[Ohio-talk] Regarding Public Transit Resolution

[Robert Spangler]

Hi Barbara, I am writing you off-list to avoid cluttering the list with 
my questions.  Thanks for your informative reply!  Also, thanks for 
offering to forward my name along for consideration on the resolutions 
committee.  I was also planning on expressing my interest in serving on 
this committee this time around anyway.  I got put on the awards 
committee and pretty much turned into Cheryl's technology person, so I'm 
kind of ready for something new!  I will, however, serve on the 
technology committee again also to continue maintaining the web site.


Something I missed during your speech at convention: you said that we 
were making lots of money each week, which allowed us to hire the Field 
Services Coordinator and fund many other activities.  How was it that we 
received all of that funding and why did we lose it?


Robby


On 11/7/2018 1:39 PM, barbara.pierce9366--- via Ohio-Talk wrote:
> By long-standing practice we do not take amendments to resolutions on the floor of the convention. This is because we hope to leave before midnight on Sunday. In fact we did all of the work on the resolutions before we came to convention. At the Friday night meeting we could take and consider modifications. I suggest that you lobby to be put on the Resolutions Committee if you want to have a voice in writing resolutions. If you play your cards right, you could probably chair the committee and have things all your own way with them. You just have to be able to write resolutions.
>
> I will send your message on to Shari Albers for the consideration of the Legislative Committee for next spring. Your point is well taken. II would have more hope in the legislative process if the House and Senate showed more inclination to spend money. Public Transit is very unpopular with the car-driving electorate.
>
> Barbara
> Barbara Pierce
> President Emerita
> National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
> Barbara.pierce9366 at gmail.com
> 440-774-8077
> The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.
>
>> On Nov 7, 2018, at 1:06 PM, Robert Spangler via Ohio-Talk <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Hello, I wanted to take this opportunity to expand on my comments regarding the public transit resolution at the convention.  I understand that much of the funding for transit authorities comes from the local communities - in Ohio, this is the sales tax in all counties but one, which is Lucas and which receives its funding from a property tax.
>>
>>
>> The state does have an influence on this, however.  In 2017, transit agencies started losing a lot of funding from the medicaid MCO sales tax.  While the governor pledged to reimburse transit agencies for this loss, it has been unclear if the entire amount each agency would lose would be reimbursed.  This amounted to 18 million dollars for Cleveland RTA, for example.  Please see the following article from 2017:
>>
>> https://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2017/01/gov_kasich_proposes_changes_to.html
>>
>>
>> I understand that most of the issues cited in the legislation could be resolved at the local level, with the specific transit agencies, but why not push for greater priority from the state for funding transit agencies during our Columbus seminar event in April?  These agencies are experiencing financial difficulty, particularly in Lucas County, since a property tax does not provide as much funding as a sales tax.  I think we should lobby the state to do better as far as supporting public transportation.
>>
>>
>> Also, are members permitted to motion for amendments to resolutions during the general session when we vote to pass them or is this done during the resolutions committee meeting Friday night?
>>
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Robby
>>
>>
>>
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