Contact your Supervisor: Reverse Cuts in Parking Fees/Fines, Fund Muni Maintenance

Last week, the Board of Supervisors Finance Committee voted to cut back
proposed increases in parking fees and fines, taking $4.4 million away
from Muni service and preventative maintenance and handing it back to
car drivers. Tomorrow, the Muni budget is back before the committee,
including almost $7 million in deferred maintenance - less than in the
initial proposal, due to increases in the General Fund subsidy, but
still too much.

Unlike some advocates, we are NOT recommending that the budget be
rejected, because we think this would lead to deeper service cuts.
However, we continue to urge the Supervisors to pass the increases to
parking fees and fines AS INITIALLY PROPOSED BY THE MTA. If you agree
with us that public transit should be a higher priority than illegally
parked cars, call your Supervisor tomorrow morning and tell him/her to
pass the fines as originally proposed! $4.4 million pays for a lot of
track, vehicle, and overhead wire maintenance.

(Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi proposed this last week in committee, backed
by Supervisors Ammiano and Daly. Make sure to thank them for their
votes when you call.)

Rescue Muni's press release:
http://www.rescuemuni.org/pr_FY06fines.html

Supervisors:

1. McGoldrick, Jake - 415-554-7410 - Jake.McGoldrick [at] sfgov.org
2. Alioto-Pier, Michela - 415-554-7752 - Michela.Alioto-Pier [at] sfgov.org
3. Peskin, Aaron - 415-554-7450 - Aaron.Peskin [at] sfgov.org
4. Ma, Fiona - 415-554-7460 - Fiona.Ma [at] sfgov.org
5. Mirkarimi, Ross - 415-554-7630 - Ross.Mirkarimi [at] sfgov.org
6. Daly, Chris - 415-554-7970 - Chris.Daly [at] sfgov.org
7. Elsbernd, Sean - 415-554-6516 - Sean.Elsbernd [at] sfgov.org
8. Dufty, Bevan - 415-554-6968 - Bevan.Dufty [at] sfgov.org
9. Ammiano, Tom - 415-554-5144 - Tom.Ammiano [at] sfgov.org
10. Maxwell, Sophie - 415-554-7674 -Sophie.Maxwell [at] sfgov.org
11. Sandoval, Gerardo - 415-554-6975 - Gerardo.Sandoval [at] sfgov.org

If you can come to a midday meeting (why do they schedule these when
most of us are AT WORK?!) the hearing is at 1 pm in the Board chambers.

Agenda:
http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_page.asp?id=29832

Thanks for all you do.

Andrew Sullivan
Chair, Rescue Muni