In its release, the Straphangers Campaign said it hoped passage of the bond would spur Governor Pataki and state legislative leaders to provide more state aid to public transportation. The group has strongly criticized the rest of the financing for the MTA's capital program. That financing calls for the MTA itself to borrow $22 billion without the new resources needed to pay the money back, threatening to undermine future improvements and placing great pressure on fares and service. Straphangers also said it would work with groups to prevent the use of bond funds for environmentally destructive highway projects in the state Department of Transportation's five-year, $17.1 billion program.