I read your post twice and failed to see the part where you offer suggestions for what cabdrivers can do. I saw where you complained about what the strike organizers did, read how evil George Lutfallah and the Chicago Dispatcher are, but must have missed where you tell us what should be done to improve working conditions for myself and the rest of Chicago's cabdrivers.
I don't know too much about organizing cabdrivers or fighting the city and, with 5 kids and 2 jobs I don't have much time to do anything about it anyway, but you sure sound like you do so why don't you share with us your solution to our problems?
What can a taxicab driver, even those drivers with families and children? For a starters on the menue, print, sign and mail the following to City Council, the Mayor, DCS, George "the Dispatcher" and anyone who might effect change in our decrpit, corrupt system that favors the City and big fleets and robs, cheats and steals from drivers ever minute of the day:
A Proposed Petition
To Be Brought Before the Chicago City Council
For All Taxicab Drivers and Owners
We, the undersigned taxicab drivers and owners do hereby petition the City of Chicago to amend the Municipal Code and the rules and regulations pertaining to taxicab operations as follows:
1. Safety and Security - Residential Parking. In order to help prevent crime and increase the safety and security of drivers while walking between their taxicabs and their homes, we request that the residential street parking restrictions on taxicabs be eliminated or changed to allow taxicab parking on residential streets in all Wards without special permits.
2. Cost of Living Meter Increase. We request an immediate, unconditional meter increase to help offset dramatically increased fuel, maintenance and repair costs. The new rates shall be:
2.1. A three dollars and twenty five cents meter start-up or “flag pull;”
2.2. An additional fifteen cents per mile above the current meter rate;
2.3. An additional fifteen cents per waiting period above the current meter rate and;
2.4. A temporary emergency fuel cost compensation surcharge of one dollar per trip.
3. Mandatory Annual Fare Review. We hereby request that the Municipal Code and the rules and regulations pertaining to taxicab operations be amended so that the City Comptroller, the Department of Consumer Services and/or the appropriate committees of the City Council shall be required by law:
3.1. To conduct an annual comprehensive review of the prevailing economic factors and trends that affect taxicab operating costs in the Chicago area;
3.2. That the City of Chicago be required by law to report these economic factors to the public;
3.3. That the City Comptroller shall from time to time recommend changes and/or increases in the taximeter rates, based on changes in the economy, to the City Council and the taxicab industry;
3.4. That the City of Chicago be required by law to annually enact fair and equitable fare increases or surcharges to realistically reflect the changes in prevailing economic conditions in order to offset the burden of such increased taxicab operating costs.
4. Cease and Desist Fly Ticket Citations. We hereby request that the City of Chicago Police Department and Traffic Management Personnel adhere to and enforce established parking laws and respect the rights of taxicab drivers to lawfully conduct their business pursuant to Municipal Code 9-48-060 and to cease and desist in issuing so-called “fly ticket” parking citations.
5. Equitable Credit Card Acceptance Policy. We hereby request that the Municipal Code and the rules and regulations pertaining to credit card acceptance be amended or changed to establish a minimum fare of fifteen dollars for which credit card payment may be accepted, except when the driver elects to waive the minimum fare requirement.
5.1. Include an exception to mandatory credit card acceptance in the Municipal Code and the rules and regulations for taxicab drivers of certain religious faiths and beliefs that prohibit credit transactions..
6. Special $1.00 Airport Departure Tax Stamps for Short Trips. We hereby request that special airport departure tax stamps for short trips with a value of one dollar be put into use to prevent the unlawful “double taxation” imposed on taxicab drivers when assigned to a trip within the short trip zones of the airports. (Alternative: Make all stamps $1 to stop all double taxing.)
7. Taxicab Fuel Tax Exemption. Due to unprecedented high fuel costs, we hereby request that taxicab drivers and operating owners be provided with a special fuel tax exemption to help decrease the impact of both seasonal increases and general inflation trend factors; and to establish a mechanism for reimbursement of paid fuel taxes either by direct payment or credit toward other fees and fines after proper notice and proof of payment is submitted to the appropriate City agency.
8. Future Changes to the Municipal Code. We request that all changes, additions, deletions and/or amendments to the Municipal Code and the rules and regulations pertaining to taxicab operations shall be:
8.1. Subject to open, public hearings and due deliberation;
8.2. Carried out through a development process in participation with a board of representatives of the taxicab industry, which shall include taxicab drivers, owners and fleet associations and/or their duly elected or appointed representatives;
8.3. Reviewed, approved and be passed into law by the City Council only after a majority vote of acceptance by the taxicab drivers, owners and fleet associations.
9. Approval of Changes to the Municipal Code. We hereby request that the City of Chicago establish a voting mechanism by which drivers may submit their vote or recommendation regarding any issue via their respective taxicab associations or fleet companies, and/or via any Department of Consumer Services office and/or any agency or association authorized by taxicab drivers, owners and fleet associations.
10. Elimination of $50.00 Re-Inspection Fee. We hereby request that the Department of Consumer Services eliminates the automatic re-inspection fee now imposed on taxicab owners.
11. Taxicab Safety Code. We hereby request that he City of Chicago establish a Taxicab Safety Code to be made part of the Municipal Code of Chicago that specifies requirements and defines the standards by which a vehicle may be passed or failed during an inspection and stipulates standardized fines for material non-compliance to the Taxicab Safety Code and which also provides that any complaint of material non-compliance brought by the City shall be duly and fairly arbitrated or settled in accordance with current City laws in an administrative hearing and/or adjudicated in a court of competent jurisdiction.
12. Re-Instatement of the “Come When Ready” Re-Inspection Policy. We hereby request that he City of Chicago eliminate the recently enacted re-inspection by appointment policy and re-instate the prior policy under which a taxicab may be returned for re-inspection as soon as reasonably possible after required repairs are made.
13. Prohibition on Acquisition, Monitoring and Other Uses of GPS Information. We hereby request that the City of Chicago amend the Municipal Code and the rules and regulations pertaining to taxicab operations to prohibit taxicab drivers, owners, associations or fleet companies to submit, provide or otherwise transfer any information provided through various GPS-based dispatch equipment and other technology that may be in use or come into use in the future and that the City of Chicago, its agents, agencies and/or employees be strictly prohibited from receiving such information, except as provided by State and Federal laws with respect to certain criminal and/or terrorist activities and/or for the lawful reporting of a crime.
14. Prohibition on Acquisition, Monitoring and Other Uses of On-board Video Information. We hereby request that the City of Chicago amend the Municipal Code and the rules and regulations pertaining to taxicab operations to prohibit taxicab drivers, owners, associations or fleet companies to submit, provide or otherwise transfer any information provided through any on-board video surveillance equipment and other technology that may be in use or come into use in the future and that the City of Chicago, its agents, agencies and/or employees shall be strictly prohibited from receiving such information, except as provided by State and Federal laws with respect to certain criminal and/or terrorist activities and/or for the lawful reporting of a crime.
15. Driver Control of On-board Video Equipment. We hereby request that the City of Chicago amend the Municipal Code and the rules and regulations pertaining to taxicab operations with respect to video surveillance equipment to prohibit such equipment from being installed or used unless it can be turned on or off, at will, by the driver.
16. Required Notice of Change. We request that the City of Chicago include an amendment to the Municipal Code and the rules and regulations pertaining to taxicab operations that requires the City of Chicago to provide proper and timely notice by mail and public announcement in the media to all taxicab drivers, owners and fleet associations of not less than ninety days.
17. Safe Driver Initiative. Increase the short trip time at O'Hare and Midway -- expand by 10 minutes during non-rush hour time, expand to 60 minutes during official morning and evening rush hours.
18. Career Driver Incentive/Reward -- Rule 19. Re-instate the annual medallion lottery for senior drivers, then provide an auction forum for drivers who refuse/reject the medallion. Also provide special incentives, programs and realistic help for drivers to go into business and stay in business, not like in the past where lottery winners basically were thrown to the commercial lending dogs, the old pay and obey program.
Finally Ms. Spielman, as you can see, a meter increase or temporary emergency fuel cost surcharge is only the tip of the almost-proverbial iceberg.
There are numerous problems and issues which the City and the taxicab industry will have to face in the comming months. Will there be a boom and more inflation in the taxicab industry ahead?
Indeed, in the next few months and in the next few years we may see the Chicago taxicab business grow to higher levels -- but with it, comes inflation.
If the City and the taxicab industry prepares now for any growth and any inflation that lies ahead, we can all reap the benefits for our forward thinking and we can avoid the mistakes of the past.
Wolfgang J. Weiss
Member, Board of Managing Directors
CHICAGO PROFESSIONAL TAXICAB DRIVERS ASSOCIATION
(773) 244-8152 FAX (773) 244-8153 zybarwulf@comcast.net
So, let me get this straight, your "solution" is to send a long list of demands to City Council? Then what, they decide to grant us these requests because we asked for them?
What about the drivers out there who, like me, agree with some but not all of your points? What should we do - tell aldermen which ones we want and which ones we don't?
Maybe we should pick the most important issue or the two most important issues and focus on them. In this, I agree with the strike organizers. I would like to see a fare increase and I would like to see less harrassment from DCS inspectors, particularly at both airports. Why not focus on these two before we tackle anything else?
Mr. Wolf, I respect your opinions because, in this country, we are allowed to express them freely. However, I can't get on board with your association. As I read your other postings here, I noticed several contradictions. For example, you want the city to perform annual reviews to see if a fare increase is necessary, but you say no driver would and should submit financial records to the city. How can this be? How can the city perform any such review without having our financial records? And for that matter, why would I want to hide my financial records? While I want a fare increase as much as the next driver (if anyone has ever seen 5 growing kids at the dinner table, you'd know why), I can understand that granting one is more complicated than people will have you believe. If we start raising cab fares on a regular basis, we run the very real risk of losing business.
People don't take cabs because they have to, they take them because they want to. The higher our prices, the better business will be for the CTA and other transportation options. We need a small increase to help take the sting off high gas prices without driving away our customer base.
What I suggest Mr. Weiss and every other cabdriver do is keep a complete and accurate record of your business for a month - how many hours a day you work, how many fares you had per day, the pick up and drop off locations of each fare, the price on the meter, how much tip you received, how much in gas you spent, how much in lunch you spent - take all that information, organize it into an easily accessible format and submit it to the commissioner and City Council. They have told us what they need from us before granting a fare increase. Let's give it to them and see what happens. Then, if they still don't want to act, we can explore other options.
F.J.
Accurate Records: Every person who earns income from employement or business activity is required by State and Federal Law to keep accurate, honest books.
However, there is no business I know of that is required to provide financial records to its customers to support a price increase.
Except for certain service providers to the City of Chicago and other governemt contractors, there is no "independent" business in Chicago that is required to submit financial records to support a price increase to the City.
Most businesses rely on market and fiancial data often supplied by local, State and Federal Agencies that track this information for them, and especially their own records, to decide if and when a price increase is justified and/or necessary.
We already know what happens when taxicab drivers "follow the rules" and submit personal fincancial information to the City.
You see, the problem is that the City has the absolute power to say yes or no, inspite of any logoical or reasonable request.
Just in case it slipped anyones' mind, the City said "NO" to the surcharge and publicly stated wrong and incorrect reasons for declining to act.
Who is contradicting what? First they said the gas prices were too volatile. Meanwhile cabdrivers who had already been socked for bled out an extra $100 or more per week on gas prices. Volatile? Fuel prices skyrocketed, but they have not plummeted to new lows have they?
In other words, gas prices are not volatile. Thus, both the Chairman of the Transportation Committee and the Commissioner of Consumer Services are liars, tragically misinformerd.
Then they said they don't have the empirical evidence to authorize an increase. Empirical evidence? What, they didn't read the papers, they don't watch TV or listen to the radio?
The same government agencies that everyone else relies on for critical fiancial information to make pricing decisions publicaly announced that fuel and food costs were the two most critical infaltion factors. Key fiancial reports also predicted continued high prices for fuel through 2008.
Radio, TV and print media all rely on these same government agencies that everyone else relies on for critical fiancial information to make pricing decisions write their stories and reports about the economy.
Again, both the Chairman of the Transportation Committee and the Commissioner of Consumer Services lied.
On the other hand, if they really are as stupid and misinformed as they seem to be, they should be fired, indicted and locked up, at least for their own safety, not to mention the genral public's safety.
Then they said that they did not see popular support of the d rivers to warrant either a surcharge or fare increase even though they knew that the people who testified at the Tranpsortation Committee hearing on June 6th represented several organizations, which adds up to thousands of drivers and owners.
Both both the Chairman of the Transportation Committee and the Commissioner of Consumer Services know this -- they are selectively ignorant, when it suits their purposes.
Again, both the Chairman of the Transportation Committee and the Commissioner of Consumer Services lied.
Small Increase: What we need and what we get are two different things. It is not up to you or me to make such decisions. It is up to the Mayor and his stooges who control abslolute power over the taxicab industry.
We need a surcharge or meter increase or both. We need a lot of major changes to end the City's iron grip on the taxicab indutry and its groos, if not criminal mismanagement.
What we got is the royal shaft from the City and their only "supporting eveidence" was their own lies and twisdted "facts."
So, my friend, drive your cab, shut up, pay your lease, your fines and your taxes -- you have no say and no rghts.
Getting onboard: I don't expect anyone to get on board with our organization.
But the truth must be told, even if everyone else wants to belive in and live the lies.
Our mission is simply to get at the truth -- the cold, hard, truth, the facts, the reality.
We get a lot of spin, misconceptions, lies, incorrect and wrong information -- which are the "tools" that the City depends on, and the way to keep the dysfunctionality of any organizing efforts for and on behalf of the the taxicab industry at its highest levels.
Perhaps we can add Yes and No check boxes to the "wish list" and then people can check vote up or down on each issue.
If we all told our respective alderman what we wanted, they still wouldn't listen if what we want is not in their best interests.
The point is, a person's financial records are personal and private and only the IRS and other tax collecting entities have any right to this information.
This privacy is as "sacred" as one's vote in an election. The City uses this trick because they know it offensive and demeaning for many drivers to bare themselves in this way.
The City can count on the fact that most drivers won't provide the information. Then they can say they don't have enough evidence.
HOwever there a safe and private way to provide what the they want.
If we were to use river's records, they cpould be in abstract report form. Prateek (TWOP) has been developing just such a database using MS Excel.
I use a MS Access for my finacial records. I can produce reports, which I do for my accountant. I have other (tiny) sources of income, but doing corporate taxes is totally beyond my English major brain.
Faarax J. recently wrote "If we start raising cab fares on a regular basis, we run the very real risk of losing business."
This could happen. But Let's look at some of the real world consumer behavior in the midst of inflation.
Fuel Prices: There are no known reports of the big oil companies driving away or losing customers. There are more drivers than ever, despite record high gas and diesel fuel costs. In fact, the oil companies and/or gas producers are reporting record high profits!
Food Prices: People can't seem to get enough groceries -- even with record high food prices. Grocery stores claim higher delivery costs because of record high fuel costs!
Housing - Rent/Mortgages: Rents are going up almost every month. Rental property owners are reporting - yes you guessed it -- record high energy and maintenance costs.
The cost of home loans is going up -- the mortgage lenders want to cover some of the losses for all those bad loans they made -- over one million defaults/foreclosures and still going up.
It may be that the only customers taxicab drivers lose are the ones that tip you a nickel or a dime.
Or maybe we lose a few customers that go on a $3.65 trip after you chased 25 blocks to pick up the dispatch order.
(Gotta love 'em though -- no fare too big or too small! No tip to meager for a heartfelt thank you.)
In the real world, higher costs mean lower profits - less "take-home pay."
Any smart business raises its prices to cover costs to maintain its margin (of profit). No one goes into business to lose money.
I sympathize with riders too, but that sympathy stops when I am called on to finance their life styles by not charging them more because my costs have gone up.
I am all for charity, but not for the taxicab riders, most of whom make more money than I do in the first place.
I want to pay my rent on time, I want to eat healthy and wholesome food, I want to wear nice, clean clothes, pay my utilities and all my bills on time.
It gets harder and harder to do this when my real take-home is shrinking and the "buying power" of the dollar is shrinking along with it because of the higher cost of everything.
In the light of inflation - not charging more for your service is like charging less.
So, to reiterate what I said to the Transportation Committee in live testimony arguing for a surcharge or meter increase, "OUCH!"
Regarding the CIty Law requirement that drivers must submit records to DCS for review to determine an appropriate fare increase, Faarax J. w rote "What I suggest ... every ... cabdriver ... keep a complete and accurate record of your business for a month - how many hours a day you work, how many fares you had per day, the pick up and drop off locations of each fare, the price on the meter, how much tip you received, how much in gas you spent, how much in lunch you spent - take all that information, organize it into an easily accessible format and submit it to the commissioner and City Council. They have told us what they need from us before granting a fare increase. Let's give it to them and see what happens. Then, if they still don't want to act, we can explore other options."
OK, I'm doing it! Pass the word. Reyes wants 40 or 50 drivers with a week's worth of records -- a receipt for each trip and gas receipt as well as any other direct expenses incurred.
A "log" or trip sheet would also do. See above.
Badda bing!
Trip sheet or receipts, keep it honest. Don't ashamed if you have a slow, unprofitable shift. And don't be afraid that if you had a good shift, that it count against a meter raise.
I hope I will live to see the day where one does not have to work two jobs, no matter how large a family one has.
I, for one, am trying to help make such a day possible.
I salute you, sir, and I admire your bravery and dedication to your family. You're an inspiration to lazy old dogs like me!
In all my studies of labor movements and their reasons for striking, I have never heard of or read about an action by any labor organization in which a strike was used simply to "send a message."
A letter, fax or email is a much more efficient way to send a message.
Thumbs Up to the sacrifices made by the cab drivers for better working conditions. We are suffering from the cost of living and staying behind it. We have to depend on regulators as if we work for them. We pay for everything, and often cannot make our own business decisions , particularly in the investment of technology. Take a survey of the lives of your veterans, and you will find them suffering from ailments that aren't treated because of having no health insurance. Take a survey of the regulators and fleet owners, and compare. Don't give up organizing. We are all going to come together throughout this country, and end the exploitation in our lives. We have the same issues in Philadelphia, where I am from and been driving a cab for 20 years. We are not independent anymore. ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE!
In solidarity,
Steve Chervenka, member, Taxi Workers Alliance of Pennsylvania
