WHYme, I agree with you regarding the pension benefit issue. Cradle to grave benefit packages are a thing of the past. General Motors has learned this and may go bankrupt if they don't get more movement from their unions in the future. Ford is not far behind. And many an airline has gone into bankruptcy partly because of it.

I think that the feeling may be that they are dealing with the public purse and a non-competitve situation so the city can either raise taxes or the MTA their bus fares. The politicians not going for that though.