Urgent - Call Governor Schwarzenegger TODAY to support funding for high-speed rail and public transit!
September 26, 2007 - 1:00pm
Oppose cuts to public transit and high-speed rail!
Please call the Governor and your state legislators!
As of Friday's Assembly version of the budget, the California HSRA is still funded at the unacceptably low level of $15.5 million (not enough for the Authority to do its work and keep the project on track). Also, the overall transit budget was cut by $1 Billion!!!
Why High-Speed Rail ?
Without high-speed rail , nearly twice as much money will be needed to expand freeways and airport runways to meet the same level of travel demand. And expanding auto and air travel to that extent would cause untold environmental harm.
HSR keeps California moving and powers the economy.
Clean, electric HSR trains, by replacing polluting automobiles and airplanes, pave the way for huge greenhouse gas emission reductions.
If the CAHSRA is not funded at its request of $55 million, necessary preliminary work will not occur and delays and future costs for the project will increase.
Why oppose the transit funding cuts?
The governor's budget engages in sleight of hand, reclassifying other expenses (for example, school busing, always considered an Education expense in the past) as transit, but actually massively cutting funds for real and important transit projects.
Transit cuts are a false economy: not only does defunding these projects cause environmental damage, but it also hurts the state's economy. Land values and quality of life suffer in the absence of well-designed transit networks, and as congestion gets worse, more time in the day is wasted commuting (an economic black hole). Transit projects also create jobs and stimulate local economies.
Step 1
Call Governor Schwarzenegger at 916-445-4341 is the number for the Legislative Unit, ask for Chris Kahn or Dan Dunmoyer or David Crane
Talking points: I'm asking Governor Schwarzenegger to fully fund high-speed rail and get the environmental and engineering studies completed so that it can be built, and to also fully fund public transit. [Tell him why you care about HSR and public transit -- such as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide mobility, create jobs or another reason. more talking points]
**Please note, a number of callers have reported that the Governor's office is telling callers that the Governor's proposal would give transit more money than ever. The Governor is actually counting the transit funds that would be redirected to General Fund programs as transit and calling it more funding!
Some potential responses are:
--Paying for previous General Fund programs with legally dedicated transit funds does not count as more funding for public transit.
--Replacing dedicated transit funds with voter-approved bond dollars goes against the will of the voters and won't create needed new transit options.
Step 2
Call Senator Don Perata at 510-286-1333 or 916-651-4009.
Talking points: I'm asking Senator Perata support full funding for high-speed rail and public transit. [Tell them why you care about HSR and public transit in your own words.] NOTE: The Senator's staffer may tell you that you should call the Governor. You can say that you already did, but that you want to be sure that Senator Perata strongly supports full funding for high-speed rail and public transit.
NOTE:
The staffer may tell you that you should call the Governor. You can say that you already did, but that you want to be sure that Senator Perata supports full funding for high-speed rail, for public transit and a long-term solution for funding public transit in the final budget deal.
Step 3
Please also get your friends and family in the Los Angeles/Orange County area to contact:
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September 26, 2007 - 1:00pm
Oppose cuts to public transit and high-speed rail!
Please call the Governor and your state legislators!
As of Friday's Assembly version of the budget, the California HSRA is still funded at the unacceptably low level of $15.5 million (not enough for the Authority to do its work and keep the project on track). Also, the overall transit budget was cut by $1 Billion!!!
Why High-Speed Rail ?
Without high-speed rail , nearly twice as much money will be needed to expand freeways and airport runways to meet the same level of travel demand. And expanding auto and air travel to that extent would cause untold environmental harm.
HSR keeps California moving and powers the economy.
Clean, electric HSR trains, by replacing polluting automobiles and airplanes, pave the way for huge greenhouse gas emission reductions.
If the CAHSRA is not funded at its request of $55 million, necessary preliminary work will not occur and delays and future costs for the project will increase.
Why oppose the transit funding cuts?
The governor's budget engages in sleight of hand, reclassifying other expenses (for example, school busing, always considered an Education expense in the past) as transit, but actually massively cutting funds for real and important transit projects.
Transit cuts are a false economy: not only does defunding these projects cause environmental damage, but it also hurts the state's economy. Land values and quality of life suffer in the absence of well-designed transit networks, and as congestion gets worse, more time in the day is wasted commuting (an economic black hole). Transit projects also create jobs and stimulate local economies.
Step 1
Call Governor Schwarzenegger at 916-445-4341 is the number for the Legislative Unit, ask for Chris Kahn or Dan Dunmoyer or David Crane
Talking points: I'm asking Governor Schwarzenegger to fully fund high-speed rail and get the environmental and engineering studies completed so that it can be built, and to also fully fund public transit. [Tell him why you care about HSR and public transit -- such as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide mobility, create jobs or another reason. more talking points]
**Please note, a number of callers have reported that the Governor's office is telling callers that the Governor's proposal would give transit more money than ever. The Governor is actually counting the transit funds that would be redirected to General Fund programs as transit and calling it more funding!
Some potential responses are:
--Paying for previous General Fund programs with legally dedicated transit funds does not count as more funding for public transit.
--Replacing dedicated transit funds with voter-approved bond dollars goes against the will of the voters and won't create needed new transit options.
Step 2
Call Senator Don Perata at 510-286-1333 or 916-651-4009.
Talking points: I'm asking Senator Perata support full funding for high-speed rail and public transit. [Tell them why you care about HSR and public transit in your own words.] NOTE: The Senator's staffer may tell you that you should call the Governor. You can say that you already did, but that you want to be sure that Senator Perata strongly supports full funding for high-speed rail and public transit.
NOTE:
The staffer may tell you that you should call the Governor. You can say that you already did, but that you want to be sure that Senator Perata supports full funding for high-speed rail, for public transit and a long-term solution for funding public transit in the final budget deal.
Step 3
Please also get your friends and family in the Los Angeles/Orange County area to contact:
Oppose cuts to public transit and high-speed rail!
Please call the Governor and your state legislators!
As of Friday's Assembly version of the budget, the California HSRA is still funded at the unacceptably low level of $15.5 million (not enough for the Authority to do its work and keep the project on track). Also, the overall transit budget was cut by $1 Billion!!!
Why High-Speed Rail ?
Without high-speed rail , nearly twice as much money will be needed to expand freeways and airport runways to meet the same level of travel demand. And expanding auto and air travel to that extent would cause untold environmental harm.
HSR keeps California moving and powers the economy.
Clean, electric HSR trains, by replacing polluting automobiles and airplanes, pave the way for huge greenhouse gas emission reductions.
If the CAHSRA is not funded at its request of $55 million, necessary preliminary work will not occur and delays and future costs for the project will increase.
Why oppose the transit funding cuts?
The governor's budget engages in sleight of hand, reclassifying other expenses (for example, school busing, always considered an Education expense in the past) as transit, but actually massively cutting funds for real and important transit projects.
Transit cuts are a false economy: not only does defunding these projects cause environmental damage, but it also hurts the state's economy. Land values and quality of life suffer in the absence of well-designed transit networks, and as congestion gets worse, more time in the day is wasted commuting (an economic black hole). Transit projects also create jobs and stimulate local economies.
Step 1
Call Governor Schwarzenegger at 916-445-4341 is the number for the Legislative Unit, ask for Chris Kahn or Dan Dunmoyer or David Crane
Talking points: I'm asking Governor Schwarzenegger to fully fund high-speed rail and get the environmental and engineering studies completed so that it can be built, and to also fully fund public transit. [Tell him why you care about HSR and public transit -- such as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide mobility, create jobs or another reason. more talking points]
**Please note, a number of callers have reported that the Governor's office is telling callers that the Governor's proposal would give transit more money than ever. The Governor is actually counting the transit funds that would be redirected to General Fund programs as transit and calling it more funding!
Some potential responses are:
--Paying for previous General Fund programs with legally dedicated transit funds does not count as more funding for public transit.
--Replacing dedicated transit funds with voter-approved bond dollars goes against the will of the voters and won't create needed new transit options.
Step 2
Call Senator Don Perata at 510-286-1333 or 916-651-4009.
Talking points: I'm asking Senator Perata support full funding for high-speed rail and public transit. [Tell them why you care about HSR and public transit in your own words.] NOTE: The Senator's staffer may tell you that you should call the Governor. You can say that you already did, but that you want to be sure that Senator Perata strongly supports full funding for high-speed rail and public transit.
NOTE:
The staffer may tell you that you should call the Governor. You can say that you already did, but that you want to be sure that Senator Perata supports full funding for high-speed rail, for public transit and a long-term solution for funding public transit in the final budget deal.
Step 3
Please also get your friends and family in the Los Angeles/Orange County area to contact:
