COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING AND PUBLIC MEETING BEFORE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Monday, 6/11/01 9:34 a.m. - - - RES. 000142 - Withdrawn by sponsor. RES. 000597 - Authorizing the Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities to conduct comprehensive comparative research into the state of the City's transportation and public utilities systems and hold hearings into the same. PRESENT: COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR., Chair COUNCILMAN FRANK DICICCO COUNCILWOMAN MARIAN B. TASCO COUNCIL PRESIDENT ANNA C. VERNA - - - VINCENT VARALLO ASSOCIATES, INC. Registered Professional Reporters Eleven Penn Center, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 561-2220 2 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE I N D E X Witness Mamie Wiggins, President, Action Alliance . . Pedro Rodriguez, Assistant, Action Alliance 5 Frances Jones, Government Affairs, SEPTA. . . 14 Agnes Dalton, St. Ann's Center. . . . . . . . 17 6 Deborah Sterne, Philadelphia Shared-Ride. . . 10 Program Advisory Council 7 Francine Fineman, President . . . . . . . . . 25 Southeastern Alliance of Adult Day Services 8 P. Fanaro, Phila. Corporation for Aging . . . 29 F. Sposaro (on behalf of handicapped son) . . 31 9 A. Morrison, President, Advisory Council. . . 33 Center in the Park 10 Albert Johnson, Haddington Multiple Services 35 for Older Adult Senior Citizens 11 Rev. Evelyn Wallington. . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Greater Germantown Settlement Mature Adult Ctr. Missouri Grier, Philadelphia Senior Center. . 42 509 South Broad Street Frances Williams, Center in the Park. . . . . 45 James A. Thomas, Clara Baldwin Center . . . . 47 Peggy Butler, Mercy Douglas Senior Center . . 50 Geraldine Redman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Germantown Settlement Mature Adult Center Earl Washington, Philadelphia Senior Center 53 509 South Broad Street Grace Trader, Seniors that Work . . . . . . . 57 Alice S. Wojciechowski. . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Helen Davidson, Germantown Settlement . . . . 64 Mature Adult Center Harriet Piazza, JCC Stifle Center . . . . . . 67 Tamara Moreland, Executive Director . . . . . 68 Philadelphia Senior Center Sylvester Hopewell, Greater Germantown. . . . 70 Settlement Mature Adult Center Gregory Brown, Social Worker. . . . . . . . . 71 Earl Gray Roberts Junior Adult Day Care Center Barbara Abdullah Jihad, SEPTA Rider . . . . . 76 Mildred Powell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Robert Becker, Greater Germantown Settlement 81 Mature Adult Center Rosie Mink. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 3 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE (Index, cont'd.) Witness Carlos Jones, Senior Program Coordinator. . . 84 West Philadelphia Community Center Genevieve Wilson, Caregiver . . . . . . . . . 86 Yvonne Downey, Haddington Multi Services. . . 87 for Older Adults Incorporated Norma Edwards, Haddington Center. . . . . . . 89 Ron Ross, Program Coordinator . . . . . . . . 91 Southwest Center James Jordan, Sr., Member . . . . . . . . . . 93 Action Alliance for Senior Citizens Arlene Sadler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Dot Newton, Director, Aging Services. . . . . 98 Greater Germantown Settlement Mature Adult Ctr. 4 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - PUB. MEETING P R O C E E D I N G S
Good morning. This is the continued hearing of the Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities on Resolutions 142 and 597. A quorum is present. Committee members Frank DiCicco, Marian Tasco, Council President Anna Verna, and myself are present. The hearing is called to order. We will recess the hearing to move into a public meeting on Resolution 142. As the primary sponsor, I'm going to withdraw that resolution, and I will recognize Councilman DiCicco for a motion on Resolution 597.
That you, Mr. Chairman. I move that Bill No. 000597 be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation, no suspension.
It's been moved and properly seconded. All in favor, aye? Those opposed? (None opposed.)
This concludes our 5 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 public meeting and we will now move back into a hearing on Resolution 597. Will the clerk please read the title of the resolution.
We just reported it out. (Committee members confer off the record.)
Resolution No. 000597, a resolution authorizing the Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities to conduct comprehensive comparative research into the state of the City's transportation and public utilities systems and hold hearings into the same.
Is Action Alliance here to testify? Will you please approach the witness table, please. (Witness comes forward.)
Miss Wiggins, please proceed with your testimony. Please state your name for the record.
Good morning, Chairman 6 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 Goode, Jr. and other members of the committee. Of course, I said my name. I am the President of the 12,000-strong Action Alliance of senior citizens of Greater Philadelphia. Before I start to discuss our opposition to the proposed fare increase by SEPTA, I would like to thank you, Mr. Chairman, for being so gracious and accommodating our request for these hearings in the letter we sent you last May 9, 2001 when myself and several dozen other seniors were here to ask City Council to speak out on this matter of great importance to the citizens of Philadelphia. As you know, many senior citizens and disabled individuals rely on Paratransit and Shared-Ride to get around. They get to work, senior citizens and clubs, doctors' appointments, cultural events, and so on. It allows them certain freedoms and make them feel a part of the larger society. In some cases, they rely on the service just to keep themselves alive, such as the hundreds who go to their dialysis treatment this way. This is an essential service to many of them. Over the years, Action Alliance and others have been working to improve this service. 7 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 Over the last few years, there have been some noticeable improvement, particularly since the reservations and dispatch operations were centralized by SEPTA. But there is still a lot of work to be done. Many of our members complain of inability to schedule rides when they want them, of being picked up late for appointments, of being taken on long rides around the City, and in some cases, being stranded with no way to get home. The best we can tell you, Mr. Chairman, is that the Shared-Ride Paratransit is a work in progress to Philadelphia. Action Alliance and many other organizations were shocked to learn of SEPTA's proposed fare increase for Paratransit Shared-Ride. The proposals call for a percent increase for 18 individual riders and a 33 percent increase for the 19 rides going to the senior citizens centers. If 20 these increases are granted, senior citizens will 21 suffer greatly, forcing many of them to remain at 22 home and become less active. The proposal to make a 23 round-trip Shared-Ride costs $7 is an outrage, and to the senior citizens, in order to accommodate the 33 percent increase, centers will be forced to cut 8 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 by one-third the rides they order from SEPTA. As a matter of fact, SEPTA's own numbers do not make such sense. For example, according to the 2001-2002 budget, they project a percent deficit or 7 shortfall in the operation of the Paratransit Shared-Ride service. Yet they are proposing to raise the fares of seniors by a double-digit figure. As a matter of fact, collectively, senior citizens are getting hit the hardest by SEPTA -- a whopping 28 percent fare increase when you include both the Shared-Ride and the senior citizen centers rides. We come before this committee and City Council ask for your help. We want City Council to request that the two members of the SEPTA Board who represent the City of Philadelphia -- DiCicco and Newkirk -- to vote together in opposition to this fare increase. In addition, we are requesting that City Council withhold from the SEPTA budget the $52 million earmarked in subsidies for the next fiscal year. We want you to tell SEPTA that they will not get one red City cent until they take off the table this unfair fare increase. Let's make one thing clear: The 9 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 citizens of Philadelphia only have you to speak for them with some sort of carrot and stick when it comes to SEPTA. Over the years, Action Alliance and others have been trying to get the SEPTA Board to take services to senior citizens seriously, and they have failed to do it repeatedly. Join us in sending SEPTA a strong message that budget shortfalls should not be made up on the backs of senior citizens.
Please urge the two City-of-Philadelphia SEPTA Board members to veto this fare increase. Thank you. )
Thank you for your testimony, Miss Wiggins. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful testimony. I just would like to ask a couple of questions. How much does it cost for the Shared-Ride? And does that -- just tell me how it 10 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 functions. The Shared-Ride, SEPTA Shared-Ride. (Witness comes forward.)
May I? This is Pedro Rodriguez, who is the assistant there at Action Alliance.
Thank you. The current system is that individuals can schedule rides through Paratransit Shared-Ride by calling the reservation number. When they get to the ride, they pay 2.85 for each segment of the trip.
Right. Now, the proposal is to raise that to 3.50 each way, making it $7 a round-trip.
Right now, yeah. 11 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597
Now, what about the senior citizen centers? She mentioned something about a 38 percent increase to 33 percent.
So if you're going to go to a senior citizens center, it's $2 and --
It's 2.40. The center schedules rides. And they get a subsidy from the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, which has a set budget to pay for that.
So the senior citizens center pays for the rides for the seniors to come to the centers.
Okay. Now, what's it going to go to? 12 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597
Each way. Are most of the senior citizen centers run by the City?
There are nonprofits and religiously-based own them and just community-based.
From a number of sources. Some of them get City funding, State funding, through Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, and the centers raise money privately through foundations and so on.
Miss Wiggins, let me thank you for your testimony and let you know that I think everyone from the City, from the Mayor and 13 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 City Council have said that they oppose this fare increase across the board, particularly for our most vulnerable citizens -- our younger and older people. And we're really looking for a strategy, what we can do. I'm not sure what we can do at this point but we will take whatever action and work along with Pedro and Action Alliance on a strategy. We do have a representative from SEPTA here that can respond to the issues raised in your testimony. But thank you again for testifying.
If I just may add, the way that the SEPTA Board is structured, the two Philadelphia City representatives have veto power over any resolution, any (indiscernible) that comes before the SEPTA Board. So the two City representatives vote together in rejecting this fare increase and they can break it up as they want if they choose to. Then it will just be sent back to SEPTA and it will be approved.
So your request is that City Council ask the City members to vote against this fare increase.
Absolutely. Mr. DiCicco 14 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 and Newkirk to vote -- both of them to vote against this particular fare increase.
That is something that we can do through a resolution as early as this Thursday, but let's give SEPTA a chance to respond to two things: One, your testimony; and two, whether the City members actually do have veto power.
Thank you. Miss Jones, would you please approach the witness table. (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. My name is Frances M. Jones. I am the Assistant General Manager of Government Affairs at SEPTA. Good morning, Councilman and members of the committee. And good morning to the representatives from Action Alliance and all of the other seniors from across the City of Philadelphia. I am here this morning basically just in an observing position because we did know about the 15 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 hearings this morning. The specific numbers as relates to Shared-Ride and the Paratransit I'm not prepared to comment on at this point. However, I'm sure the members here are aware that we held public hearings about two or three weeks ago to get testimony from people around the region about the fare increase and we took that testimony very seriously. We do share the concerns and are really sympathetic to the concerns of the seniors and the school children in the region. However, a fare increase is something that, you know, we labored over, something that we gave great thought about and tried to figure out ways that we would not have to do it. With the recent increase in cost in utilities and other things that we need in order to operate, it was, you know, it was something that we had to do. And please be assured that we didn't take it the lightly. We heard the testimony. We knew about concerns of school children, and we're concerned about seniors, school children, and everybody because essentially they're our riders. We are awaiting the report from the hearing examiners from all of the testimonies that 16 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 were taken throughout the region, and within the next to 48 hours, we should have a comprehensive 4 document that documents the recommendations from the 5 hearing examiner to SEPTA management and then to the 6 SEPTA Board. 7
Thank you. Could you 8 respond to the issue of veto power of the City 9 members on the SEPTA Board. 10
It is my understanding that 11 the SEPTA Board, the two representatives from the 12 SEPTA Boards representing Philadelphia County do 13 have veto power. I don't recall it -- I've been at 14 SEPTA about six years, and I don't recall it ever 15 being exercised, but it is my understanding that 16 there is veto power, understanding that there are 17 only two representatives from the Philadelphia 18 County and representatives from the other five 19 counties as well as representatives from the House 20 of Representatives, the Governor's Office and from 21 the Senate. 22
Is there anyone else to testify? Please approach the witness table. 17 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 (Witnesses come forward.)
Hello. My name is Agnes Dalton. I am here today to tell that you that I am very upset about the proposed SEPTA Paratransit fare increase. I take Paratransit every day to St. Ann's Center. I feel that the proposed increase would be a real hardship on me and others who use Paratransit to get to the center. Because we are retired, we're all on a fixed income, and many of us have as little as $550 a month to live on. As it is, most of us live very carefully to make ends meet. Paying more for rides is out of the question. The other alternative, cutting back the number of days we attend the center, would be a really a real loss to us. I go to St. Ann's to get out of the house and to be around people. I live alone since my husband died, and it is very important for me to have company. I also depend on a hot meal that I receive each day at the center. In addition, it is important for me to go to the center because it can help with any problems that may come up in my life. 18 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 Paratransit is a lifeline for me and others like me. I have been going to St. Ann's Center for about years. I used to take the bus until I 5 developed bad arthritis and it became too difficult 6 for me to take public transportation. Since that 7 time, I have been taking the van to get to the 8 center. I would not be able to get out without 9 Paratransit. It's a necessity. 10 For these reasons, I hope you'll stop 11 the proposed fare increase. Please -- 12 (Sound system difficulties.) 13
Please try to understand 14 that people in my generation don't ask for very 15 much. We only ask for what we really need. What's 16 at stake here is our independence and our survival. 17 Thank you very much. 18 (Applause.) 19
Thank you for your 20 testimony. You're going to testify also? UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: No. I'm staff from St. Ann's. I'm just escorting Agnes.
Okay, thank you. Is there anyone else to testify? Please 19 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 approach the witness table. (Witnesses come forward.)
Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to present testimony today. My name is Deborah Sterne. I am a member of the Philadelphia Shared-Ride Program Advisory Council. The Shared-Ride Council works to maximize the provision of cost-effective, efficient safe and satisfactory service to the Shared-Ride Program users in Philadelphia County. Each Shared-Ride Council member serves as the voice of older adults to represent the diversity, needs, and interests of the Shared-Ride-eligible population throughout Philadelphia. I am here on behalf of the Shared-Ride Council to ask you to vote in support of the resolution to authorize the review of the Southeastern Transit Authority's operations. Also, I would like to take this opportunity to ask City 20 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 Councilmembers to educate the City's representatives on the SEPTA Board-- Jettie D. Newkirk, Esquire, and Christian DiCicco, Esquire -- about the negative SEPTA's proposed Shared-Ride fare increase would have on older Philadelphians. As you may know, the Philadelphia Shared-Ride Program is designed to serve Philadelphians over the age of 65. These individuals rely on Shared-Ride for a variety of reasons to maintain their health and independence. These patrons may have functional and cognitive limitations such as dementia. The Shared-Ride Program helps to enable those older adults who are frail to remain at home and out of nursing homes for as long as possible. Patrons use Shared-Ride to attend doctors' visits, dialysis appointments, and adult day health centers. They also rely on the Shared-Ride Program to maintain social contacts by riding to senior centers and to attend church. Each of these rides is important to keep seniors from becoming isolated and ill. (Sound system difficulties.)
Each of these rides is 21 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 important to keep seniors from becoming isolated and ill. Despite frequent delays in pickup and drop-off times when using Shared-Ride CCT Connect, older adults still utilize the system. For many older adults, the Shared-Ride service is their only option for transportation. As you know Philadelphia, has a very high proportion of low-income senior citizens. 50 per trip. 7(i), any profit generated by the local Shared-Ride Program is subject to refund to the Department of Transportation. Therefore, SEPTA should not be funding other SEPTA transit programs with Shared-Ride revenues. The Shared-Ride Council asks this committee to take keep this regulation in mind when conducting its review of SEPTA's operations. In the Shared-Ride Council's past experience, SEPTA has not managed the Shared-Ride Program in the most efficient manner. For example, capital improvement dollars were spent on the MDT 22 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 system to track when passengers are picked up and dropped off and provide information to increase efficiency. Even though the system was installed long ago, the data is not available. Also, Shared-Ride Council members often here from Shared-Ride patrons about problems they have experienced with late arrivals, delayed trips home, abandoned rides, and poor customer service. The proposed rate hike will only further reduce customer satisfaction with an already-problematic system. The Shared-Ride Council also questions whether SEPTA has considered that the Shared-Ride fare increase will reduce ridership, thus reducing its overall revenue from the fare hike. The Council is convinced that many seniors who cannot afford the increased fare will simply stay at home instead of attending to their vital physical, mental, and social needs. The Shared-Ride wonders if SEPTA's proposed fare hike is aimed to reduce the ridership to make it easier for SEPTA's CCT Connect to comply with ADA and other court-related mandates. One reason SEPTA has given for the fare increase is rising fuel costs. The Shared-Ride Council understands that fuel costs have risen 23 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 lately; however, the Shared-Ride Council questions whether SEPTA has considered other options to deal with this cost rather than passing it on to the riders. As we've seen over the past few years, fuel costs fluctuate. Perhaps SEPTA can request emergency funding from Harrisburg for the temporary increase in fuel costs. Although fuel costs fluctuate, it seems unlikely that SEPTA will reduce its fares when fuel costs subside. The Shared-Ride urges City Council to remind its representatives on the SEPTA Board -- Ms. Newkirk and Mr. DiCicco -- that SEPTA is not the only one on a limited budget. Many older Philadelphians have fixed incomes and they cannot their incomes to meet the rising costs of oil, electricity, prescription medications, or fares. If the fare increase is imposed, these older adults may be choosing between paying for prescription medication or a round trip to the doctor's office. Older residents of personal care homes who rely on SSI will also be affected by the fare increase. While their meals and housing costs are paid for by their SSI income, they receive a monthly allowance of $60 for all other personal expenses. 24 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 These residents cannot increase their monthly allowance to account for increased transportation costs. The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA) subsidizes some rides for older adults. With a limited transportation budget, PCA has no 8 additional funding to cover the higher cost for each ride. Therefore, PCA will be forced to reduce the number of rides and older adults who benefit from the assistance. It is our understanding that the City of Philadelphia provides a significant subsidy to SEPTA for the provision of City transportation.
The Shared-Ride Council asks City Council to use the power of its pocketbook to make sure that SEPTA does not financially burden our most vulnerable and frail older adults with its proposed 33 percent fare hike for Shared-Ride patrons. In conclusion, the Shared-Ride Council urges you to vote in favor of the committee's resolution to authorize a comprehensive review of SEPTA's operations. The devastating impact of the proposed fare increase demands that an impartial entity examine SEPTA's operations. The Shared-Ride 25 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 Council also hopes that it can depend on City Council to prevent the approval of the proposed fare increase to the Shared-Ride Program. On behalf of the Shared-Ride Program Advisory Council, I thank you for the opportunity to comment today. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you. Any questions from members of the committee? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else to testify? Please approach the witness table. (Applause.) (Witness comes forward.)
Do you have copies of your testimony with you? Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
My name is Francine Fineman, and I am President of the Southeastern Alliance of Adult Day Services. I'd like to thank 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 you for the opportunity to speak today. I represent adult day centers that 4 serve hundreds of seniors and their caregivers. I 5 am here to express the Alliance's opposition to the 6 proposed increase in the Shared-Ride Program 7 administered by SEPTA's customized community 8 transportation program. 9 There are good reasons that I am 10 speaking today instead of an adult day care consumer 11 who relies on the SEPTA Shared-Ride system. The 12 seniors who use the Shared-Ride system to get to an 13 adult day center either have Alzheimer's disease, 14 some other type of dementia, Parkinson's disease, or 15 have had a stroke affecting their mobility or their 16 ability to speak. The average age of a day center 17 client is 85, and they frequently have multiple 18 chronic health problems. These seniors spend their 19 day at an adult day center either because they 20 cannot be left home alone or because they are unable 21 to get out for any other type of socialization. 22 The reason that more caregivers aren't here to testify is that the majority of them have to work, which having their family members receive services at an adult day center allows them to do. 27 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 Other family caregivers are also seniors generally doing everything they can to keep their spouse at home. If any of you have had to make the difficult decision of placing a family member in a nursing home, I believe you will understand what these caregivers are going through. This is the segment of the senior population that a 33 percent SEPTA Shared-Ride fare increase will hurt. If these seniors cannot get to their adult day care center because they cannot afford the fare increase, many things will happen: Their quality of life will suffer because they will be isolated in their homes; their health will suffer since they receive medical monitoring, medication management, and other types of health services at their adult day center; they may also used Shared-Ride system to get to their doctors' appointments and the fare increase will affect their ability to pay for these trips as well. In many cases, caregivers have to quit their jobs or struggle to find alternative care for their family members. In terms of a system-wide impact, generally when a senior can no longer be cared for 28 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 in their home, the usual alternative is nursing home placement. In a large percentage of cases, the State will be facing funding expensive nursing home care as opposed to the extremely cost-effective fee at an adult day care center. Consumers have also clearly stated to their elected officials that they want to age in place. We want to do all that is possible to help seniors and their families in the battle to stay where they most want to be: in their homes. On behalf of all of the adult day care clients and caregivers who are unable to be here today, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Alliance of Adult Day Services urges the City's representatives on the SEPTA Board -- Jettie Newkirk and Christian DiCicco -- to vote no on the Shared-Ride fare increase. Thank you for your attention. I can answer any questions that you might have. (Applause.)
Any questions from 29 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 the committee? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here to testify? Please approach the witness table. (Witness comes forward.)
My name is Patricia Fanaro (ph.), and I'm with the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging. I was not prepared to provide formal testimony today but we do have a letter and a copy of our testimony that's being forwarded to your office. I wanted to say a few words here today because PCA has been mentioned in other people's testimony and let you know that we are the area agency on aging for Philadelphia Code. Part of our role is to fund various programs for older people in the county. One of those is transportation, and we 30 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 want to be on record to indicate what a devastating impact this fare increase will have on the older population. I just wanted to quote a couple of numbers from our testimony, and that is that currently PCA sponsors approximately 375,000 rides a year for older people to get to senior centers, to get to adult day care, to get to doctors' appointments, therapies. If this fare increase goes into effect, that means we'll be able to sponsor almost 200,000 less rides per year. And as has been indicated by previous testimony -- and I hope others will testify who are here -- this has a very negative impact on older people's health and welfare. I don't want to spend time giving testimony here because I think it's more important that you hear from the people who are here today who are directly impacted by the service, but I wanted to let you know that someone is here from Philadelphia Corporation for Aging. If you have questions about the service, the funding, I'd be happy to try to answer any of them for you.
Okay, thank you for 31 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 your testimony.
Is there anyone else to testify? Please approach the witness table. (Witness comes forward.)
My name is Frannie Sposaro. Good morning. I'd like to thank Council Wilson Goode, Jr. For this opportunity to explain to City Council and to the citizens of Philadelphia why we need to raise our voices in opposition to the proposed fare hike by SEPTA particularly for the 33 percent increase for Paratransit and Shared-Ride. I'm here today on behalf of my son who is blind. My son is years old. He's a young man 22 who works in a sheltered workshop. His earnings are 23 limited. He is fulfilled by what he does but his main source of income is Supplemental Security Income. Christopher relies on Paratransit to get to 32 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 work and to the doctors and he pays out of his pocket $2.85 for each ride, a total of 5.70 a round trip. Now SEPTA wants to raise his fare charge. They want to charge my blind son $7 a day round trip for him to get to work. Now, Mr. Chairman, you and I know that Christopher's SSI income is not going to go up the same 33 percent that SEPTA is raising the fare. This proposed fare hike by SEPTA is only going to hurt people like Christopher and make their lives a lot more complicated than they already are. Such a drastic price increase will break Christopher's spirit by though yet another obstacle on his road to independence. I believe strongly that City Council has a moral responsibility to look after the welfare of people like Christopher. I am asking you, Mr. Chairman, and the rest of the members of the committee and the entire City Council to instruct the two City of Philadelphia members of the SEPTA Board to reject this unfair and unneeded rate hike on Paratransit and Shared-Ride. Do it for Christopher, the senior citizens, and all others in need of reliable and affordable public transit in 33 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 Philadelphia. Thank you.
Is there anyone else to testify? Please approach the witness table. (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Yes. My name is Adrienne B. Morrison, and I'm President of the Advisory Council which represents the members of Center in the Park. I am here to let all of you know what the impact will be on senior citizens and the disabled if SEPTA decides to close their budget deficit on our backs. Such a move can at best be called amoral and sometimes just plain mean. We are the people who raised you, who taught you, who fought in your wars, who marched for rights, who raised grandchildren, who mentor, and yet, we are to be treated like last week's trash and kicked to the curb. While everything else goes up, 34 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 our income does not. We have made sacrifices, and at this point in our aging, we should not have to continue to make sacrifice. Money can be found for entertainment centers, for a sports stadium, for festivals; why can't money be found for the aged and the disabled. Now, it's very easy when you hear the word "aged" to think of non-productivity. I represent a center where everything there is really vibrant. As a matter of fact, if you want to see what happens when older people have a chance to come to a center like ours, I invite you to come to Moore College of Art Friday night from 5 to 8 and attend a reception which be our kickoff of our arts program -- that is art pottery, special projects. We have shown all over Philadelphia. We are the those old people you want to hold back by not scheduling enough rides and by making it impossible for us to meet our budget and pay for transportation. We're not asking for a favor; we do not feel that being fair to us and being respectful of us and honoring us is a favor. Many societies honor their aged. They recognize us as the keeper of wisdom. Why can't this society and this city do the 35 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 same? We're not asking for a handout; we're asking for an opportunity to live our lives as fully as possible to continue making contributions. We still mentor children, we even go in the schools and teach children arts since this is one of the programs that has been cut out. I implore City Council to please look at what this means to a group of people who have earned the right to live, to remain mentally and as physically alert as possible. And please consider a way to help SEPTA so that they don't have to use us as their financial bank. Thank you.
Good morning. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning. My name is Albert Johnson. I'm a member of Haddington Multiple Services for Older Adult Senior Citizens, located in West Philadelphia. I use Paratransit to transport me from 36 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 home to the center, where I receive a nutritional meal and other services on a daily basis. I am also eligible for rides to the doctor's office and other places for benefits that allow me to maintain my independence. I do not own a vehicle because of my limited income. I can barely make ends meet for my daily living needs. If you continue with these increases for transit rides, it will put a strain on the center's allocations for transportation, and no doubt, it won't be long before me and many other members at the center will feel the strain as well. We cannot afford to pay for these rides. I will not be able to keep doctors' appointments and attend the center, where I get my lunch and other much-needed services, not to mention the socialization and compensation I get at the center. I have volunteer opportunities and get to interact with my peers. In addition, I also speak for the handicapped and physically disabled people who live alone and depend soley on the center for all of their services. Without transportation, they have no access to these services. What are they to do? 37 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 We urge you to reconsider and make no 3 increase in fares but increase in the services. Thank you. We from Haddington Multiple Service Senior Citizens look forward to your favorable consideration on this issue. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Please state your name. REV. WALLINGTON: My name is Reverend Evelyn Wallington from the Greater Germantown Settlement Mature Adult Centers. I live in a senior center complex. I'm the President of the Advisory Council at my center that I go to and I see the concerns of the people there. We have people that are brought to our center and taken home by Paratransit. If they come -- if the fare is risen, they will not be able to come out every day. And a lot of them -- the only hot meal they get is when they come out to the 38 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 center. They're not -- some of them are really and truly not capable of or don't want to fix anything to eat when they get home but they get a good solid meal and it's warm and it's hot. And they have the fellowship. When you're living in a seniors complex, you're by yourself in your apartment. But you go to the center for companionship, you go there for fellowship. And when the fare is risen to the point they can't afford to use it to come to the center, they have to make a choice whether to stay home. Some of 'em go hungry and some of 'em just be by themselves and be lonely and become depressed. And one of the things with older people is they get depressed very easily when they're schedule is changed abruptly. We need Paratransit. It's a life flow for us. With the center, they takes us on trips using Paratransit. And sometimes those are only trips that some of the people go on because it doesn't cost that much by going with the center. We go to the doctor's, we go and we visit people. We need the Paratransit. Do not make us make a choice that we sit in the house and do nothing, when we can 39 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 go out every day. Council, as the former speaker spoke, people in this society throw us away. They don't talk to us; they talk at us. They don't talk to us; they talk down at us. If we go to the doctor's, it's our bodies and our conditions, but they will talk to anybody else but talk to us about what is wrong with us. We need the respect. We have worked hard to get where we're at today. We don't get that much in our Social Security. When we were growing up raising families, the salaries were not what they had today, they had no pension plans. And the only thing we have to depend on is our Social Security checks that come once a month. We budget so that we can do some of the things that is very important, and one of the things is using Paratransit to get us back and forth to our centers, to our doctors and to other important places that we have to go. I thank you for your time and I pray that you will take into consideration the people that are here and give us some justice. Thank you. (Applause.) 40 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597
Thank you for your testimony. Let me make a brief statement. I said that when SEPTA was considering this fare increase across the board, it came before this Council. They did not mention what they were going to do in asking for the public subsidy. We actually did not find out what they were going to do until after we approved our funding to them. It is my understanding that the Mayor and most members, if not all members, of City Council oppose this fare increase. The resolution that you're testifying on behalf of today is related to a comparative analysis of SEPTA and its operating performance measures among the top ten cities in the nation. Our research has shown us that SEPTA to be fairly efficient in terms of service and fairly effective in terms of service but not cost-effective. Our analysis led us to question SEPTA in the April 3rd hearing in terms of why they were not more cost- effective. Mr. Leary, in testimony here, did not have much to say about why they were not cost-effective, and then a few days later, decided 41 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 to, along with the SEPTA Board, raise the fares. It is also our understanding that the original SEPTA fare increase that went to the board was rejected by the board because they said it was not enough. As you know, we do not have as much leverage as we would like to have over the SEPTA Board; it is a regional board where we only have two seats. If we can pursue our veto power on that board for our City representatives, we will do so. We will introduce a resolution on Thursday calling upon our City representatives to do so. (Applause.)
This Council will stand behind you in your interests. I am somewhat upset that more of my committee members aren't here today, but I will be here to listen to you and your comments will be on the record. When members of Action Alliance came to Council more than a month ago, they asked for separate hearings on this matter. There was not enough time but we did have this hearings on Resolution 597, so I decided to invite Action Alliance to testify under that resolution, but we will sponsor a separate resolution related 42 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 specifically to the fare increase this Thursday. So I will be here to listen to the rest of the testimony, but I wanted you all to know as you testify that because this Council hasn't taken action yet, it is not because it does not care; it's because when SEPTA came here asking for our City subsidy, they did not mention the fare increase. When SEPTA came here testifying on these two resolutions on April 3rd, they would not tell us what the increase was going to be. When we discussed with them the issue of cost effectiveness and where they ranked in terms of fares across the nation, at that point, they were not number 2; now they seek to be number 2 when maybe they are the fourth or fifth largest transit agency. We will use whatever leverage we have, we are with you, and I'd like to proceed with the testimony, but I wanted you to know that. (Applause.) (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. Please state your name for the record an proceed with your testimony.
My name is Missouri Grier 43 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 (ph.) and I represent Philadelphia Senior Center, 509 South Broad Street. Now, I have sat up here and I have listened to the stories that are put out, and they are 100 percent true. Everybody 'fore me that has given statements have given facts, but these facts seem to go out the window when we leave the place. All this talk don't mean anything if it don't bring forth some result. And I've been at a lot of SEPTA meetings, but I don't see no results where the seniors are concerned. We are social criminals and we have to pay the cost for that. We have just as much right to enjoy life and the little bit of income that we do have coming in and we try to stretch it, but after all, the rubber runs out so there's no more stretching. And I wish you would let SEPTA know that they too will get old someday. (Applause.)
And the same thing that we're fighting to establish now will benefit them when they get old. Now, we're not cry babies and, 95 percent of us survive on our one own, without any 44 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 help other than what we have worked for. They're not giving us anything; we worked for this, and I think we should reap the benefit without having to go through a whole lot of catastrophe about how they're going to take 33 percent from me and they going to take percent from me. We've lived our 8 life, we shouldn't have this. 9 And to tell you the truth, we should 10 have access to get on that bus or whatever 11 transportation SEPTA provides all 24 hours, not just 12 a few hours this morning and a few hours this -- 13 that don't get us because we're not up at 6 o'clock 14 in the morning to go anywhere, but maybe we going to 15 go somewhere at 7 o'clock or we might want to stay 16 out later than 6:30, and we have to pay the cost to 17 be the boss. And that isn't fair, 'cause, as I 18 'fore say, we pay for this. And we are the reason 19 why the City is where it is. 20 Now, there's only one way to get rid of 21 this and it is to break the monopoly with SEPTA and 22 get other companies in here. 23 (Applause.) 24
Now, it's up to City Council 25 to see that this puts across, but every time this 45 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 subject comes across to City Council, they sweep it under the rug. Why? Because, hey, the money's -- big money going out on the top and to keep us weak people from surviving within it. It's not fair. And I tell whoever leads SEPTA -- I tell 'em the same thing I'm telling you guys. When I speak something I mean every word I say. And if we all -- if the City itself, they use transportation, would get together and fight for it -- no, this group gets theirs and that groups get theirs, it's (indiscernible). There's power in numbers and we need the power. And that's all I got to say. (Applause.) (Witness comes forward.)
My name is Frances Williams. I'm a member of the Center in the Park, Germantown Avenue. I'm also a member of Union 1199 and No. 33. I also volunteer at Fulton School. I'm a member of (indiscernible) Advisory Board. Also 46 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 Senior Environmental Corps. We test the streams to keep them safe for Philadelphia. I am saying all of this to say to a great extent, SEPTA makes my being involved in these volunteer positions possible. Please do not increase the fares. Please do not decrease the free time seniors have on SEPTA. Today's senior citizens grew up in an age when doing your share meant survival. And even though we are retired, we are still doing our share and sometimes more. Most of us are on a limited income. Many of the things we do for the City of Philadelphia as volunteers we could not do if we didn't have SEPTA's help. So we are asking you to please do not decrease our free time nor increase the fare. The added hours enable me to be at my classes or meetings on time. I no longer have to fear missing my last bus. Thank you. Frances Williams. (Applause.) (Witness comes forward.)
Hi, buddy, how you doing. 47 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 My name is James A. Thomas. I'm a member of the Clara Baldwin Center at 27 (indiscernible), okay? I fought in the war; I was there when they bombed Japan. I was there and a lot of my friends died. And I want to know why is it that CCT wants to go up on the senior citizen rates from 2.85 to 3.25 one way. I believe that all seniors should stick together in this matter to what they have worked hard in past years to earn. They pay $50 a month to Medicare to hear a doctor tell them they need a referral to see a surgeon for a damn X-ray -- excuse me. That takes three days; a person can die in three days. Do you understand what I'm saying? I have five doctors. My doctors are Navy doctors they tell me this: When you're sick, we'll take care of you right away because you earned it by being a member of the United States Navy. These other people, they didn't have that chance, some of 'em didn't go in the service, but they still deserve the same damn rights as everybody else. You understand me? They deserve it. (Applause.)
I'm 79 years old. I don't 48 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 regret a day, I don't regret a day I spent in the service for the United States government, but I do regret this: When you take advantage of these old people that have earned the right to be old, they have lived, God spared them, why don't you spare 'em? Let 'em ride free. They don't owe you nothing; you owe them. (Applause.)
Now, you talk about this Pennsylvania lottery, makes all of this money, okay? Where is all of this money when the senior citizens need it and you say it's for the senior citizens? Where is the money at? (Applause.)
The man down the street from me won $50 million. He got his money. Where is ours? You paid him, didn't you, but where's ours? Did it go back into your kitty? All seniors cannot pay the CCT raise because some of them only get Social Security of 348 a month. Now, let me tell you something, have you ever had heard of a notch baby? I'm one of 'em, I'm one of 'em. I went in the service in 1940, came out in 1957, and Social Security gives me $348 a month. 49 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 Can I live on it? Hell, no. But I tell you something, we saved Social Security in 1939 and 1940; when they needed the money, they took it from us to pay you, then they won't give it back to us. They tell us in Washington -- (Applause.)
They tell us in Washington they're going to give a us lump sum of $5,000 to make us feel good, but how you going to get it? So much a month. It's still not getting the money back they owe you and they never pay you off, just like they're dipping into Social Security in Washington to pay all of the debts. Now Bush is going to take all of the money for tax returns and all of the rich -- well, anyway, all the rich people going to get it. We on the bottom of the pile, don't get nothing. We pay taxes too. By the time it gets down to us, if you get $3, you're lucky. That money that I get from Social Security is just enough to live on and buy food. There are people that have saved Social Security back in the 1930s and '40s who need help to stay together. Now when they are too old to work, everything goes up, up, up out of 50 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 reach. This government owes the seniors. When the hell you going to pay 'em off? Thank you. (Applause.) (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. My name is Peggy Butler, and I'm with the Mercy Douglas Senior Center. I have been retired two years this month. When I came out, I looked for a center to go to, and that's where I went. And when I looked around -- I'm not old enough to ride on Paratransit yet, but when I look around our center and see the ones that are old enough to ride and they come in there every day, sometimes some of them be in there at 8:30 in the morning till after lunch or whatever time they choose to go home, and Paratransit brings 'em, sometime they're late bringing 'em, sometime they don't have the proper lift to lift the people up on. And I think they need to improve the service greatly, and why they want to go up on the fare -- (Applause.)
Because sometime they don't 51 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 give you the service. I have a mother that's 82 years old and I know what she go through because since I've stopped working, I go up there and help her. And the time don't mean nothing to 'em. Sometime they'll come get you, they're a hour late, or sometime they come earlier and we haven't finished doing what we doing. And the center means a lot to some of them people there. Me, I'm fortunate I have a family; some of them don't even have a family. Some come in their in the morning and it's just good for 'em to be there. And I hope that Paratransit don't go up on the fare 'cause one day I'm going to need 'em, and it won't be long. Thank you. (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. My name is Geraldine Redman, a member of the Germantown Settlement Mature Adult Center, also a member of (indiscernible) Adult Center and also an employee of the Mayor's Commission on Services to the Aging. I looked forward to the day when I didn't have to pay a fare because then I would have 52 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 more of my income for myself. But after I arrived at this point where I didn't have to pay a fare, I feel like they're doing me a favor. When you get on the bus, they won't look at you; it's like, oh, here's another freebie. So I'm thinking that perhaps we, the senior riders of Paratransit, cannot afford an increase in fare at this time. However, I can't speak for all of us, but I believe we would more readily accept paying on a regular transit such as it was before, when we paid a reduced fare. It would offset the need to increase the Paratransit riders. We thoroughly appreciate free rides all day on Saturdays and Sundays. I'm sure that's an added expense for SEPTA. Perhaps age factor may come into play where 65 to 70 pay a reduced and 70 and above ride free. Respectfully submitted, Geraldine Redman.
Good morning Councilmembers. 53 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597
My name is Earl Washington, and I'm from the Senior Citizens at Broad, No. 509. And I sympathize with these people because I'm an ex-serviceman too. Number one, I sympathize with 'em for standing for the rights as being a senior citizen. If it wasn't for the senior citizen, a lot of these programs wouldn't be existing, number one. Monopolizing, which is SEPTA and this City should have more than one transportation, see, because they're monopolize on the system, which you all know. If I'm number one, I call the shots, if you agree with me or you disagree with me. And that's what happened with SEPTA. Number two, as far as being courtesy [sic], there is not too much courtesy with SEPTA. On some of the buses, I can tell you, if that driver close that door and you can be waving your hands, you can be standing there, they're not going to stop and open that door for you, as being a senior. Number two, they have the, kneeling buses. Now, I heard this, that you have to ask them 54 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 to lower that -- (Applause.)
Now, how can a person with two crutches or even one crutch or a limp leg have to beg and ask you, Will you please lower your bus down? That shouldn't be. It should be automatically. And they don't do it. Now, there are some that's courtesy [sic]. There's some drivers that are very courtesy. You don't have to ask them for things like that and they automatically does that. So I'm saying, why would they want to hike the fare up, why would they want to hike the fare up when all we, as being a senior citizen, have paid our dues from Day One, whenever it was appropriated for us to put the funds into the system. Now, speaking about the lottery, okay, if the lottery is that much popular today in this city here and they're paying for the senior citizen, why are we being treated the way we are when it comes down to the different transportation? (Applause.)
Why are we being 55 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 treated that way if they're paying into the system? Shared-Ride, like you say, you name the difference ones on the bus, different organizations, why are we being treated that way when we paid our dues? And I have some people to say that we're riding free -- we're not riding free. If it wasn't for us to be a senior citizen and to pay into the system from the age -- from the count of number of age, there wouldn't be that system. So why can't they incorporate us? (Applause.)
I sympathize not only with the ones here, I sympathize with the ones that can't get here, and maybe the reason why they can't get here is because they don't have the transportation to get here and they have to pay out of their pocket. And I sympathize with 'em not, and only I sympathize with the senior citizens here, I sympathize with the children too when they want to up the fare for the simple reason you got some children in a family, in one family that has two and three children going to school and to up the fare and there ain't but one parent in that family. 56 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 (Applause.)
So why the hike? Why would the hike be? And I stand firm on what I'm saying, and I'm not having no paper that I printed out. It's in my calculation mind, what God gave to me, and I stand firm on what they're saying. Why the hike? (Applause.)
And in this country, it is told that we are paying the highest fare right now. Right now, you don't have to go no further. So why is it? When it comes down for us to get a raise, we on the bottom rung. (Indiscernible.) And that's in this country, they on the top rung, they can they getting plenty, if you want to use it that way. So I sympathize with 'em and I take my hat off to them, and I don't wear no hat, so that's what I'm concerned about, I'm concerned about it. (Applause.)
And SEPTA has got to stop. There's always a beginning and a ending. And I think this is going a little too far. (Applause.) (Witness comes forward.) 57 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597
Good morning. My name is Grace Trader. I'm a senior, I'm a part-time working senior. I work for Seniors that Work. I formerly worked at Germantown Settlement and I saw a lot of problems with the CCT. They had quite a few members they had to drop from the center because of the drivers that didn't have directions of where to go and pick them up at. And some of the seniors had to miss various days because they weren't picked up. There was some seniors that didn't have time to have their breakfast at home because the driver was too early, and many of the seniors had to stay there past the time because the drivers were late. And some of the drivers on CCT were a little rude 'cause I experienced it by helping some of the seniors get on and off the bus. I now work part-time at St. Rita's and they started using service but some of them sometime probably can't get in because of the fact that the drivers are late or whatever. And these centers do great jobs for these senior citizens and these centers are needed 'cause, like I said, I worked at Germantown Settlement but now at St. Rita's. 58 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 Also in the line of SEPTA itself, the services are the poorest I've ever seen. (Applause.)
I've been in California more than one time and you can get on the phone and find out what time the bus is going to be at that particular stop and when you get to that stop, trust me, the bus is there. And they can just about detect whether you're a visitor or not. Very courteous, they ask you where you going, where want to go, they tell you what bus to take, what time the bus coming back, they give you a pass. The first year I went to California, I rode around for 85 cents, which will never happen here, but by the same token, like I said, I'm a senior citizen and I remember back to the days when you get on the bus it was cents, 30 cents and go 19 where you wanted to go. Now it cost you almost 20 $5 to come to Center City and go home. 21 (Applause.) 22
So a lot of times I'll 23 walk. I mean, I have a free pass, it's true, but a 24 lot of times I'll walk because I have stood up and 25 waited for a bus from 15 minutes to a half an hour. 59 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 And in the wintertime, you stand in the cold and you freeze. In the summertime, you stand in the heat and you burn up. And there's buses that -- I usually travel from Broad and Olney, 55, 22, 6, or whatever. Now, the 6 bus will pull in, load the people, and go out. The el bus will sit there 15 minutes, 20 minutes, and the driver's eating, drinking their drink, talking to a customer, and it's about 100 people there. And you got Girls High School, Central High School, LaSalle College, kids coming from all kinds of schools, and you get there about 3 o'clock, there's no bus or there might be two or three over on the side and there's no drivers. And (indiscernible) and these young people today do not respect senior citizens or the elders. And when try to get on the bus, they practically knock you down. And it's the poorest service I've seen in I don't know how many years. And I'm so glad to see the amount of people that turned out here because SEPTA needs somebody to fight 'em and it needs somebody to fight 'em hard like because like I said, you freeze in the wintertime and you burn up in the summertime. 60 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 (Applause.)
Saturday and Sunday, somebody says, Why don't you go so-and-so and so-and-so? No, I'm not going to wait a half an hour for each bus to have to take. The K bus runs one bus every half an hour. The 18, (indiscernible) bus every half an hour. Saturday and Sunday, people move around on Saturday and Sunday as well as they do during the week, but from the way SEPTA look at it, they're out there for the working people and the school kids; they're not out there for people that travel on Saturday and Sunday. Many senior citizens take SEPTA going to and from their churches. Just thank God I'm lucky enough that I get a ride to my church but I usually have to take SEPTA home. But in all fairness, SEPTA is about the most undependable transportation system I've ever seen in my life. (Applause.)
New York has four or five subway lines and any amount of buses take you anywhere you want to go. SEPTA have one bus to bring you to Center City. Wait for the C Bus, how 61 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 long you have to wait? A bus come quarter after 1 and you don't get it in there until (indiscernible), okay? Sometimes a 18 bus goes around (indiscernible) Avenue and you right there a couple blocks from Rising Sun. You miss one 18, in 15, 20 minutes, I don't think there's a SEPTA bus out there that runs anywhere from every five to ten minutes, because if it is one, I would like to see it, 'cause up to now, I haven't seen one yet. Like I said, I live up in West Oak Lane. For me to get to St. Rita's at Broad and (indiscernible), it takes me every bit of 45 minutes, which should be no more than at least a half an hour. So if I have to be at work at St. Rita's at 8 o'clock, I have to leave my house at quarter after 7, which means I got to up at about 6 o'clock in the morning to get ready to go to work in South Philly. So in all fairness, there is no fairness with SEPTA. SEPTA is full of crap. (Applause.)
They need to take a good laxative to get it all out their system 'cause the system they run stinks. 62 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 Thank you. (Applause.)
I'm small so I have to stand. I have to make myself heard. Anyway, when --
Anyway, when they ring up each person that they're going to get paid for, they don't stay with one lane, they cheat, they ring it two, three times with nobody else getting on that bus. So they're getting topped off without a passenger. Another thing, when you get off that bus -- I have short legs and I shrunk three inches, so I -- and he doesn't lower that thing. You have to 63 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 keep asking and asking and asking. I have to actually jump off that bus to reach the ground. So they just -- they just love to hear you tell 'em -- ask them. We ask nicely to please lower. Anyway, I'm 83 years old. I rode -- at my last job, I worked years, three buses to work, 8 three buses back home. So I think I earned a free 9 ride. 10 (Applause.) 11
I retired in 1981 12 from Keebler's Baking Company. I was making it on 13 my own income with careful shopping. Now our money 14 is like a rubber band. You can't stretch it too 15 far; pretty soon it will break. 16 (Applause.) 17
And we will be out 18 on the street with no income of our -- any of our 19 money left. Anyway, our money is not keeping up 20 with the years. We all are wearing outmoded clothes 21 to save money. Prices are going up, but our income 22 is the same. 23 (Applause.) 24
We go to the dollar 25 stores. Thank God they're pretty decent. I made a 64 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 garden with all kinds of vegetables so to help me with my problems. My windows need caulking and they said they could not help me 'cause I'm just a little bit over my limit. That's the story of my life. I'm always over my limit. (Applause.)
The gas bill put me in the hole. The lottery is almost paying 100 percent for us, 97 percent they're paying, so why are they asking for 33? They're only short 3 percent. (Applause.)
What do they want the 33 percent for, to pocket it? We worked for our benefits but we have to share it with the whole world. The world is laughing at us Americans for letting these things happen to us. Thank you very much. (Applause.) (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. My name is Helen Davidson, and I'm here representing the seniors from Germantown Settlement Mature Adult Center, not only them seniors but all seniors all 65 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 over Pennsylvania. We as senior citizens have worked all of our lives -- 30, 40, 50 years. A lot of us have been injured, a lot of us have become handicapped, working, standing on corners, waiting for SEPTA. It is a hard thing to think that you have to ride Paratransit and they're going to go up 33 percent. We hardly get 33 percent in our income that we get when we retired. A lot of us here don't even get a pension; I am one that don't get a pension. I'm 74 years old and I worked at a place where I was unable to get a pension 'cause I went out on disability. When the contract ran out, I was ineligible for a pension. So, therefore, I'm saying, Paratransit is going up higher and higher and higher. We have handicaps there at the Settlement. Some get more than just the Paratransit ride. They get-- some of them don't even get their first -- that's their first meal that they get, the very first meal that they get. The Paratransit is late. The Paratransit, some of the buses are not fit to ride in. Paratransit -- I have a aunt 91 years 66 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 old who was taken to Pennsylvania Hospital at 8:30 and she waited at the hospital called till 4 minutes to 8 that night and had just had a heart 5 transplant. 6 Now, it's ridiculous for all of these 7 seniors sitting here for a cause for the fare to go 8 up. And some of the bus drivers are nasty and some 9 of 'em refuse to lower the steps. 10 (Applause.) 11
I think they want to 12 terminate us, but we're going to stand and stand and 13 stand together to fight for our rights. 14 (Applause.) 15
First of all, SEPTA would 16 not have been here if it wasn't for your parents, 17 your grandparents, and your great- great- great- 18 grandparents. 19 (Applause.) 20
I remember when you only paid cents to ride SEPTA, when you got two tickets for cents, and every time you turn around, it's going up, going up, going up, and we're unable to pay, but we're not going up, we're going down. (Applause.) 67 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597
We're being treated unfair. With all things that are here for the seniors, we don't get, we're being decreased by -- they're killing us because we don't have the money. You'd be surprised at some of the people that don't get their blood tests taken unless they can come there on Paratransit to get it taken. Some of them don't even have their first meal until they get there. So we're asking you, we are begging you to please, please, please do not raise this Paratransit.
Good morning. I am a member of JCC Stifle Center. My name is Harriet Piazza and I am prepared to speak. I am here today to speak on behalf of myself and many of my friends at the Stifle Center in South Philly who use Paratransit. I broke my hip and I can't walk well. If I don't have Paratransit available, I wouldn't be able to come to Stifle Senior Center. I have no one 68 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 to bring me. My sister and I both come to the center every day. Life would be awfully boring if I had to stay home. All I can do is watch TV. When I come to the center, I have to serve lunch, I call bingo, I am on the advisory council, and I go to arts and crafts and our club meetings. Most importantly, I am with my friends. The Stifle Center gets money from PCA to pay for the Paratransit rides that bring my friends and myself to the center. I wouldn't pay the full cost because I am on a fixed income. If the fares were raised by 33 percent, not all of us could be able to come to the center every day. That would be very sad. For my friends and myself, I urge you to vote against the increase in the cost of Paratransit. (Applause.)
Thank you for listening. (Applause.) (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. My name is Tamara Moreland, and I'm the Executive Director of 69 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 the Philadelphia Senior Center, and I'll keep my comments very brief 'cause I think it's much more important that you hear from these men and women than from me. But you have heard about the fact that we serve meals and it may be the only nutritious meal that these folks might get in a day. You've heard about how senior centers combat isolation and provide socialization. But there's another important aspect here. I think this is an issue of access to health care. The Shared-Ride not only provides rides to physicians' appointments, etc., but many of the senior centers provide many health-care components. We provide podiatry, we provide nutritional counseling, we provide exercise programs, support groups, we help coordinate physicians' visits, some of us even have physicians and nurses onsite. So I think it's just a really important factor in this that you need to remember that this is also a health-care issue for senior citizens. Thank you very much for your support. (Applause.) (Witness comes forward.) 70 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597
My name is Sylvester Hopewell, Sr. I'm a member of the Germantown Settlement. And I'm here this morning to let you know that we seniors, we're just about making it and we can't afford no 33 percent increase that SEPTA wants to make unless -- there's also between us, we are all having a time with transportation coming (indiscernible). Now, we would like for the members of City Council to let them know that -- where we're coming from that this 33 percent increase we definitely can't have it and we will not stand for it. (Applause.)
Please, I also want to say that we also vote for City Council, and we want them to let them know that this SEPTA wants to borrow $50 million from the City and we want the City Council to vote no because it's not fair no way you look at it. Plus there's a whole lot of us senior citizens, through the center, it's the only meal we get during the day, plus there is no way in the 71 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 world that we could stand it, the increase, I don't care how you look at it. Please, I want you to take into consideration that we definitely need more consideration for our senior citizens coming and going. I want to thank you.
Good morning. My name is Gregory Brown. I am a social worker at the Earl Gray Roberts Junior Adult Day Care Center. Our day care center provides therapeutic recreational services to senior citizens suffering from a variety of mental and physical disabilities. Without the services available at the day care center, our seniors would have to be placed in a nursing home, or their caregivers would be forced to quit their jobs to take care of their family members at home. Caregivers need the services of the day care center to provide respite from the stress that occurs when you're responsible for a disabled loved one. I am here today in response to the 72 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 proposed 33 percent increase in SEPTA fares. I believe that this proposed fare increase will have a detrimental effect on the ability of our day care center to provide services to clients. At present, there are 27 persons enrolled in the day care center. Of those 27 persons, utilize Paratransit to travel to and 9 from the day care center. Only 2 of the 26 seniors 10 who ride Paratransit do not receive funding from the 11 Philadelphia Corporation for Aging. The two clients 12 who do not receive funding from the Philadelphia 13 Corporation for Aging pay for rides out of their own 14 pocket. 15 The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging 16 is the area agency on aging in Philadelphia County. 17 The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging provides 18 funding to eligible seniors for transportation 19 services. Should SEPTA be permitted to increase 20 fares, more money will have to be allocated for 21 transportation, leaving less money available for 22 other needed services such as day care. As a result 23 of this increase in fares, clients who presently 24 attend the day care center five days per week, for 25 example, may only be eligible to attend the center 73 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 three days per week. 48 per day for the cost of day care services. What this means is that seniors will no 7 longer have access to the day care center, caregivers will be forced to quit their jobs to stay home with their father, mother, sister or friend to adequately provide for the needs. Caregivers will have to seek alternative support systems to care for their family members. Senior citizens will experience a disruption in their activity of daily living. Without Paratransit services, an adult day care center see a decrease in the number of persons utilizing the services of our facility. When senior citizens attend the day care center, they are provided a continental breakfast of coffee, milk and Danish, they engage in activities that include current events, exercise, arts and crafts, lunch, group discussions, and games. Clients have opportunities for socialization experiences and peer interaction activities. We encourage our clients to work to improve their ability to express themselves and grow in the area 74 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 of mental, physical, and spiritual development. Without the socialization opportunities available at the day care center, if not placed in a nursing home, senior citizens will stay at home and be denied access to the structured environment of the day care center. Their daily routine will consist of staring out the window and a watching television throughout day. No one will be there to listen to their stories of what it was like to grow up in the South. They cannot paint interesting pictures and listen to music that reminds them of the spontaneity of their youth. On behalf of the staff of the Earl Gray Roberts Junior Adult Day Care Center, I appeal to you, members of City Council, to say no to this proposed fare increase. I know SEPTA will talk about the increase in the cost of providing transportation services as a basis for why this increase is needed, but I suggest that the needs of seniors in this community must also be a consideration.
Do not allow this fare increase to become a reality, because as a result, the most vulnerable members of our society will suffer the 75 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 effects. Follow your conscious, do what is right. Give our elders the freedom to continue to become the creative individuals that they want to be. Thank you. )
If I may, I have a statement by a caregiver written by a caregiver of our day care center. His name is Bernard Levine. "I am a caregiver. I am responsible for the care of my disabled mother. My mother is 96 years of age. She suffers from dementia, hypertension, depression, and hearing impairment. "My mother attends the Earl Gray Roberts Junior Adult Day Care Center five days per week. She has been enrolled in the day care program since December 1997. My mother uses Paratransit to transport herself to and from the day care center every day. The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging provides funding for my mother to attend the day care center, including transportation. My mother needs the day care center because it keeps her connected to the outside world. "If SEPTA increases the cost of transportation, there may not be enough money in the 76 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 budget to permit my mother to attend the center at the same rate she does now. I believe that if my mother is unable to get out of the house during the day, she will be confined to just four walls and her physical and mental health with deteriorate. She needs access to other people so that she can continue to feel good about herself. My mother likes attending the day care center. If the cost of transportation increases, her access to the day care center will decrease. "I am asking the members of City Council to reject this proposed fare increase. A fare increase will not only be detrimental to my mother but also to the many other thousands of seniors who use Paratransit." Thank you. (Applause.) (Witness comes forward.)
My name is Barbara Abdullah Jihad (ph.), and I live in Elmer Arms, on 6733 Elmer Street. And I travel every day with SEPTA and I 77 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 see when I'm going that's traveling, I see how SEPTA treats the elderlies [sic] because some of elderlies get on the buses and some elderlies don't have the money. There's a certain time that they got to pay a certain fare on the bus, and they don't have it in the morning when they want to get on the bus to go to they destination and they cannot go to they destination. So I have to give them the money because the bus driver won't let 'em on, and it's not right. I mean, we have to have some kind of human heart, compassion for ourself and humanity and we don't. All we worry about is money. And 33 percent, it's wrong. SEPTA -- the elderly shouldn't pay nothing else because they done paid the way for us, then they struggled hard in this life for us, so why they got to keep paying and paying and paying and paying. It's not right. And I'm going to take a stand with them because it's not right 'cause they our mothers and fathers. They need all the respect and reference from the womb bore you, for God always watches over us. So, I mean, we have to (indiscernible) them. They our grandmothers, they our grandfathers. 78 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 So I'm saying I traveled all my life to Atlantic City back and forth on SEPTA, which one night, I came home and I fell down the el steps because I travel, I had a nighttime job, and that was to 8. And every time I came home, it was 7 dangerous at them times, the nights coming in. 8 And I'm just saying SEPTA is not fair. 9 Because even in the cold, I see the elderly standing 10 out there cold and they won't even open the door for 11 'em just to get on the bus and sit down just to be 12 warm. And it ain't right that SEPTA do all us like that because I don't know, I might not even make it to be the age they are, but I am still a young senior and still we need the respect for everybody in this city because it's not right. (Applause.)
And the 33 percent, they don't even pay nothing. I mean ya'll need to just -- the price, no more. They pay enough already. I got a Medicare card, and I can't even get on the bus. They say I'm too young to get on the bus, which I have a ailment, but still, they don't even want me on the bus. I have to get off that bus and get on another bus. And that's not right, sir, 79 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 because, I mean, we got to treat each other right. I mean, we want to uphold this community and this society and this society, the elderlies. Without us, without the elderlies, we're not going to make it. (Applause.)
So what I'm saying is, 33 percent -- please, we don't need no 33 percent no 10 more. They can't pay it, I can't even pay it, and I'm struggling every day trying to make it with the little money that I have to try to get on the bus every day, sir. So I'm just saying that we got to respect everybody, all our elderlies, because they done paid their way already. I mean, God, they don't need to pay no more. (Applause.)
Let me say for the record again briefly that this was up to a vote in Council and Council would not approve this fare increase. I think that Council will get a chance to take its first on Thursday opposing this fare increase. That resolution will be introduced, but this is the first chance we will get to take action after SEPTA announced its fare increase. 80 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 So while I understand the spirit of your comments, this is really not a Council decision other than what action we will take on Thursday to oppose this fare increase and to ask the City representatives on the SEPTA Board to do so also. And beyond that, we will continue to work with Miss Wiggins and Mr. Rodriguez to whatever action you want to take along with us. And thank you and good morning.
My name Mildred Powell and I want to speak about things that are happening as far as SEPTA's concerned.
Could you please have a seat so you can speak into the mike. Please pull the mike closer to you.
I think that when we think about SEPTA raising the fares for school children, we don't realize that there are so many school children who have parents that are not working. How are they going to get money to go to school if SEPTA raised the fare? They're paying more now than they can afford to pay, and I think it would be a very bad thing to happen if they did raise the fare more. That's one of the things I wanted to speak about. 81 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 And another thing I wanted to speak about was in the case of my husband, he's disabled, handicapped, and he can't walk. He was paralyzed, he doesn't have no legs, and he can't get around. And now SEPTA has stopped taking them out to doctors or wherever they need to go, they don't take them out anymore. If the person has more than two steps to walk down to get out of their house, SEPTA will not take them. They have to get to the doctor the best way that they can, and in many cases, they don't get there at all. And I think SEPTA should do better than they're doing with all of the people. And the children who go to school really need SEPTA bad and their parents need SEPTA in order to send them to school. And I think those were the two main things I wanted to speak about. So that's all.
Thank you for your testimony. (Applause.) (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. My name is 82 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 Robert Becker. Now, they want to shut our place down and I ain't got no place to go. (Indiscernible) waiting an waiting. What are we supposed to do about this. There's no way getting there. And I live at Mt. Airy, 6926 (indiscernible) Street. What we supposed to do then? Where am I going to go if they shut our place down. What are we supposed to do about this? If they shut my place down, where am I supposed to go if they shut our place down, Germantown Settlement? Where am I going to go, live in the street? Oh, no. It doesn't work in my books. In my books, they keep everything wide open. And why are they putting people back to work (indiscernible) done in the right way? You don't get any respect like it should be. Thank you, sir.
I came this morning to give the committee of SEPTA hell. 83 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 (Applause.)
How dare they come up with this inhuman figure of 33 percent increase. I -- we cannot afford it. We do not ride SEPTA to party, we do not just ride SEPTA to enjoy ourselves. It is our way of life, we need it for transportation, we need it for the sick. (Applause.)
We are assembled here and look around, you will see by our faces that we contributed many, many years of living in Philadelphia and supporting Philadelphia, and now it's payback time. It's time for them to do something for us. (Applause.)
We're not asking for charity; we want what belongs to us. And what really makes me a little -- I'll say something maybe a little unladylike, but anyway, what really makes me pissed off is this: They worry about the horses, they make sure that the horses are covered. They worry about the dogs, but they don't worry about us. We have to -- (Applause.) 84 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597
In the bad weather, we have to trample in the snow and it's cold and it's wet. We cannot afford it. My husband was taken in an emergency to the hospital. It will cost me $50 up and back. Who in the hell could afford that? We can't. So we're not asking for charity; we want what rightfully belongs to us. Let us live, let us enjoy our life. And that's all we ask. And don't push us to the limit and don't take away our pursuit of happiness. Thank you. (Applause.) (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. My name is Carlos Jones and I'm from West Philadelphia Community Center. I'm the senior program coordinator for the seniors program at West Philadelphia Community, Center the Crime Prevention Association. First I'd like to read our statement. Our senior center would lose 33 percent of our current consumer rides, which means a drastic decrease in our daily membership participation. The senior center here is here to serve members. 85 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 However, if they cannot get to us, how are we to provide them with a service that they so desperately need? What good is it for a senior center to exist if it's unattainable to the population that it serves? Members here at West Philadelphia Community Senior Center attend because of their need of social activities, fitness, educational classes, and meals. The plan increase would limit their ability to receive these needed services. It would force our seniors to stay at home in locked residences and many without nutritious meals. What about riding the SEPTA bus? you might ask. Well, unfortunately, the steps that you board on the bus are too high. The handicapped- accessible buses are unoperable. The buses are too crowded and the waiting time between buses is entirely too long for the elderly to wait. Bus stops are not senior-friendly because there are no 21 benches or coverings to accommodate them. Now, let's just break it down here. You all want to bring up a 33 hike on the seniors. I don't even see where you deserve it. (Applause.) 86 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597
Nasty drivers, late all the time, pickup and drop-off always late. You have to understand -- they should understand also we all have mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers. And what about you? I'm 34 years old, but guess what, I have a mother who's going to soon be a senior. If I worked for SEPTA, I wouldn't even have that thought in my mind. Let's try to get this thing together for the seniors. They do not deserve it. Thank you very much. (Applause.) (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. My name is Genevieve Wilson and I'm a caretaker for my father. He attends the adult day care center at Earl Gray Adult Day Care at Belmont Avenue and Girard. I don't feel like the SEPTA fare need to be increased because if it's increased, that means that he would not be able to go to the center as many days as he does now, which means I would have the liberty to do what I have to. When he's at the center, he gets taken care of, they have activities for him to do, and it helps him to live a little 87 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 longer. My father's 84 years old, and when he stays at home, he has nothing to do. He can't get around, he's disabled. And I agree with the other speakers that I don't really see where they need a increase because they're never on time. And if they do get there on time, they don't bring him home on time and I have to keep calling, trying to see where he's at, taking him to the wrong address. And I just feel like the rate of increase is unfair at this present time. (Applause.)
Thank you. Is there anyone else to testify? Please approach the witness table. (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. My name is Yvonne Downey. I'm representing Haddington Multi Services for Older Adults Incorporated. We're in West Philadelphia. Geneva A. Black is our executive director and I am her assistant. We are very outspoken, we are very militant at our center. We are not going to sit around with our hands folded and just let SEPTA 88 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 increase their rates 33 percent. (Applause.)
We're from the era of Rosa Parks, we're from the era of sit-ins, we never get too old to speak out. Now, for a lot of these seniors, they are tired; they just need to sit down. But for those of us that are younger, the social workers, their voices, we can start some trouble in Philadelphia, we can start something up in here, as they say, okay? And all our seniors have to do is just show up and those that can walk can just walk. Just like we tied up traffic around City Hall a few minutes ago, we can do it for a few days. It's just an outing for us. (Applause.)
So as you were so kind to say that City Council will probably be against this rate increase, I would strongly suggest that those Councilpeople that these seniors voted for keep that in mind. Election time will come back around again soon. (Applause.)
And like I said, we're just 89 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 tired. We're not quitting, and those of us that speak up for the seniors are going to do just that. And we're going to do it very loudly, I might add. (Applause.)
Thank you and have a nice day. (Applause.) (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. My name is Norma Edwards. I'm from the Haddington Center. (Applause.)
I'm a volunteer at the Haddington Center and I am the president of the advisory council. Now, I was born here in Philadelphia, in the best part of Philadelphia -- North Philly -- and we don't play. (Applause.)
And there was a time when I was here, when I was born and you only had to pay 7 cents to get on PTC. It wasn't SEPTA. Then it was raised to 15 cents and you got a pass and you went out the front door, not the back door. 90 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 But now I'm tired. You want to retire, you want to go someplace, you want to enjoy yourself. I was working 35 years on one job. I'm retired now. I don't want to go out and work no 6 more and to have to go out and pay a high fare. It's disgusting, it really is. And everybody -- we have a problem, not everybody, some people get around real good, and I'm one of them that can try to get around good. But other people, you have to look out for other people. It's hard. Why don't you come to our center and take a ride with me one day to some of these people's houses and see how they be treated. Be for real with 'em, be for real. We only human beings, we not cattle. We human beings, just like everybody else. And we intend to be treated like human beings. (Applause.)
And the fare shouldn't go up no more. We're not cattle. So please take it into consideration. You might get 75, 85. God bless you. But you want to be treated right. Thank you. 91 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 (Applause.) (Witness comes forward.)
My name is Ron Ross, and I'm the Program Coordinator of the Southwest Center. I'm here to let you know the gravity of the situation. On our way down here, courtesy of Paratransit, our senior numbers were mixed up. Therefore, some of the seniors were not able to board. That's one of the existing problems and main problems as program coordinator that I've found since taking the position. Many of my programs are not able to run because of the ineptness of the people who handle the programming on the other end. Therefore, our programs, such as coming down here -- we would have been down here an hour before the time. We got down here late. As usual, I've been given excuses numerous times as to why our programs are not being attended. SEPTA, in fact, has not provided us with the transportation that we need in a timely manner. 92 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 Therefore, the seniors are inconvenienced. Many times they are not picked up, as you've already heard. Their voices are not heard. I hear many times of the discourtesy that the drivers extend to them. We've had problems with some of our drivers, in fact, coming here and delivering people. And where does the 33 percent go? As a rider SEPTA myself, I've seen since I've been on public transportation as a native Philadelphian cuts. To ask for increases, what we really need to know and what we want to know is, where do they go, where does the money go, how do they justify it, and why are these people being inconvenienced? It's not fair to them. They have no way to go and no other way of getting there. If the drivers are not on time, they never meet their destinations and we constantly have to cancel and we have no programs. We can't get them there. Therefore, we're not funded. That's our main problem. We can't lose them. At this point in time, we really ask you to take under consideration what it is they're suggesting and put a stop to it. Thank you. 93 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597
My name is James Jordan, Sr. I am a member, a vice president, for Action Alliance for Senior Citizens organization, which you are all well familiar with, for 28 years. I'm also the committee person for the 4th Ward and the 8th Division. Being a member of the 4th Ward, 8th Division, I am down in the trenches where I know everybody on my street lives. It's close to 900 people that I see daily. Those people come to me for advice when the time comes for election, and election time is not far away, but I also when I became out on disability some years ago, I attended Haddington Multi Services -- (Applause.)
-- where I found a home away from home. I was there daily and enjoyed myself. I would have been lost without them. I would have been lost, but in going there, I'm keeping myself active. Many people say,"I don't believe you're a senior citizen" when I first did get my card to ride for free. They didn't want to 94 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 say that I was, and I had been on disability then over a year before I was able to use my red and white card. Now, I went through the war and came out a disabled veteran and drew my pension check on the last day of July, 1945. And let me tell you one thing, it was a small pension, but every little bit helps. Then when I became of age and came out on disability and got the little increases in my money from Social Security, I want you to know everybody needs two checks or more to make ends meet. There are many sacrifices I have to make in order to make ends meet, but I don't regret a single day for the good things that I have done. But as I pass along this way, I notice, at 77 years of age, I look at the people in my club and organization, 85, 90, and they're still moving along. And I feel blessed as I go about through the nursing homes and see people much younger than I. And I say thank God, he's a good God. Every day now is a good day, every day is a good day. You may have two loaves of bread under each arm and you cry, but the thing about it is this: You have reasons to cry when you have been 95 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 misused, your intelligence has been insulted by people that you have put in the positions they are in. (Applause.)
In the State of Pennsylvania and Florida, there are more senior citizens than in any other states in the union. On those bad days in November, cold, many of 'em, I had workers out trying to get votes, people to come to the polls. Who comes? The first people there when I opened the door in the morning standing in line were the senior citizens. (Applause.)
And let me tell you one thing, one day what goes around will come around. (Applause.)
I want you to believe that. And it's written in stone, it is written in stone. So don't forget. It's me today, and it may be you tomorrow.
Good morning. 96 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597
Good morning, Mr. Goode, Councilman and the representative from SEPTA. Good morning to everyone. My name is Arlene Sadler. I live in the 2500 block of North Myrtlewood Street. I'm a committee person and I've been around there since 1955. And I am speaking for myself and for other senior citizens that live in my neighborhood that are unable to get out. And the Paratransit come and pick the people up, take 'em to the doctor, they don't go back and get 'em. And I experienced that myself with the Paratransit in 1996. I am a former employee of SEPTA. I drove a bus out of the 29 Allegheny depot for nine and a half years. I met an unfortunate accident. In '96, I had to have a hip replacement, and due to that hip replacement, I had to go to the clinic. Paratransit came to pick me up, they were late. When they got me to the doctor, the doctor was gone. They left me, they never came back for me. I had to get a cab to get home. Then they came back another day to take me to the doctor. They came early and I wasn't ready and they never came back. 97 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 So I never bothered Paratransit anymore. I forced myself because I live alone. My car was parked in front of my door and I asked the good master, "Dear Lord, give me strength to get in my car and drive myself to a doctor." I got in my car, I started it up, I waited. And I said, "Lord, you got to be my guide," and I drove from the 2500 block of North Myrtlewood Street to Domino Lane to the doctor. The doctor wanted to know how I got there. It was snow on the ground, I said, "I drove myself." He said, "You drove yourself?" I said, "I didn't have a choice." Because Paratransit was supposed to pick me up and they came early and they never came back. And I would just like to ask -- maybe it's a request, that Metro Paper that SEPTA is putting out on all of the these corners and all over Philadelphia County, maybe in some of the suburban, I can't speak for the suburban. That paper is free. People used to buy the Daily News but you don't see as many people buying the Daily News as they used. And I would like to ask a request. Some of that money, what they putting out there for that Metro Paper to be for everybody to pick up and the 98 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 paper is all over the street, please, please consider us poor senior citizens that done worked hard in trying to get somewhere. If you all would find a few pennies of that to give to us, the senior citizens, to help us out, and we would appreciate it. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
I want to thank you all for coming out to testify. I -- (Witness comes forward.)
Good morning. My name is Dot Newton, and I'm the Director for Aging Services for Germantown Settlement. I really wasn't going to say anything and just let the seniors testify, but you see, this whole thing is impacting more than just the seniors. Unfortunately, it's impacting them, but I didn't realize the impact that it was going to have on other groups. You see, I was going to tell you about the fact that some seniors, the only meal that they will get per day is the one meal that they get at 99 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 lunch at my center. And I was going to tell you that some members never knew they had glaucoma until they had screenings at my center. And I thought about telling you that there was some diabetes screenings and we found seniors had diabetes who never knew they had diabetes and had to leave right away to go to the hospital. I thought about telling you that seniors will sit in their homes all day and never speak to another person unless they come to a center. (Applause.)
I wanted to tell you about how they need stimulation and how important that was. That's what I was going to tell you. But you see, last night I got a phone call and I got a phone call from Florida, and my mother lives in Florida. My mother lived in Philadelphia and moved to Florida about 15 years ago. And earlier this year, there was an error-induced stroke, my mother had a stroke. My mother was a missionary for 40 years. My mother was a member on her choir. My mother would give clothing and go up and down the streets in her neighborhood to make sure seniors had food. And now 100 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 my mother is a senior and my brother -- boys are very different in caregiving than females, and he calls me every single day. But last night, I got a phone call that disturbed me, Mr. Goode, because my brother said, "We have to do something about Mom because all she does is sit home and stare in the corner." And I said what? And my mother was a strong, strong black woman. My mother had six kids, and if you disrespected a senior, you would be slapped across your mouth. And things are real different today. My mother gets disrespected in hospitals, my mother gets disrespected at doctors' appointments. And I don't want to hear that stuff 'cause I can't handle, and I don't want my brother to tell me that kind of stuff. But it gets worst. You see, I investigated nursing homes and personal care homes. And, as a matter of fact, I was there looking over your grandmother, Mr. Goode, at Germantown Home. And for ten years, I investigated those homes and saw the abuse and the neglect, and I saw people sitting in their rooms by themselves, just deteriorating. 101 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 People sit in their homes -- will sit in their homes by themselves, Mr. Goode, and deteriorate if they don't get to get out. We've taken cars from them because they can't drive anymore. And this is what that phone call was about. My mother didn't want to give up the car, but she has to give up the car. So all of a sudden, I thought I had a bright idea, Mr. Goode, and I said, "Send her to a senior center. We have that here. Oh, we just love it. We do this, we do that." My brother said, "Dot, Mom has lost 40 pounds." And I said, oh, only goodness. He said she won't eat, she won't cook. And I said, "Well, you can't yell at her to try to make her cook 'cause I don't even feel like cooking." And he said, "Well, what am I going to do?" I said, "Don't they have Meals on Wheels? Don't they have a senior center down there somewhere?" He said, "How is she going to get there?" And I said, "Well, don't they have like we have, the Paratransit? They're getting ready to try to hike that up, but don't you have that?" And my brother said, "Well, yeah, but we can't afford it. 102 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 And I said what? He said, "We can't afford it." And I said, "Well, how much is it going to cost? I'll pay it. And so he said, "I don't know. Maybe a hundred dollars a week." I said, "A hundred dollars a week? What kind of transportation is that?" And he talked about the overall cost. I said "Al, we have to do something about Mom because if she sits there, she's going to get ulcers on her skin and she's going to lose her cognitive ability." Senior citizens are not just about recreation and coming in and laughing and talking. It is about the increase and the maintenance of quality of life for these people. That's what senior citizens is about. (Applause.)
I'm fighting in Philadelphia for senior centers and fighting against this transportation hike that SEPTA proposes because I know some seniors aren't going to come in there because they won't be able to afford to come in. And every day, I think about my mother, Mr. Goode. And so the other group that this impacts, it impacts people our age. Are you going 103 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 to let your mother go downhill? Are you going to let your father go downhill, your aunts and your uncles, the people that were there for you? That's going to affect your paycheck because now I pay my mother's health insurance and now I'm getting ready to pay for Paratransit for my mother go to -- not Paratransit, but the transportation there for her to go to a senior center. Then I have to pay for the activities for the senior center. A lot of these seniors have a lot of children, but there will be one or two that will do something for them. (Applause.)
And I want you to know that I might be here in Philadelphia fighting for these seniors, but I have to fight for my mother in Florida, and that's coming out of my pocket, and it's going to come out of the pockets of not just these seniors; it's going to come out of the pockets of their children. And guess what, another thing with those school tokens? You have grandparents taking care of school-aged children. (Applause.)
So now they got to pay for 104 6/11/01 TRANSPORTATION/UTILITIES - RES. 597 the increase and pay for those school tokens. We need to think about that. And I said too much, but that's all I wanted to say, Mr. Goode. (Applause.)
Let me thank all of you for your testimony and thank you for coming out this morning. I was glad to give you the opportunity to make that testimony on Resolution 11 597. We will work along with Miss Wiggins and Mr. Rods on taking some action by this Thursday. If we're going to take any action before we recess -- City Council actually recesses for the summer on Thursday. I invite you back on that day. Beyond that, we look forward to working together. Thank you again for coming. This concludes our public hearing. (Applause.) (Adjourned 11:50 a.m.) 105 C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Monday, June 11, 2001, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES RES. NO. 000142, 000597 __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, Registered Professional Reporter