[nfbwatlk] Fw: Put Feet First: Pedestrian Improvements Compromised!

[Jacob Struiksma]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Feet First 
To: jacobstruiksma at gmail.com 
Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2009 12:50 AM
Subject: Put Feet First: Pedestrian Improvements Compromised!



                        Dear Feet First Supporter: 

                        You may have heard City Councilmembers Tim Burgess and Richard Conlin and Mayor Greg Nickels announced their plans to rescind the "Head Tax" without a guarantee of replacement funds for pedestrian and bicycle. Feet First does not agree with repeal of the Employee Hours Tax that is also known as the "Head Tax". This is a $25 per employee per year tax to employers for each employee who drive alone to work. The "Head Tax" does not apply for employees who ride transit, bike, walk, car pool or ride share to work. Also, businesses with two or fewer employees and those with under $80,000 in revenues per year are also exempt. 

                        There has been discussion to hold off rescinding the head tax to discuss this change as a part of the larger 2010 budget conversation. However, most recently there has been talk to put forward legislation to rescind the head tax and not wait to incorporate into the 2010 budget. 

                        This is not the right time to be taking away funds from the "Head Tax" support transportation projects in Seattle, including pedestrian and bicycle programs. 

                        The Downtown Seattle Association and the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce have been lobbying Seattle City Council and candidates for Council and mayoral office to eliminate the "Head Tax". 

                        The Council Transportation Committee meeting (watch it: http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=2130913), Jan Drago and Nick Licata expressed their commitment to pedestrian and bicycle programs and recommended that Council wait until budget sessions to discuss the "Head Tax" issue. Their leadership on this was greatly appreciated, but may not be enough to hold off the pressure from the Downtown Seattle Association and the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce to remove the tax ASAP.

                        Neighborhood, pedestrian, bicycle and sustainability advocates are uniting in an effort to ask Council and the Mayor to retain the "Head Tax". If Council and the Mayor eliminate this tax, replacement funds be bindingly committed for bike and pedestrian projects and that a similar incentive for reducing vehicle miles traveled must be found. Bike and pedestrian projects ahelp our community to do the right thing in biking and using transit and reduce vehicle miles traveled.





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                        Put Feet First! Please help. Here are two ways:

                        1. Attend a Public Hearing on the City of Seattle's Pedestrian Master Plan to support funding to implement the plan. This will provide an additional opportunity to comment on the draft and proposed revisions. Let them know you don't agree with repealing the employee "Head Tax" without replacing funding. The pedestrian plan calls for $60 million over 10 years. This is a small amount considering the amount of infrastructure changes necessary to create safe and inviting environments for walking.

                        Public Hearing: 
                        City Council’s Transportation Committee and the Special Committee on Pedestrian Safety 
                        Tuesday, July 21
                        5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall (600 Fourth Ave.). 

                        2. Contact Council and the Mayor this week before they make a decision to repeal the "Head Tax" without replacing funding for pedestrian and bicycle programs.

                        Councilmember's and Mayor's e-mail addresses

                        Tim.Burgess at seattle.gov
                        Sally.Clark at seattle.gov
                        Richard.Conlin at seattle.gov
                        Jan.Drago at seattle.gov
                        Jean.Godden at seattle.gov
                        Bruce.Harrell at seattle.gov
                        Nick.Licata at seattle.gov
                        Richard.McIver at seattle.gov
                        Tom.Rasmussen at seattle.gov

                        Citizens are directed to the following website to complete a form to
                        send an email to the Mayor's Office.
                        http://www.cityofseattle.net/mayor/citizen_response.htm

                        Thank you for being a Feet First supporter. 


                        Sincerely yours, 



                        Lisa Quinn
                        Executive Director
                        lisa at feetfirst.info
                       
                 
           
     
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