[TLC Member News & Alerts] Urgent Action: Tell state budget negotiators to give $18M in new transit money to Muni

Wed Jun 15 17:47:27 MDT 2005

This action alert comes from the Transportation and Land Use Coalition
(TALC), a regional coalition of 90 transportation, environmental, and social
justice organizations (www.transcoalition.org).

TALC has learned that there is the potential to gain $71 million in new
state money for Bay Area transit agencies.  This new money is the result of
higher than expected gas tax revenue due to high gas prices, and would mean
nearly $18 million for Muni- enough money to avoid the single-ride fare
increases and the worst of the service cuts and deferred maintenance.

We have a very small window of opportunity to make this happen as state
legislators are working out budget deals as we speak, so PLEASE TAKE A
MINUTE RIGHT NOW to cut-and-paste the sample language below into an e-mail,
add something specific about Muni fare increases and service cuts, and
e-mail your letter to the four key budget negotiators listed below, with a
cc to the entire Bay Area state legislation.  Sample language and all
contact info is below.

Thanks! - Jeremy

Jeremy Nelson
Policy Director
Transportation for a Livable City (TLC)
NOTE NEW ADDRESS & OFFICE PHONE:
995 Market St., Suite 1550
San Francisco, CA 94103
office: 415.344.0489
cell: 415.425.9848
fax: 775.540.9813
e-mail: jeremy at livablecity.org
web: www.livablecity.org

======================================

Transportation and Land Use Coalition Action Alert :

Save the PTA Spillover Money in the State Budget !

Please send a fax or email immediately to Senator Perata, Senator Wesley
Chesbro, Assemblymember Fabian Nuñez, and Assemblymember John Laird to save
the Public Transit Account (PTA) Spillover money in the state budget!   If
you have time, copy your letter to the rest of the Bay Area delegation
(contact information is available below).

Reinstating the Spillover could mean up to $71 million in funding for
transit operations in the Bay Area -- money that operators could use to
close gaps in their budgets and save working families and transit riders
from another round of service cuts and fare hikes.

We don't have much time -- decisions are being made as we speak. We need to
let these four representatives know how much this funding is needed by
working families, communities of color, and transit-dependent riders. Please
respond today by fax, phone, or email (a letter in the mail will not reach
Sacramento in time). Feel free to use our letter as a sample, or personalize
it with your own story of how this funding could make your transit ride a
little easier.

Contact Amber Crabbe at TALC with any questions or comments:
amber at transcoalition.org or 510-740-3105.

SAMPLE FAX OR EMAIL:

June 15, 2005

Dear _________________________,

Re: Reinstatement of PTA Spillover funds for transit

I would like to first thank you for supporting the reinstatement of
Proposition 42. Transportation is an essential investment in the economic
well being of California and the millions of residents who rely on
transportation funding to access jobs, education, health care, and other
needs.

I am now asking you to support reinstating the Spillover funds towards
transportation, and specifically towards transit operations.

Although the renewal of Prop 42 is an important step in providing adequate
transportation funding for the future of California, most of the funding
will go towards highway, road, and transit construction projects. On the
other hand, the Spillover funds would provide significant funding for
transit operations, providing relief for California families that have
already suffered through several years of  fare increases and service cuts
and are facing another round this year.

Here in the Bay Area, every major transit agency has been forced to cut
service, raise fares, and lay off employees. For example, AC Transit, the
largest bus operator in the Bay Area, is considering another fare increase
on top of the service cuts and fare increases enacted over the last few
years -- despite a parcel tax approved by the voters. Furthermore, 60% of AC
Transit riders earn less than $30,000 a year and 80% are people of color.

This is why the Spillover funds are so important. About half of the
Spillover funds will go towards transit operations during a time when
transit agencies are struggling to keep their services running. Spillover
funds will bring immediate relief to the hard-working low-income families
and transit dependent who are being burdened by round after round of service
cuts and fare hikes. Funding transit  operations will also reward, instead
of punish, transit patrons for using environmentally responsible
transportation options.

We ask for your support in providing adequate transit funding for working
families, low-income people, seniors, the physically and mentally
challenged, and the youth by channeling the Spillover funds into transit
operations.

Sincerely,

Name:
Address:
Email:

Please send a FAX, PHONE CALL, and/or EMAIL to the following four
legislators, and cc: the rest of the Bay Area delegation if you have time.

Senator Don Perata
Phone: (916) 651-4009
Fax: (916) 327-1997
Email: Senator.Perata at sen.ca.gov

Senator Wesley Chesbro
Phone: (916) 651-4002
Fax: (916) 323-6958
Email: Senator.Chesbro at sen.ca.gov

Assemblymember Fabian Nuñez
Phone: (916) 319-2046
Email: Assemblymember.nunez at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember John Laird
Phone: (916) 319-2027
Fax: (916) 319-2127
Email: Assemblymember.laird at assembly.ca.gov

Cut-n-paste e-mail addresses for entire Bay Area State delegation:

Senator.Perata at sen.ca.gov; Senator.Chesbro at sen.ca.gov;
Assemblymember.Nunez at assembly.ca.gov; Assemblymember.Laird at assembly.ca.gov;
Assemblymember.Aghazarian at assembly.ca.gov;
Assemblymember.Canciamilla at assembly.ca.gov;
Assemblymember.Chan at assembly.ca.gov; Assemblymember.Cohn at assembly.ca.gov;
Assemblymember.Coto at assembly.ca.gov; Assemblymember.Hancock at assembly.ca.gov;
Assemblymember.Houston at assembly.ca.gov;
Assemblymember.Klehs at assembly.ca.gov; assemblymember.Leno at assembly.ca.gov;
Assemblymember.Leiber at assembly.ca.gov;
Assemblymember.Nation at assembly.ca.gov;
Assemblymember.Ruskin at assembly.ca.gov;
Assemblymember.Torrico at assembly.ca.gov; Assemblymember.Wolk at assembly.ca.gov;
Leland Yee; Assemblymember.Alquist at assembly.ca.gov;
Assemblymember.Higden at assembly.ca.gov; Assemblymember.Yee at assembly.ca.gov;
Assemblymember.simitian at assembly.ca.gov; Senator.Speier at sen.ca.gov;
tom at tomtorlakson.com; Senator.Figueroa at sen.ca.gov

 Full contact info for entire Bay Area State delegation:

BAY AREA ASSEMBLY MEMBERS:

Aghazarian, Greg
Phone: (916)319-2026
Fax: (916) 319-2126
Email: Assemblymember.Aghazarian at assembly.ca.gov

Canciamilla, Joe
Phone: (916) 319-2011
Fax: (916) 319-2111
Email: Assemblymember.Canciamilla at assembly.ca.gov

Chan, Wilma
Phone: (916) 319-2016
Fax: (916) 319-2116
Email: Assemblymember.Chan at assembly.ca.gov

Cohn, Rebecca
Phone: (916) 319-2024
Fax: (916) 319-2124
Email: Assemblymember.Cohn at assembly.ca.gov

Coto, Joe
Phone: (916) 319-2023
Fax: (916) 319-2123
Email: Assemblymember.Coto at assembly.ca.gov

Hancock, Loni
Phone: (916) 319-2014
Fax: (916) 319-2114
Email: Assemblymember.Hancock at assembly.ca.gov

Houston, Guy
Phone: (916) 319-2015
Fax: (916) 319-2115
Email: Assemblymember.Houston at assembly.ca.gov

Klehs, Johan
Phone: (916) 319-2018
Fax: (916) 319-2118
Email: Assemblymember.Klehs at assembly.ca.gov

Leno, Mark
Phone: (916) 319-2013
Fax (916) 319-2113
Email: Assemblymember.Leno at assembly.ca.gov

Lieber, Sally
Phone: (916) 319-2022
Fax: (916) 319-2122
Email: Assemblymember.Leiber at assembly.ca.gov

Nation, Joe
Phone: (916) 319-2006
Fax: (916) 319-2106
Email: Assemblymember.Nation at assembly.ca.gov

Ruskin, Ira
Phone: (916) 319-2021
Fax: (916) 319-2121
Email: Assemblymember.Ruskin at assembly.ca.gov

Torrico, Alberto
Phone: (916) 319-2020
Fax: (916) 319-2120
Email: Assemblymember.Torrico at assembly.ca.gov

Wolk, Lois
Phone: (916) 319-2008
Fax: (916) 319-2108
Email: Assemblymember.Wolk at assembly.ca.gov

Yee, Leland
Phone: (916) 319-2012
Fax: (916) 319-2112
Email: Assemblymember.Yee at assembly.ca.gov

BAY AREA SENATORS

Alquist, Elaine
Phone: (916) 651-4013
Fax: (916) 324-0283
Email: assemblymember.alquist at assembly.ca.gov

Migden, Carole
Phone: (916) 651-4003
Fax (916) 445-4722
Email: assemblymember.higden at assembly.ca.gov

Simitian, S. Joseph
Phone: (916) 651-4011
Email: assemblymember.simitian at assembly.ca.gov

Speier, Jackie
Phone: (916) 651-4008
Fax: (916) 327-2186
Email: Senator.Speier at sen.ca.gov

Torlakson, Tom
Phone: (916) 651-4007
Fax: (925) 229-9877
Email: tom at tomtorlakson.com

Figueroa, Liz
Phone: (916) 651-4010
Fax: (916) 327-2433
Email: Senator.Figueroa at sen.ca.gov
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