Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, R - Bethpage, called for Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman and CEO Jay Walder's immediate resignation, saying he has "clearly failed at managing the MTA."

Mangano also asked for New York's gubernatorial candidates to make a simple promise to voters to shake up leadership at the MTA.  

"The MTA has cut service, implemented a job-killing payroll tax and threatened to eliminate Long Island Bus altogether," Mangano said.

Nassau County and the MTA are in the middle of a heated dispute over the MTA payroll tax to help fund the agency. The tax charges all employers within the area serviced by the MTA 34 cents for every $100 of payroll. Nassau recently filed a lawsuit, claiming the tax is unconstitutional.

The tax has not raised as much money as anticipated, coming approximately $200 million short of its $1.5 billion projected revenue. This month, the MTA announced plans to eliminate $26 million in funding for Long Island Bus and increase bus and subway fares in an effort to increase their revenue by 7.5%. The move could leave upwards of 100,000 riders stranded.

"All taxpayers are victims of Walder's inability to run the agency," Mangano said. Mangano said he would pursue the privatization of Long Island Bus if the MTA follows through with its proposed cuts on January 1, 2011.

An MTA spokesperson declined to comment on Mangano's statement.