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March 2014

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Free Transit Hearing - Action Alert & Talking Points For Today, Tue Mar 4, 4pm SF City Hall, Rm 400
by Eric Brooks 04 Mar '14

04 Mar '14

Having trouble viewing this email? You can see it on the web <https://power.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/mailing/view?reset=1&id=29>. VICTORY:Bikes for the People! <https://power.ourpowerbase.net/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=7…> On February 25th, POWER, PODER, CCDC, the SF Bicycle Coalition and our allies moved the SF Board of Supervisors to unanimously pass the "Unclaimed Bicycle Ordinance." *Watch POWER in the news.* <https://power.ourpowerbase.net/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=7…> Introduced by Supervisor John Avalos, the ordinance changes the SF Police Code to allow community organizations to repair & distribute unclaimed bicycles to low-income youth and families across the city. Over the last year, community bike builds have distributed over 800 bicycles and conducted bicycle safety trainings in the Bayview, Mission, & Excelsior. Thank you to the American Heart Association: Voices for Healthy Kids and SF Heal Zone for supporting this critical program! * * Last week, the San Francisco Mayor's Office announced that Google is donating 6.8 million dollars for the next two years to the SF MTA, specifically to fund the Free Muni for Youth program <https://power.ourpowerbase.net/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=8…> providing free Muni passes to low- and moderate-income youth. This was not a gift, but as Causa Justa Director Maria Poblet put it, "a way overdue reimbursement to working class San Francisco, won by POWER and allies at the grassroots, and by the city-wide movement against displacement." Despite the donation from Google, there is no commitment yet from the MTA about the future of Free Muni for Youth after the Google donation runs out. <https://power.ourpowerbase.net/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=7…> Our community coalition responded by applauding Google for this first step towards supporting low-income communities in San Francisco, *but also calling on Google and all tech companies to do more to support community driven solutions to the displacement crisis including better tenant protections*. *Watch POWER in the news.* <https://power.ourpowerbase.net/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=7…> Today, on the heals of this news, we are mobilizing to the MTA Budget Hearing to *call on the MTA Board <https://power.ourpowerbase.net/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=8…>* to 1) ensure that the Free Muni for Youth will become a permanent program; 2) expand the program to include 18 years; and 3) stand with seniors and people with disabilities who are also in need of free Muni. *Join us today - Tuesday, March 4th!* *MTA Hearing* *4pm* *SF City Hall, room 400* *** Can't come in person? Send a message to the MTA Board by signing our petition here. <https://power.ourpowerbase.net/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=8…>* Today, we need to send a strong message to the city that Free Muni for Youth must be made permanent so that it continues regardless of corporate donations or future budget cycles. The MTA has also not yet decided whether to expand the program to include 18 year olds, seniors and people with disabilities. With the new funds from Google we have a great opening to push the MTA to expand the program. Let's make it happen!!! POWER 2145 Keith St San Francisco, CA 94124-3230 -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." Che Guevara

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Reminder! Free Transit Hearing! Tue Mar 4, 4pm SF City Hall, Rm 400 - PLEASE ATTEND!
by Eric Brooks 04 Mar '14

04 Mar '14

Reminder! Free Transit Hearing! Tue Mar 4, 4pm SF City Hall, Rm 400 - PLEASE ATTEND! Hi all, 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! **Tomorrow, 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.** 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. 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. 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. PLEASE ATTEND! And please forward this message. Here are the details: -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Fwd: Free Muni for Youth Update for Allies - upcoming decision Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2014 16:06:06 -0800 From: jane martin <jane(a)peopleorganized.org> To: Eric Brooks <brookse32(a)earthlink.net> Begin forwarded message: > > *Free Muni for Youth update for allies* > > *March 4th MTA Hearing on the future of the program* > 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 > & testify after 4pm. > > *Mayor Lee in support* > This what Mayor Lee said in his state of the city address, /"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."/ 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. SF Chronicle > <http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Mayor-Ed-Lee-s-Sunday-parking-pitch-b…> > > *18 year olds* > 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. > > *Free Muni for low-income seniors also being considered!* > 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. 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. MTA Budget Presentation > <http://www.sfmta.com/sites/default/files/agendaitems/2-4-14%20FY15%20and%20…> > > *Some of the good proposals include: * > - Continuing Free Muni for Youth > - Expanding Free Muni for Youth to include 18 years olds > - Free Muni for low-income seniors and people with disabilities > - Increased Muni service to restore service cuts and ensure that buses > come more often > - More maintenance so buses don't break down as often > > *Some of the bad proposals include:* > - A one dollar surcharge during rush hour on some bus routes > increasing the fare at those times to $3 > - Making it so that you can't use your fast pass during rush hour > unless you buy the more expensive BART + Muni fast pass > - Increasing the youth and senior cash fares > > *Transit Equity* > 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 Transportation > Equity Charter Amendment > <http://sf.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Transit-Equity-Charter…> 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. CBS > <http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2013/11/20/supervisor-proposes-prioritizin…> > -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." Che Guevara

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