Two Questions

Maybe the all knowing Bob has answers....

1) Does anyone have any more ideas about how to become more active on the SEPTA issue? Is anyone going ot the march today -- (kind of late notice and the weather sucks: The march will begin at PGW at 1137 Chestnut Street at 4:00 pm, will go to SEPTA Headquarters at 1234 Market Street at 4:45 pm and continue to City Hall at 5:30 pm). Have you heard of anyone organizing around this issue in any city neighborhoods? Have you heard of any unions (including the Transit Workers Union) taking any supportive action? Do you know of any good resources for becoming more knowledgeable on the issue (in addition to Phillytransit.com -- thanks Jeanette)? How much should we blame Rendell (I can get his address -- he lives in East Falls -- anybody want to picket?).

Here's an e-mail, plagiarized from Phillytransit.com, that I send to Rendell (governor@state.pa.us), and cc'd to Allyson Schwartz

Dear Governor,

Please make federal highway flex funds available for public transit. SEPTA needs $62 million to avoid any service reductions or fare increases.

I am please that you have taken a lead on public transit financing by endorsing dedicated funding and Dwight Evan's bi-partisan package of tax and fee increases to pay for it. And I am disappointed that the Republican leaders of the legislature left Harrisburg without taking any action. But that is no reason to allow devastating service reductions and fare increases.

You have the authority to begin the process of transferring (or, in the government terminology, flexing) millions of dollars of federal highway funds to public transportation. You need to begin this process now!

You believe that this is not the best way to fund public transit. I agree. Flex funds should be used for capital improvements in SEPTA not for operating funds. But, unless the you have a hat that contains a rabbit that will provide us with transit funds, we do not see any other choice. We will work with you and Democratic and Republican legislators to enact dedicated funding in 2005. But we cannot allow SEPTA and the entire region to be devastated while we wait.



2) Are folks interested in identifying a book -- What's Wrong with Kansas -- for example, and then having a Meet Up of Liberal Malcontents (a MULM) to discuss it -- perhaps with someone assuming responsibility for leading the discussion, presenting related resources, finding out if Li might bring dumplings, etc.?