[Iabs-talk] PACE hearing

[AZNOR99 at aol.com]

I attended the Pace Hearings in Blue Island last Tuesday.  The hearing  was 
similar to those of CTA, though fewer people were in attendance.  They  
encouraged us to speak out on how we feel concerning the fare hikes and service  cuts.
 
Several of you have asked me what the experience was like and what I  said.  
I did not prepare remarks in advance, but I basically gave a similar  
statement to that which I gave at the CTA Hearings at UIC in June.  
 
I talked about the unemployment rate among the blind community as well as  
how the majority of us rely on public transportation to get to the jobs we do  
have, to hospitals, to shopping.  I talked about how many of us are living  on 
a fixed income, receiving SSI or SSDI benefits; I reminded the panel that  
each dollar of this income is already allocated to something else like food or  
rent.  I basically explained that we'd have to not eat or not pay our rent  in 
order to be able to afford a higher fare.  I explained how we need good  and 
reliable transportation to get to our destinations.  I reminded the  panel that 
we, as members of the community, have the right to a functional and  
convenient public transportation system.  I, on behalf of the NFBI Chicago  Chapter, 
the NFBI, IABS, and the NFB pledged to help Pace find solutions that  did not 
impact fares and service quality or quantity.  But I also informed  the panel 
that we, the members of the blind community, will not sit back and  allow the 
public transportation system in Northeast Illinois to fracture because  of 
budget constraints.  We will not stand aside and be victims of budget  shortfalls, 
and we won't sit back and passively accept fare hikes and service  cuts.
 
 
Hope this helps those of you who wanted this information.
 
Regards,
Ronza
 



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I attended the Pace Hearings in Blue Island last Tuesday.  The hearing was similar to those of CTA, though fewer people were in attendance.  They encouraged us to speak out on how we feel concerning the fare hikes and service cuts.
 
Several of you have asked me what the experience was like and what I said.  I did not prepare remarks in advance, but I basically gave a similar statement to that which I gave at the CTA Hearings at UIC in June. 
 
I talked about the unemployment rate among the blind community as well as how the majority of us rely on public transportation to get to the jobs we do have, to hospitals, to shopping.  I talked about how many of us are living on a fixed income, receiving SSI or SSDI benefits; I reminded the panel that each dollar of this income is already allocated to something else like food or rent.  I basically explained that we'd have to not eat or not pay our rent in order to be able to afford a higher fare.  I explained how we need good and reliable transportation to get to our destinations.  I reminded the panel that we, as members of the community, have the right to a functional and convenient public transportation system.  I, on behalf of the NFBI Chicago Chapter, the NFBI, IABS, and the NFB pledged to help Pace find solutions that did not impact fares and service quality or quantity.  But I also informed the panel that we, the members of the blind community, will not sit back and allow the public transportation system in Northeast Illinois to fracture because of budget constraints.  We will not stand aside and be victims of budget shortfalls, and we won't sit back and passively accept fare hikes and service cuts.
 
 
Hope this helps those of you who wanted this information.
 
Regards,
Ronza
 
Get a sneak peek of the all-new http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour/?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000982 AOL.com
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