Michael Levines letter to the board
TriMet Board of Directors
Via E-mail
℅ Kelly Runnion
Re: There must be more options than just pricing people with
disabilities off of needed due mandated LIFT Paratransit service.
*Before you consider the fare increase proposal on the table, more
below...
Dear Board Members:
I know there can be other
options besides huge unfair fare increases focused on the backs of
people with disabilities in order to balance TriMet's budget shortfall.
That due to TriMet managements' errors causing the budgetary issues
using proposed/unfair fare increases as the method of balancing TriMet's
budget is ludicrous. That overall public transit needs to be managed in
a proper manner keeping transit affordable encouraging people to use
public transit as intended for a healthier environment etc. And, one
example of poor judgment by TriMet management is the labor dispute with
the union which to date outcomes have not been what management thought
outcomes would be. That shortfall due to managements' wrong presumption
has impacted the budget horribly and pricing people with disabilities
off of LIFT Paratransit service because of managements' errors in
judgment etc is clearly wrong. Additionally the ADA is clear paratransit
service must be affordable and the proposal on the table makes LIFT
unaffordable in direct conflict with the ADA as pointed out by TriMet
management. (Management pointing out found in the ADA guidance for
paratransit service: paratransit service must be affordable.)
Additionally TriMet management through the fare increase proposal
process clearly blaming people with disabilities for cuts to fixed-route
service. Clearly this unfounded blame is disrespectful attacking people
with disabilities.
Responsibilities: TriMet managements'
legal obligation to provide affordable due paratransit service. In
addition, in accordance with federal law TriMet accepting federal funds,
TriMet must be in compliance with the ADA, not portions of the ADA but
the ADA in its entirety in regards to "civil rights" and transit which
we all know is not the case. Again the proposal on the table as pointed
out by TriMet management makes LIFT unaffordable for many ADA qualified
TriMet LIFT customers, thus in this area too, out of compliance with the
ADA.
That mismanagement including poor spending practices
during the financial calamity, management exhaustively adding to
budgetary issue by unnecessary spending, e.g., most recently as shared
via e-mail and facebook by TriMet new bus shelters, barcodes on shelters
installed and more being added in the near future, 75-million-dollars
that could have been spent for service delivery and maintaining service
delivery and needed upkeep for buses etc being spent on additional MAX
service while TriMet cannot afford to keep up what they already are
obligated to maintain, vehicles and service delivery. In addition the
wasted time, time costing money, multiple times daily posting on
facebook etc trying to create good public relations and reality adding
more negativity towards TriMet, proof, just read the comments posted
which are mostly negative against TriMet service and practices etc thus
backfiring and TriMet continues trying and keeps receiving more negative
feedback, I do not get it; does TriMet management like continued
negative feedback? Doesn't TriMet management understand that action
speaks the loudest, i.e., actually delivering good affordable and safe
customer service is more important than postings that are again mostly
answered with negative impact by TriMet's customers. That with better
service etc word of mouth would meet all the needed public relations to
share good service etc, wouldn't it be nice if this was the case?
Reality: removing excuses, better planning, smarter budgeting and truly
understanding union/employee obligations and budget for obligations
while negotiating could have reduced the financial disaster TriMet has
been facing for a long time and now a monumental fiasco. Again people
with disabilities needing and ADA qualified for due LIFT paratransit
service are not the ones causing fixed-route service cuts, management
only needs to look in a mirror to see who is at fault! Who is
responsible and where is the accountability?
Board members
please remember that the people TriMet Management would have you
disenfranchise from TriMet service are people with disabilities,
TriMet's most vulnerable customers, i.e., people with disabilities that
meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) criteria to receive
mandated due paratransit service. Additionally confusing, seemingly a
misunderstanding by TriMet management the meaning of "Honored"; TriMet
term to identify people with disabilities "Honored Citizens", well we do
not feel very honored at this time!
Using TriMet's term,
"Honored Citizens", people with disabilities meeting the ADA criteria
for due mandated TriMet LIFT paratransit service many face:
• No
other options -- people with disabilities, meeting the ADA criteria for
LIFT paratransit service, must receive affordable paratransit service or
they have no transportation
• living on fixed incomes
• many living with incomes below the poverty level
• Many people with disabilities living with, if you want to call what
they have discretionary income, the amount of funds they have to
purchase toothpaste, clothes, medications, go to a movie, and yes pay
for LIFT paratransit service etc is inadequate and more to often funds
at or below $150 a month to cover all of these and more expenses. (We,
people with disabilities having to prioritize what you would not give a
second thought about)
• And, yes there are others without
disabilities that too live on low income but, they do not have the same
additional costs for healthcare, medicines, doctors, etc that people
with disabilities have to deal with
• The fare proposal on the table
for LIFT Paratransit service will put TriMet's "Honored Citizens",
TriMet's most vulnerable customers in further negative financial
positions forced to choose, set priorities, giving up food, doctors or
transit, how can you morally with good conscience allow this to happen?
• TriMet management does not have the right to turn the United States
of America into a third world country hiding people with disabilities.
That pricing people with disabilities off of due mandated LIFT service
turns people with disabilities into disabled people stuck at home the
same as the car disabled on the side of the road: the car going nowhere
and people with disabilities forced to stay home going nowhere...
Additionally, Board members, truly face reality, TriMet's fixed-route
service is not totally in compliance with the ADA: that adding/forcing
more people with disabilities onto fixed-route service, if they can
actually ride fixed-route service due to their disabilities, clearly
this forcing otherwise ADA qualified paratransit customers onto
fixed-route you will be directly causing further additional
discrimination against people with disabilities forcing them onto a
system not totally in compliance with the ADA. (e.g., and not truly an
exhaustive list of issues of ongoing noncompliance the huge lack of
mandated stop announcements, mandated announcements not being made way
too often, internal, external, and requested stops mandated needed to be
called -- not called, and TriMet management if they are willing to be
truthful are very aware of this discrimination, and yes, it is
noncompliance thus discrimination when service is delivered not meeting
mandated ADA minimum guidance, and in addition there are so many other
issues of noncompliance that for years TriMet management has been in
denial while continued noncompliance is real, and thus, still many
ongoing issues with fixed-route lacking reaching the scope and spirit of
the ADA. (Remember federal funds have many conditions and to receive
the federal funds one obligation being in compliance with the ADA and
TriMet in many cases not in compliance; what would the TriMet budget
look like without federal funds. Board members you need to take a hard
look at what management is doing, or rather what management isn't
accomplishing!)
*Before you consider the fare increase proposal on the table:
• Have you looked at and compared other options?
• How much income will the 30-cent per LIFT ride generate per year?
• How much income would another 10-cent per ride on fixed-route generate per year?
• How much income would 15-cents a ride increase for LIFT along with a
10-cent increase for a fixed-route ride - what would the combined income
of the two increases be?
• There must be a compromise equally
raising fares between fixed-route and LIFT services and with better
management hopefully next year and so on there will not be need for
further huge increases
• That only a 5-cent increase the last
increase for fixed-route, and a 30-cent proposed increase now for LIFT
is a disproportionate financial hardship on people with disabilities
versus people using fixed-route service without disabilities
• That
the highest ridership on fixed-route is Monday - Friday a.m. and p.m.
prime time, i.e., people using TriMet fixed-route service to get to and
from work, people with jobs, people with monthly incomes, not people
living on fixed incomes like SSI or SSDI. People that can better afford
fare increases; again needed at a minimum, fairness, a proportionate
increase for all, just one thought: increases of 15-cents for
fixed-route customers and 15-cents for LIFT customers, again, not
5-cents for fixed-route and 30-cents for LIFT customers
• And, why
vote in future fare increases at this time. Suggested is other cost
saving proposals, e.g., free fixed-route service for LIFT eligible
customers, which we have spoke about and I have not heard anything back,
and what about further investigation into propane as an alternate fuel
source as they experts are claiming will save TriMet one-dollar per
gallon; how much savings would a dollar a gallon equate to per year for
TriMet? Let us look at cutting cost before approving future fare
increases! (The last fixed-route increase was for just one-year)
I hope the January 25 board meeting will generate some needed good
questions of staff and thus discussion. Reminder, you the TriMet Board
sent a message to TriMet management in July that the LIFT fare increases
were not acceptable. That you the TriMet Board wanted to see another
proposal, and truly you have not received one. I hope you as our
representative body will not accept the smoke and mirrors, the
deception, and the hiding through the smoke and mirror/deception the
same proposal as you would not approve in July. That TriMet management
still wants an unfair disproportionate fare increase for people with
disabilities, still the same 30-cents in 2012 and still 3-dollars per
ride by 2015 as management wanted in July and you would not approve. I
urge you not to approve the proposal on the table. That you take a hard
look at all options including the options and questions proposed in this
letter. I urge you to do the morally and responsible think, NOT
ACCEPTING THE CURRENT FARE PROPOSAL FOR INCREASED FARES FOR LIFT SERVICE
AS PROPOSED BY TRIMET MANAGEMENT!!!
I am offering once again
my willingness to participate in discussion further detailing the
concerns and rights of people with disabilities. I will be at the board
meeting on the 25th and willing to answer any questions you might
have...
Sincerely,
Michael Levine, APD
Chair, PDA
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