn.

According to court documents, Sebastian Zapeta was later arrested and allegedly admitted to detectives that he didn't remember what happened because he frequently gets blackout drunk and takes the subway.

On Christmas Eve, a man was arrested for an alleged unprovoked stabbing at the subway platform in Grand Central, a major hub for tourists and commuters.

"It's unbelievable. You hear Gov. Hochul claim the subways are safe, and then the MTA head says it's all in our heads," LoBaido stated.

This week, Mayor Eric Adams pledged to increase the number of police officers patrolling the subway system, while Governor Kathy Hochul deployed the National Guard to the subway system last year.

Despite authorities' claims that crime is decreasing, the fear of violence and its occurrence are increasing.

In 2024, the number of felony assaults in the transit system increased slightly, while subway homicides doubled from five in 2023 to ten last year. Despite this, overall subway crime decreased by 5.4%, as reported by the NYPD.

Earlier this week, Janno Lieber, the MTA chairman, told Bloomberg News that the idea of crime on trains has "taken hold" but insisted that the trains are safe.

"He informed the outlet that the overall statistics were positive, despite a 12.5% decrease in crime from 2019 to the previous year. However, he acknowledged that high-profile incidents, such as terrible attacks, had caused people to feel less safe about the system."

Despite the arson murder, random slashings, shoving attacks that have resulted in fatalities, and the trial of Daniel Penny for manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, straphangers continue to face challenges on public transportation.

Jurors deadlocked on the more serious charge, and the court dismissed it after Penny was acquitted of the lesser one.

"The Boston Tea Party sparked the greatest revolution in human history due to a 2% tax," LoBaido stated. "And this event is nothing but pure bulls---."

Planet Chronicle' Sophia Compton contributed to this report.