Green Paratransit For Jobs and Soular Cars: July 2012

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We can justify the need for a rider-owned Green Paratransit and individual solar-powered cars. Taxi drivers in green wheelchair vans don't want to pick us up as a priority and New York says they don't have to!!! Chicago taxi drivers (only 2,000) are on a limited Monday-only strike for higher meter fares in lieu of higher leases on them by owners or to keep the vehicles for 24 hours.

"Accessible transportation is a basic right and the disability community is not a one size fits all community. We and our supporters are concerned that Congress did not consider in the Surface Transit Bill, the best interests and needs of the people who are disabled who ride paratransit and are forced by FTA policy to pay as much as twice the fixed route public transit fare despite having the lowest disposable incomes in the nation; and the drivers and providers of paratransit, wheelchair taxis and Medicars whose jobs and ability to provide services at reasonable cost to taxpayers are at stake. The stalemate between the parties is hurting people who are disabled (PWD’s) worse than ever, plunging us deeper into isolation and rushing us to a lower quality of life that places us at risk for avoidable, though catastrophic illness or premature death as funds for paratransit diminish and we are unable to access appropriate affordable transportation to meet our needs and pocketbooks, and get to regular healthcare, worship service, and the activities that allow us to be on equal footing with our nondisabled peers in terms of employment and quality of life ..." - Ayo Maat, Ph.D., founder, IMPRUVE and NPPMA (National Paratransit People’s Movement Assembly)

That is why we as members of the disability community who ride paratransit and have the lowest employment rates and lowest disposable incomes and our supporters request that our voices be heard by Congress, the President, and the public. We made the rounds to various Congressmen and Senators to support designated funding, which did not pass in the Surface Transit Bill. The bill does not come up for renewal again for 27 months. The bill was both a success and a failure.

Without designated funding, paratransit operations will not be funded.

Although House Bill HR 7, which excluded designated funding, failed, some of its provisions sprang up in the Surface Transit Bill that passed anyway on June 29, 2012. The Conference Committee of both houses was formed to work on the Surface Transit Bill AND GET IT PASSED BY June 30, 2012. There were 47 members-14 from the Senate, 33 from the House.

We have a solution to lower costs of paratransit and put some persons who are disabled back to work, but for now, we are focused on getting the Surface Transit Bill passed. We salute those in C

Chicago - July 2012 Our highways will be repaired and those workers will not lose their jobs. Unfortunately, riders who are disabled and use wheelchairs will not see much change in getting picked up one time and drivers in Chicago of the green wheechair taxis will not see their demands met until the drivers come together with the riders to effect change. Drivers need to make a substantial living and riders need to be picked up on time. The green taxis were ordered specifically to pick up riders in wheelchairs first. Instead, most of the drivers sit at the airports, hotels, etc., to pick up ambulatory passengers. They have high leases and say they can't afford the new raise in leases effective July 1, while the Mayor of Chicago refused to raise taxi meter fares.is right?

New York - 2012 -- Taxi drivers are not required to pick up wheelchair cleinst in their wheelchair taxis?? Unbelievable. They didn't even pick me up when I was not using a wheelchair.

It is past time for us to form our own businesses, buy our own solar-powered cars and create jobs for ourselves and those ethical and reliable drivers who want to drive for us, if we can't drive ourselves.

See www.groups.yahoo.com.group/IMPRUVE
www.greenthinktankfordisabilitycommunity.blogspot.com