Mr. Engels,
I get scared when the City "studies" something because I don't believe the City is a truly neutral body capable of coming to unbiased conclusions, and it seems that the City likes to "study" issues by using "pilot programs" where politically connected persons sometimes are beneficiaries. There was once a "great idea" worth studying which turned into the jitney cab (giveaway) attempt (failure) and can we still be absorbing all the "Neighborhood Cab" medallions which really were not a very good idea. How about the ambitiously named "Call-a-Day" "solution" to the "undeserved area" crisis (political hay/bull). Worthy of discussion/accident scene reconstruction are the "Van Lines"/Handicap-Airport Voucher Incentive/mandatory Credit Card acceptance/Short trip time limits/Straight meter suburbs/Underutilized Shared Rides/etc...
I believe in KISS (Keep it simple, S_____).
-MIKE FOULKS
Mr. Abunassar,
I said that "many" cabdrivers cannot afford to strike. Most can. I did. I went to the public hearing. I agree with your feelings, but let's focus more on what are YOU and I are going to do because I've heard too many people use the lack of other people's participation as a lame, lame excuse for not doing something themselves. When the group gets larger, the naysayers and thopse who can least afford it will come.
Are you a registered voter?
-MIKE FOULKS
registered voter? how do you register to vote when u r not a citizen?
hosni,
You cannot register to vote unless you have citizenship. But wait!!!
Think about this very carefully.
Think about how many registered voters don't actually vote.
What's their excuse?
Sometimes it's the same reason many cabdrivers didn't come to the public hearing: nobody went their their house and gave them a free ride.
Each Election Day, volunteers drive many, many senior citizens to the polls so that the can vote for the politician who's helping them get there.
So, even if you can't vote for your Alderman because you're not a citizen yet, you can do something even more valuable. You can deliver him 4 voters. Then pick up 4 more and deliver them to the polls. And 4 more after that.
Are you starting to understand the system now?
Politicians need people to hang up all those signs you see everywhere. Did you think they hung themselves up?
They need people who can look at an address, and figure where to go in a car (cab) and hang the sign up.
Sometimes the early bird catches the worm, or the guy who's tearing the signs down in the middle of the night. Don't we cabdrivers work all kinds of hours to make sure the Aldermen's who support us signs stay up or get re-hung?
Are you starting to understand how much value we can have to an Alderman even if we can't vote?
And, if an organization of cabdrivers keeps an eye on an Alderman, and says that he's a friend of ours, couldn't you justify giving him a campaign contribution? You know how many Alderman have got accepting $10,000 bribes? (and less!). The legal bribe is a campaign contribution. If each of us tosses ONE DOLLAR to "our" alderman, they get $13,500. We get regular, receptive treatment from the City Council. What do you think all those people we pick up and drop off from City Hall are doing each day.
And when you become a citizen, your vote counts just as importantly.
Every cabdriver should go to the City of Chicago.org website and figure out which Ward do they live in and who is their Alderman. Right now. Educate yourself. And then let other cabdrivers know that you did this and that they should do it do. Figure out who is in the same Ward as you. This is the power of democracy.
-MIKE FOULKS
P.S. Please send me an e-mail to chinatownmike@yahoo.com when you know your Ward and Alderman with your phone number and addresses.
To find out who your elected representatives in City Council are and where to contact them, go to this web site:
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalProgramAction.do?channelId=-536879024&programId=536879154&topChannelName=Residents&Failed_Reason=Invalid+timestamp,+engine+has+been+restarted&com.broadvision.session.new=Yes&Failed_Page=%2fwebportal%2fportalProgramAction.do
Then click on your War and you get a map and all the contact info you need.
cabdriver 'the question of a rate increase will benafit who?" the new people with a big plane for chicago cab driver to make out of them good slave working 15-16 hours seven days just to make the leas and the gas and not be able to afford to drem to own one.or benafit cab driver the 10-20% anaverge of $20 in good tims. and give up the hope and dreem of own a medallin becuse he can"t aford to by .
