On Monday, February 24th, a group of us from Senior and Disability Action once again gave public comment at the meeting of the Capital Planning Committee at City Hall, advocating that some of the money gotten from Prop B be used, as promised, for access at Hallidie Plaza, where Luis (shown in wheelchair yesterday) couldn't get up to a press conference last March because there's no working elevator and no ramp. I showed the fourth photo to the committee members and explained that people who wanted to support the bill to fund regional transportation couldn't access the press conference to show their "Transit is Access" signs!

I told them I'd sent a picture to them in advance, so they could see it on their smart phones. No one looked. Then Sara Greenwald, Joni Eisen, and Elena Engel had sent everyone a document showing all the organizations that had endorsed their climate action and asked for everyone who saw it to raise their hand. No one raised their hand. Discouraging!

This otherwise beautiful city isn't meeting the needs of many of its residence while the very rich have too much more than they need. I know they want us to tax them more so they won't be burdened by all that excess.

I recommend listening to Jim Herlihy's recent podcast "Extreme wealth is the leading social problem of our time."

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/james-herlihy/episodes/Extreme-Wealth---a-leading-social-problem-of-our-time--Author-Sarah-Kerr-discusses-her-new-book-e2vadcv

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We had learned through 48 Hills that Mayor Lurie was going to present his plan to save public transit At 2:00 pm on February 11, so a lot of us arrived before 2:00 pm to hear what he had to say and to have our say. Apparently Myrna Melgar was the designated speaker among the supervisors to express the importance of public transportation, and she did that well. But when she asked him, "So what is your plan?" it was clear that Mayor Lurie had no plan that we could perceive. He said he'd been in Sacramento the previous day to ask for public funding (for which there's a 30% chance of getting) and there may have to be cuts in service--just what we're trying to avoid. He also said that we needed both a local and a regional measure, which of course we already knew. We wanted to know what his plan was to make them successful. He was gone in 15 minutes, so of course he didn't hear our public comments. It was very disappointing. We gathered together later "in solidarity," but I can't get our group picture to come up!

Anyway, not all was lost. The Board of Supervisors we honored Jason Johnson (better known as Officer JJ) for his "unprecedented work in community as a mentor and as a member of law enforcement. For years he has taken our youth on life-changing trips to Ghana and he has worked to stop violence in community. His positive impact as a 17 year San Francisco police officer is immeasurable," as Supervisor Walton said. Supervisor Mandelman spoke in memory of Robert Cromey, and Supervisor Melgar spoke in memory of F.X. Crowley.

 

One of the things I like most about riding Muni is meeting the people aboard--or even at the bus stop.  

This morning while waiting for the #28 bus, I saw the neighbors though I at first didn't recognize them because they were all wearing masks.  Because they don't speak English at all, they didn't really greet me, but I greeted them without providing an ESL lesson.  Then I noticed a young woman with a very pretty purple tint to her hair in front and complimented her on how well the color matched her coat, which she said was an accident.  We talked, and I found out that she helps a friend who has dementia and also gives out food in the Tenderloin.  

Coming back from Kaiser--my last visit for PT the therapist told me--and a short visit to see the UCSF Women's Center, I mailed two letters,  and when I was crossing--with the light--to the bus stop on Divisadero and Geary, the 38R bus driver/Muni operator closed the doors.  I waved my iPhone at the driver, who opened the door.  I thanked him as I got on, and the man I sat down next to said, "I saw how you flashed your FBI badge and he let  you on."  A man sitting across from us said, "She has a Muni bag.  That's why he let her on."  Then they started talking about Trump.  "Did  you see Time Magazine, showing Trump with a crown?" "I watch CNN first thing in the morning ,and he had the nerve to call Zelensky a dictator."

I said, "He said 'a dictator not elected.'  Since Trump was elected, he thinks it's okay to be a dictator."

The man next to me said, "Don't joke about it because if you do, you won't take it seriously, and we have to take it seriously."

I assured him that I took it very seriously.

When I transferred to the 28 bus, I saw lots of people with suitcases and found out that they were a group from France.  I talked to the man across from me, who told me they were on their way to the airport and had  had  a good time getting around on Muni.  I took their picture with their permission.