Explain Me, Please

Twelve-county payroll taxes, fare increases, toll increases — fine: everyone pays a little, whatever. But in a time when elected officials use taxes as both a way to change behavior and raise massive amounts of money (through either congestion pricing or tolls — and then actually via plastic bags), what exactly is the point of a 50-cent surcharge on taxi rides? To punish people who don’t own cars? To force women to take subways late at night? To mess with the TLC?

And are taxi riders really paying for “upstate” highways? How far upstate exactly?