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*** EMERGENCY RESPONSE:  RIDE IN CRITICAL MASS TODAY AND     
*** BEGIN TO PLAN DIRECT ACTIONS FOR YOUR PART OF THE STATE
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Governor [D]Avis rent-a-car and his Budget rent-a-car
are running us over!
 
Despite widespread public support for bicycle and 
pedestrian projects in this time of massive budget
surplus, duhAvis has ensured more wider highways
and more sprawl -- which we will all pay dearly
for -- while scrubbing the walking and bicycling
modes which are critical for transit, community,
and good health:
 
* $250M  request for bicycle/pedestrian projects was not 
  included, even when recommended by the Smart Growth 
  Caucus of the legislature and many statewide and local 
  organizations -- ZERO FOR BIKE/PED INFRASTRUCTURE!!!
  OUT OF 5.3 BILLION DOLLARS!!!

* Transit operations requests were not included!

* Axed 10 of the 14 Caltrans bicycle coordinator positions
  so NONE will be assigned to local districts, which had 
  already been approved by both the Senate and Assembly!

* Abandoned Railroad Account was ALSO cut at the last minute
  (Rails to Trails' big initiative)!

* lots of other important stuff was slashed.


Just so the State of California will have "extra surplus".
The state is very "flush" right now, it's time to
lay in for hard times, not go out on a limb for more
auto-dependence and all its costs and harms.  

On top of that, neither the Good Roads (SB1629) and the 
$18 Million for Enhancements (SB1809) made it out of the 
Senate committee.  They will hear it again in Sacramento 
one more time, August 7th -- be there!

The only thing we're getting:  4 out of 14 bicycle coordinator.

 *** IT'S NOT LIKE WE DIDN'T TRY!!!

* Hundreds of letters from local organizations;

* More than 1,100 signatures gathered in emergency response over
  two days (see copy at http://guest.xinet.com/);

* Walked around the Capital meeting with offices in person, 
  hand delivered to 15 different legislators on the Conference
  Committee that authored the bills who are the leaders from
  both parties in the Assembly and Senate;

* Phone call/fax campaign to Governor for this week, lead by
  the Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP).
 
* Hundreds if not thousands of letters have poured in from
  a wide spectrum of constituents (parents, teachers, etc.)
 
* Representatives personally met with the Governor's office
 and other offices.
 
And all the while, the death toll continues to rise.
 
     *** THE GOVERNOR IS ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL! ***
 
Jason Meggs, Director
Bicycle Civil Liberties Union
 
 
Organize!              __O     __O     __O     __O     __O
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   __O         __O     __O     __O     __O         (_)     (_)
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                 __\(s_  __\(s_  __\(s_  __\(s_  __\(s_  __\(s_
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Contact us:
 
 
http://guest.xinet.com/
jmeggs-AT-lmi.net
(510) 720-2818
 
This is a California Alert
Please forward widely.
 
San Francisco Critical Mass meets at Justin Herman Plaza
(at the foot of Market, near the Ferry Building) on the
last Friday of each month, gathering at 5:30 PM to leave
after 6 PM.
 
To find a Critical Mass near you, or learn more about
how to start one, check out www.critical-mass.org