Washington transit system: Our roads got a grade of D , light rail reduced and now our bridges

Breaking: Dear Washingtonians

Below is a snippet of an article and petition you should sign from the Washington Chapter of the Sierra Club and is a separate post.

Senator Curtis King, Co-Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, is promoting a new transportation funding proposal that will set us back
decades. This new budget proposal fails to fund over $900 million worth of projects that are necessary to operate our transit system, provide
street improvements for bikes and pedestrians, and address polluted water runoff associated with roads.

Our bridges are literally crumbling around us. Workers can’t get to jobs because their bus service has been cut. The new road “mega-projects”
being considered in the transportation funding proposal would dramatically increase climate changing pollution and increase sprawl.
The Senate transportation funding proposal is simply unacceptable.

The reason I attached it to my old write up from 2012 is because Washingtonians need to ask … what did our savings of $2 million with the elimination of the “Free Zone” do for our transportation when our bus services are still being cut !!!

TO: Seattle City Council

I wrote about The “ride free zone” ending way before the September 29th deadline hoping they would rescind the order to end it. Today, the local media showed and interviewed the people who have suffered from the new change and not in a good way. The thing that struck me most aside from the obvious was the comment about “a one time set-aside for bus tickets,” of $250,000 in emergency money for homeless people to ride Metro.

Below is a video and article that is heartbreaking

Homeless hopes public helps with discounted Metro bus tickets … click on the link below for the video and article !

http://www.king5.com/news/cities/seattle/Homeless-council-member-ask-for–174292691.html

It was a nice surprise to hear that people are still protesting the elimination of the “Ride Free Zone”  giving full exposure to the real reasons why the Seattle King Council voted to eliminate the “Ride Free Zone.”  Yes, we all know about that 2million dollar savings but the mission to make the downtown and the transit look and smell beautiful by leaving the homeless, disabled and those needing services out in the cold, which btw are all located on or near the “Ride Free Zone.”

In 2011, king county hit its residents with a two-year vehicle license fee that was supposed to help keep metro alive. Now, Metro Bus Riders find out that a deal done with Republicans will eliminate the “Ride Free Zone,” a Merchant straight away and beautiful feature of the City of Seattle – free for over 35 years.

The facts are; that more than 10 million boarding’s are logged each year inside the Ride Free Area; another 9,000 rides are taken each day without fare. There are reports that without the compromise reductions in Metro would have affected 80% of all bus riders including the poor. Unfortunately, balancing budgets off the backs of the middle and poor has been a Republican mission since 2010. It is with great sadness to think and or believe all that King County Officials seemed to have forgotten or sacrificed for that 2 million “Ride Free Zone” cost savings per year. This includes tourists, people commuting home from across the water, downtown workers accustomed to hopping on the bus to grab a quick bite, or get some dry cleaning, pop into a store all within an hour and low-income folks who, if you ride in the zone now; know they use it to get around daily.

King County Officials say the “Ride Free Zone” will end after Sept. 29; tell them that making deals with Republicans to phase out an urban mainstay for so many, is bad for Seattle.

If, this new mega-projects monstrosity is real yet will create an environment for more pollution and increase sprawl …

We must say NO

challenge who was in charge of spending

demand accountability

                          

Support Suzan DelBene : for Congress

Please Join

Mayor Joan McBride and Kirkland Councilmembers Doreen Marchione, Penny Sweet & Amy Walen

For a Wine Tasting and Auction to Benefit

Suzan DelBene Democratic Nominee for Washington’s 1st Congressional District

Monday, October 1, 2012 6:00 – 8:00 PM

The Grape Choice 9 Lakeshore Plaza Kirkland, WA 98033

 

Bring Your Checkbook! Contributions in addition to auction items gladly accepted!

Hold Rob McKenna accountable

Oops, someone forgot to purge their files! Rob McKenna got caught… red-handed.

Documents stored at the King County Archives reveal that, while serving as a King County Councilman, Rob was campaigning on the public dime, out of his Council office.

Now McKenna is facing an ethics compliant over his actions, which may have violated ethics law.

Talk about being caught red-handed and red-faced. McKenna’s an attorney. He knows the rules – It is illegal for public resources to be used for campaign purposes.

Can you donate $10 now and help us hold Rob McKenna accountable for his actions?

There may be more to this story.

One of Rob McKenna’s first actions as Attorney General was to hire a Republican campaign operative as his “outreach” director and put him on government payroll. Was this Republican operative reaching out to constituents or working to further McKenna’s political ambitions?

Earlier this week it was revealed that McKenna boosted campaign spending from his Attorney General account in the months before he declared his candidacy for governor – raising concerns with the state campaign watchdog, the Public Disclosure Commission.

After reading these ethics stories, it’s easy to imagine a late-night file-purging party in the Attorney General’s office.

We must continue to hold Rob McKenna accountable for his actions. Will you send us a small donation to support our “Tell the Truth Rob McKenna” team?

http://www.wa-democrats.org/contribute/accountable

Our candidate for governor, Jay Inslee, is dedicated to creating a working Washington. He is the best candidate to rebuild our state’s middle class and get people back to work. Jay would serve the state with integrity and would never violate the public trust the way McKenna has.

Part of our mission at the State Party is to ensure that Jay has a level playing field for this fall’s election. That means we need to hold his ethically challenged Republican opponent accountable for his actions.

Please help with a small donation today. Your support is appreciated by all of our candidates.

Sincerely,

Dwight Pelz
Washington State Democrats Chair

upcoming transit fights …Julia Deak Sandler

Dear transit supporters,

I just noticed that this petition had not been taken down yet, and people were continuing to sign it. I will take it down today, but I just wanted to reassure those who were still signing that we in fact WON on this issue, and the $20 congestion reduction charge was passed, saving metro service for the next 2 years.

Nevertheless, our fight for improved, sustainable transit options and more progressive funding sources for them is far from over. Some of you replied to my last email with deep and valid concerns about the final deal that the County Council reached, which included cutting the Free Ride Zone and funding metro with a regressive $20 fee on all car owners.

If you would like to move past such regressive funding sources and increase the share of the tax burden on those who can actually afford it, consider joining one of these groups and working on this issue over the next two years:

- the fledgling Save Our Metro campaign, which is dedicated to grassroots organizing of transit riders who are not on email
- the Moveon.org Seattle Council’s transit sub-committee, which will be fighting to make sure Seattle does all it can to support transit, bike infrastructure, and sustainable transportation options (just reply to this email to sign up)
- Transportation for Washington, a state-wide coalition of groups fighting to make sure our state has a progressive funding source for the transportation options that make the most sense for our planet, our health, and our communities.
- FUSE Washington, which fights for more tax revenue and all kinds of public services in the state
- The NO on 1125 coalition which has been organized against Tim Eyman‘s latest attempt to derail light rail in Bellevue with Kemper Freeman’s money

You can also help from home by commenting on the conservative-biased news reports you see, such as this one in the Seattle Times today about the $60 car tab fee for Seattle residents only, which will be on the ballot in November:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/
2016085821_cartabs02m.html

thanks again for all you do, and so long.
Julia Deak Sandler
julia_deak@hotmail.com

Congratula​tions! You saved King County Metro! …Julia Deak Sandler, Prevent Metro Transit Cuts in King County, WA Campaign

We did it! You and I, with our coalition partners and all the individuals we set in motion, have saved metro. The King County Councilenacted the $20 Congestion Reduction Charge last night, after some intelligent, bipartisan negotiation and compromise, and I am so proud of them. Jane Hague and Kathy Lambert, in particular, really rose to the occasion. They not only made those controversial “yes” votes that carried the day, but they improved the proposal by giving 8 free bus tickets to everyone who pays the $20 car tab fee and letting those who don’t want them donate that value to social service organizations. Doesn’t it feel great to see your democratic government working the way it’s supposed to?

The lesson we can learn from this success is that our participation matters. Without the outpouring of “overwhelming” support for transit, this deal never would have happened. When democracy works, it is because we push our elected officials to do the right thing. I know this success has inspired and energized me, and I hope it’s done the same for you.

If you feel a little giddy at this vision of what participating in your democracy can do, here are some ways to keep at it:

1. Join me in going past this temporary 2-year solution. We need to find permanent, progressive funding for transit, and convince the voters to vote for it. If you would like to work on this issue with me and our local organizational partners, please reply to this email. We’ll be starting the discussion with a free movie screening of the film Contested Streets (a transit documentary) on Fri. Aug. 26th at 7pm at Bethany UCC, corner of S. Beacon St. and Graham St. in Beacon Hill. Please join us for the screening and discussion. RSVP

2. If transit is not your pet issue, and you just like standing up for common sense, progressive causes and social justice, there are ways to do that, too. Since last November, I’ve been volunteering with my local MoveOn Council and have found it to be a great way to develop my skills and learn from more experienced and active citizens. Each council is a group of active individuals that works on national campaigns with the national MoveOn.org organization, but can also weigh in on local issues or help members get involved with local advocacy groups.

3. Last but not least, you can make your own petition on signon.org at any time! Any individual can start a petition about any issue, so consider it, and let me know if you have questions.

These are dire times in many ways. We are struggling economically, environmentally, and politically. But there are rays of hope, like this victory today. Just remember, there are more of us than there are of them, and all we need to do is stand up and make our voices heard. Please stand with me in the years to come and help make King County the kind of place we all want to live in.

Thank you and Peace be with you,
Julia Deak Sandler

Final Vote on Bus Cuts on Mon. 8/15

Image via Wikipedia

Your support for saving King County Metro has made a huge difference. More than 8,200 people signed our SignOn petition to save our buses, and more than 14,000 total signed letters or petitions. The testimony at the 7/26 hearing was fantastic, and we didn’t lose! But we also haven’t won yet…

We need six of nine councilmembers to vote in favor of the two-year stop-gap measure to save our buses. We have the support of 5 members, but the sixth has been elusive.

The King County Council was set to vote on the matter that day. Luckily, thanks to the thousands of people who voiced their support, the four remaining councilmembers – all Republicans – agreed to take three more weeks to seriously consider the the measure.

Now, we must double-down. This is our last chance to save our buses from devastating 17% cuts that will significantly hurt 4 out of 5 riders. Though I started this petition as an individual, I’ve learned that many professionals are working on this and related issues under the umbrella of the Transportation for Washington campaign. Here’s what they recommend:

First, please send your own personal letter to the King County Councilmembers. There are no more opportunities for public testimony, so calling or sending another letter is the best way to remind them of our arguments. Feel free to edit or add personal details.

 Click here to send your letter.  
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5127/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=7814

Next, pack the meeting on Monday, August 15.
Click here to RSVP.   
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5153/p/salsa/web/questionnaire/public/?questionnaire_KEY=608

Finally, we need volunteers to help petition, phonebank, write letters to newpaper editors, and enter data.
Email Brock Howell, field director of Transportation 4 WA, at brock@futurewise.org to volunteer.

Thanks again for your support. Your dedication to the betterment of our society and planet warms my heart.
Together we can save our buses. Stay strong & don’t give up!

Peace to all of you,

Julia Deak

Prevent Metro Transit cuts

Below is an email from Seattle MoveOn member Julia Deak Sandler, who created a petition at SignOn.org that is getting a lot of attention and may be of interest to people in your area. If you have concerns or feedback about this petition,
http://civic.moveon.org/signon_feedback/?id=28841-17809870-3sqpZSx&t=1

Dear King County MoveOn member,

Due to declines in tax revenues, King County Metro will have to cut public transit services by 17% unless the King CountyCouncil votes to implement a two-year $20 congestion reduction charge on vehicle licenses.

The right choice is clear—ask drivers to pay less than the cost of a tank of gas so that public transit can continue to serve those who rely on it to get to work, serve those with limited mobility, and allow us all to lower pollution and traffic congestion.

So I created a petition to the King County Council on SignOn.org that says:

“We value King County Metro service and do not want to see it cut. Please use the $20 congestion charge option to keep services running and keep King County green.”

Will you sign the petition? Click here to add your name, and then pass it along to your friends:

http://signon.org/sign/prevent-metro-transit?source=mo&id=28841-17809870-3sqpZSx&t=2

Thanks!

–Julia Deak Sandler

The text above was written by Julia Deak Sandler, not by MoveOn staff, and MoveOn is not responsible for the content. This email was sent through MoveOn’s secure system, and your information has been kept private.

Roadkill: Protect King County Wildlife

		Protect Wildlife From Highway Killings  Each year thousands of accidents across the country kill wildlife like deer, coyotes and bobcats. By funding safe-highway crossings, we can protect imperiled wildlife in Washington and avoid costly wildlife-vehicle collisions Take Action and Protect Washington Wildlife. Did you know that the lack of measures to allow for safe wildlife crossings costs the nation $8.39 billion annually…and threatens Washington’s deer, coyote and bobcats? Simple measures like barriers and crossing structures can reduce accidents by 80% and save the lives of countless animals. Take action now and protect Washington wildlife. Currently, the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is considering funding for a wildlife crossing structure over North East Novelty Road in King County. Novelty Road has one of the largest concentrations of wildlife in King County, and constructing a crossing structure would greatly benefit the wildlife that resides there. Make your voice heard: Urge the PSRC to fund wildlife crossing over Novelty Road. This proposal will help save the lives of animals. The proposed crossing is next to to important wetlands, which will allow migratory and roaming species to travel between core habitats, and local species to access water and to cross more frequently. Take action now and tell PSRC to protect our wildlife. The PSRC will be closing its comment period and making a decision on Thursday, October 28th so please act now. For the wild ones, Trisha White Director, Habitats and Highways Defenders of Wildlife