Petition Aims To Get NYS To Rename The Mario Bridge

TARRYTOWN, NY — More than 40,000 people have signed an online petition to try to persuade the state to change the name of the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge back to the Tappan Zee Bridge. Monroe Mann, who is Port Chester resident according to lohud.com, started the change.org petition with the hope of getting 50,000 signatures.

“While Mr. Cuomo may be deserving of something named after him, it should not be at the expense of history, and the original settlers of our land: the Tappan Indians and the Dutch. And certainly not at taxpayer expense,” Mann wrote.

Mann said that he and thousands of other New York residents were “furious” that the legislature voted to rename the bridge without any input from the public.

He said that taxpayers will be footing the bill for the bridge, along with motorists who pay tolls.

“Didn’t a large part of the funding come from a FEDERAL grant?” Mann wrote. “That is OUR bridge. America’s bridge. New York’s bridge. Last I checked, Mario Cuomo and his family did not personally contribute hundreds of millions to its construction.” (The caps were his emphasis.)

Cuomo’s son, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, proposed the name change late in the legislative session. The measure was included in a multi-issue bill that was passed by the Senate.

The official name of the old bridge was the Gov. Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge.

The governor's office disagrees with the sentiments expressed in the petition.

“There is no doubt that these are politically partisan comments. The law was passed by an overwhelming majority of both Democrats and Republicans and it is a fitting tribute to a life-long public servant who achieved great things for the people of New York,” said Abbey Fashouer, a spokeswoman for the governor.

The petition can be found here.

Photo credit: Thruway Authority.