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Hi all,<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><br>
<br>
</font>Our first opportunity this year has arrived, to join in
strong solidarity with the social justice community, and at the same
time strike a key blow to reverse the climate crisis. It is such
joining of our movements together toward common objectives that
gives us the most power in numbers to make change!<br>
<br>
**One week from today on Tuesday, March 4, 4pm, SF City Hall, in
Room 400, a key hearing is being held on extending and expanding the
free youth transit program in San Francisco. (See attached flyer.)**<br>
<br>
POWER and other social justice and people-of-color organizations are
working to permanently expand free transit to more youth, with the
ultimate goal of eventually extending free transit to -all- San
Francisco riders. <br>
<br>
It is vital to reversing the climate crisis that we make San
Francisco a car free city within the next two decades and the free
youth transit program is the first crucial step.<br>
<br>
POWER has asked us to show up in force to next Tuesday's hearing to
show the Municipal Transit Agency (MTA) that the community demands
free Muni to be expanded as quickly as possible, starting with all
San Francisco youth.<br>
<br>
PLEASE ATTEND! And please forward this message.<br>
<br>
Here are the details: <br>
<br>
-------- Original Message --------
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Subject:
</th>
<td>Fwd: Free Muni for Youth Update for Allies - upcoming
decision</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Date: </th>
<td>Tue, 18 Feb 2014 16:06:06 -0800</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">From: </th>
<td>jane martin <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="mailto:jane@peopleorganized.org"><jane@peopleorganized.org></a></td>
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<tr>
<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">To: </th>
<td>Eric Brooks <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="mailto:brookse32@earthlink.net"><brookse32@earthlink.net></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
<div><br>
<div>Begin forwarded message:</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
0px; margin-left: 0px;"><font class="Apple-style-span"
color="#000000"><br>
</font></div>
<div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space;
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri" size="6"><b>Free
Muni for Youth update for allies</b></font>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri"
size="4"><br>
</font></div>
<div><b><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri"
size="5">March 4th MTA Hearing on the future of the
program</font></b></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri"
size="4">Free Muni for Youth was initially approved a
pilot program that will end in June of this year. On
March 4th the MTA Board will be considering the future
of the program deciding whether is ends in June or
continues as a permeant program. We need to organize a
strong show of support at this hearing!!! The hearing
is set to begin at 1pm, but we have asked that the MTA
Board accommodate youth coming after school by
allowing youth to arrive </font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri"
size="4">& testify after 4pm. </font></div>
</div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri" size="4"><br>
</font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri" size="5"><b>Mayor
Lee in support</b></font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri" size="4">This
what Mayor Lee said in his state of the city address, <i>"And
there's one more thing we can do for our working
families who rely on Muni. Last year, the SFMTA, at
the urging of Supervisor Campos and many in the
community, began a pilot program to fund free Muni for
low-income youth. The results are in. It's a hit! And
our kids need it. It's time to make it permanent, and
I call upon the SFMTA to do just that in its next
two-year budget."</i></font><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;
font-size: large; "> We did such a good job organizing
last year and enrolling students in this program that
the need for it to continue could not be more clear.
Now we to show up and make sure that the MTA Board does
the right thing. </span><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Mayor-Ed-Lee-s-Sunday-parking-pitch-blasted-5151465.php">SF
Chronicle</a><span class="Apple-style-span"
style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large; "> </span></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri" size="4"><br>
</font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri" size="5"><b>18
year olds</b></font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri" size="4">The
one serious flaw in the pilot program was that students
who turned 18 in the middle of their senior year were
suddenly no longer eligible and had to pay full fare to
get to school. The community has raised this concern
and convinced the MTA Board to considering whether or
not to expand the program to include 18 year olds. One
of the main reasons that we need a strong show of
support on March 4th is get the MTA to include 18 years
olds. If you or someone who know has been impacted by
the exclusion of 18 year olds please come to the hearing
to tell your story. </font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri" size="4"><br>
</font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri"><b
style="font-size: x-large; ">Free Muni for low-income
seniors also being considered!</b></font></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Calibri; font-size: large; ">The MTA Board will be
making decisions about the future of Free Muni for Youth
as part of a series of decisions about what to include
in their budget. </span><span class="Apple-style-span"
style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large; ">We need
to make sure the voices of Muni riders are heard so that
we win a budget that provides the quality, affordable
transportation that our communities need. There are both
good and bad proposals on the table. </span><span
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;
font-size: large; "><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.sfmta.com/sites/default/files/agendaitems/2-4-14%20FY15%20and%20FY16%20Budget.pdf">MTA
Budget Presentation</a></span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Calibri; font-size: large; "><br>
</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Calibri; font-size: large; "><b>Some of the good
proposals include: </b></span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Calibri; font-size: large; ">- Continuing Free Muni for
Youth</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Calibri; font-size: large; ">- Expanding Free Muni for
Youth to include 18 years olds</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Calibri; font-size: large; ">- Free Muni for low-income
seniors and people with disabilities</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Calibri; font-size: large; ">- Increased Muni service to
restore service cuts and ensure that buses come more
often</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Calibri; font-size: large; ">- More maintenance so buses
don't break down as often</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Calibri; font-size: large; "><br>
</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Calibri; font-size: large; "><b>Some of the bad
proposals include:</b></span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Calibri; font-size: large; ">- A one dollar surcharge
during rush hour on some bus routes increasing the fare
at those times to $3</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Calibri; font-size: large; ">- Making it so that you
can't use your fast pass during rush hour unless you buy
the more expensive BART + Muni fast pass</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Calibri; font-size: large; ">- Increasing the youth and
senior cash fares</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Calibri; font-size: large; "><br>
</span></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri" size="5"><b>Transit
Equity</b></font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri" size="4">The
MTA will be going to the voters next fall to approve
millions in new revenue for transportation. Member
organizations of the Free Muni for Youth Coalition have
been working with other transportation advocates and
Supervisor John Avalos to draft the <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://sf.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Transit-Equity-Charter-Amendment-Leg-Digest.pdf">Transportation
Equity Charter Amendment</a> that would require the
MTA to address existing service disparities (worse
service in low-income neighborhoods) with any new
transportation funding. It also requires the MTA to
continue the Free Muni for Youth program and limits fare
increases to no more that the cost of living increase.
Please let us know if your organization can endorse this
effort. </font><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2013/11/20/supervisor-proposes-prioritizing-sf-muni-funds-for-low-income-areas/">CBS</a></div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
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<br>
</div>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
"I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves."
Che Guevara</pre>
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