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Nassau County Takes Legal Action Against The MTA

NEW YORK (1010WINS) -- Nassau County is taking a stand against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Since the MTA plans to stop paying for Long Island Bus Service, county officials filed a lawsuit Thursday to stop the agency from collecting money under its payroll tax.

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano says the MTA has already collected $100 million from the county and businesses.

"It's absolutely absurd," Mangano said. "They've collected this money and now people can not get to work."

Commuters say if it takes a lawsuit to save their rides they're all for it.

""Well, I hope they [Nassau County] win," a commuter at the Hempstead bus station told 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera. "There's a lot of people that depend on these buses."

The MTA released a statement Thursday afternoon saying it was a "shame" that Nassau County was filing a lawsuit "to distract attention from its failure to fund its bus system."

More than 100,000 people use the bus service daily.

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