Taxes are going up. The costs of living is going up. The price of gas has gone up and fares for Long Island Rail Road commuters may be going up again.

In order to solve the MTA's budget difficulties, the MTA is considering raising fares 5 to 8 percent. A monthly ticket from Mineola (Zone 4) to Penn Station (Zone 1) currently costs $169. Under the 5 percent increase, it would go up to $178 and under the 8 percent increase, it would go up to $185. Just 20 years ago, in 1984, a monthly ticket from Zone 4 to Zone 1 was $97.

But the potential rise in fares may not be Mineola's biggest concern. The MTA is also considering closing the Oyster Bay line, West Hempstead line and the line east of Ronkonkoma to Greenport.

The fear for Mineola is that if stations were to close, the Mineola LIRR Station, which is a main station for commuters to Manhattan, would attract even more commuters thereby making traffic in the downtown area and parking even more of a problem.

In addition, in Spring 2005, the Intermodal Center, a 1,000-car parking garage, is scheduled to begin. This garage, which was supposed to alleviate parking congestion in Mineola's downtown area, may be a further attraction to commuters who are forced to relocate because of LIRR station closures.

Mineola Mayor Jack M. Martins appeared before the MTA board at a public hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 9 in Melville. Mayor Martins brought those concerns to the board's attention as he told the board that the Intermodal Center is supposed to accommodate cars that are suffocating Mineola's downtown area. The mayor also expressed concern that there will be additional traffic and parking in the village and urged the MTA board not to consider the Intermodal center as a "stop gap measure."

East Williston Mayor Nancy Zolezzi also spoke at the Nov. 9 hearing. The East Williston station is part of the Oyster Bay line. Mayor Zolezzi also expressed concern about the impact of closing stations will have on traffic and parking. "How can you justify rate increases by cutting back services that are already lacking?" Mayor Zolezzi asked the board.

Assemblywoman Maureen O'Connell also addressed the MTA board. Assemblywoman O'Connell told the board that her constituents, many of whom commute by the LIRR to Manhattan, were devastated by the recent 25 percent increase in fares and would be further devastated by another increase.

Assemblywoman O'Connell also opposed the closure of the Oyster Bay line because, if that were closed, she said, commuters would use the Mineola station, which has parking facilities that are already inadequate.

The assemblywoman also believes the closure of stations would have an adverse impact on the 17th Assembly District and would be devastating to the people in the Willistons.

Another speaker expressed concern about what the elimination of train stations would do to property values since having a railroad station in the neighborhood is considered an asset to the many Long Islanders who have to commute to the city each day.

Paralyzed New York City Police Detective Steven McDonald, who lives with his wife Patti in Malverne, urged the MTA board not to close the West Hempstead branch. "If you shut down lines, I can't help but think it will come back someday to hurt our city," he said.

The MTA cuts could also impact non-commuters who could find the already crowded roads even more dense with drivers looking for alternate ways to work.

"The economic health of the New York metro area requires that more people use mass transit. If the only solution is constantly rising fares and constantly declining service, the result will be fewer riders and less revenue. That's a prescription for disaster," said State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, who issued a recent report that states the 2005 budget gap for the MTA is $745 million and doubles to $1.4 billion, 19 percent of revenues, in 2006.

Senator Michael Balboni, who has played a major part in the plan to improve Mineola's downtown, is also against closing the Oyster Bay and West Hempstead lines. "The closure of either line is counterintuitive to the whole issue of trying to reduce cars. Where are we going with this? You're supposed to do more mass transit, not less. The Senate delegation is going to be weighing in," he said.

According to the MTA, other proposals include:

* On MTA New York City Transit, MTA Long Island Bus, and certain private bus lines, increase the cost of the 1-Day Fun Pass to up to $8, of the 7-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard to up to $24, and of the 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard to between $76 and $84. (There would be no change to the base fare of $2.00 or to Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard discounts.)

* Increase the fare for express bus service to $6 and increase the cost of the 7-Day Express Bus Plus MetroCard to up to $50.

* Close 164 part-time and full-time station booths (all stations will continue to have at least one station booth open at all times).

* Terminate G train service from Brooklyn at Court Square at all times.

* Impose fare collection on MTA Staten Island Railway at the Tompkinsville station.

* Increase fares on MTA Long Island Rail Road and MTA Metro-North Railroad in order to achieve total fare revenue increases of 5 percent to as much as 8 percent.

* Increase crossing charges at MTA Bridges and Tunnels by up to 50 cents in each direction for passenger vehicles (and by up to $1.00 where tolls are collected in one direction only), with changes to toll rates for other vehicles.

* Establish a $1 monthly E-ZPass account fee.