Boycott Next Week's DNC-LGBT Fundraiser

The Department of Justice just filed a legal brief to UPHOLD (not repeal) the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA) which not only bans federal recognition of gay marriage, but civil unions and domestic partnerships as well, and denies all of the 1,138 federal benefits of marriage for gay partners, and also bars gay marriages performed in one state from being recognized by another.

This legal brief used outrageous legal arguments invoking incest and pedophilia and could have easily been submitted by a McCain/Palin administration or the Bush/Cheney administration for that matter. This legal brief was signed off by Assistant Attorney General Tony West, President Obama's appointee in HIS Department of Justice.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/16355867/Obamas-Motion-to-Dismiss-Marriage-case

Here is John Aravosis' great commentary on the legal brief:

http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/obama-justice-department-defends-doma.html

Here is what David Mixner had to say about this legal brief:

http://www.davidmixner.com/2009/06/a-personal-statement-doma-brief-brings-shame-to-obama-team.html

We cannot let this DOMA brief go without an accountability moment. It's a willful betrayal of the community and nothing less than that. There was no legal requirement for the Justice Department to file any brief. Previous administrations have occasionally declined to file briefs in the past. There was certainly no requirement to file a brief that invokes incest and pedophilia. Why didn't the legal brief at least stipulate that the plaintiffs were entitled to the 1,138 federal benefits of marriage if not the name?

I don't care what "standard procedure" is. Some of the worst evil on the planet is carried out in the name of "standard procedure". The SS guards in Nazi Germany were just following orders. People who bought and sold slaves were just following standard procedure. Apartheid was standard procedure. Intensive State spying was standard procedure in East Germany. Throwing us in prison for being gay was standard procedure, that is if we were lucky enough not to be tortured and killed. Even now it is standard procedure to allow people to deny us employment, housing and hospital vistation of our partners in most states. Standard procedure is not a defense for evil.

And, this is not a matter of the President and the Administration having too much to do to help us with their campaign promises. I too support the President's success on the economy, health care, climate change and the myriad foreign policy challenges. However, this is a case of the Administration using its valuable time and energy to actively harm us. And the time they picked for this was now, on the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall. And now they ask us for more money?

Just for once can we not be doormats who go back for more when politicians wipe their feet on us, as they think we are?

We HAVE to boycott this DLC-LGBT fundraiser. If we don't, what does it say about us individually and our self -esteem and pride? What does it say about us collectively on the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall?

It's clear that our votes don't matter to them, our volunteer time and energy doesn't matter to them. Even our street protests don't seem to matter them. The only thing that seemed to get their attention was when be started turning off the GayTM.

So in response a scrambling President Obama signs a memo granting gays and their partners "benefits" that were already available via the federal agencies for which they work, but don't include health or pension benefits. Yay. There were no executive orders on anything meaningful and no mention of stop lossing the over 200 gays who have been discharged from the military since he took office.

Pardon me while I try and keep my lunch down.

The crumbs the President threw us last night in no way begin to make up for his Department of Justice filing this offensive legal brief.

We cannot let this DOMA brief go without an accountability moment. It's an out and out betrayal of the gay community and nothing less than that. There was no legal requirement for the President's Justice Department to file any brief. There was certainly no requirement to file a brief that invokes incest and pedophilia.

Don't fall for the "standard procedure" defense for filing this brief. Some of the worst evil on the planet has carried out in the name of "standard procedure". The SS guards in Nazi Germany were just following orders. People who bought and sold slaves were just following standard procedure. Corrupt CEO's who ran their countries into the ground while paying themselves obscene bonuses are following standard procedure. Insurance corporations play games with people's lives by denying them the health care treatments they believe they were paying coverage for as standard procedure. For centuries, throwing us in prison for being gay was standard procedure, that is if we were lucky enough not to be tortured and killed. Even now it is standard procedure to allow us to be denied housing, employment and hospital visitation of our partners in most states.

If you know anyone who was planning to attend this fundraiser, please ask them to withdraw.

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/11487/politely-ask-barney-frank-tammy-baldwin-and-jared-polis-why-they-are-hosting-a-dnc-fundraiser

There will be hundreds of $1,000 a plate fundraisers before the next election.

Please consider giving this $1,000 elsewhere. All worthy nonprofits and political organizations are suffering in this economic climate. This one time, redirect your $1,000 to something constructive. Don't throw good money after bad. Only when we were willing to withhold our money did Washington give a crap about our outrage. If money is all we are valued for, then we should use that value for our greatest benefit.

If you need any further incentive to boycott next week's fundraiser, then click on the link of what Obama promised us and compare this with his Administration's feckless behavior over this legal brief.

http://obama.3cdn.net/36ddd2f5daac41cb21_rym6bxaax.pdf

Even if the President meant to be honest with us during the campaign, he's chosen that he cannot and will not be that "fierce advocate" for us now.

And since we are exercising the only power we seem to have, we should also boycott the DSCC and DCCC as well until they take action. Congress isn't returning our phone calls either and our "allies" are hiding under their desks lest we find them and ask them to keep their promises to us as well. Since we aren't going to get the kind of leadership from the White House we were promised, we need to refocus our efforts to getting our legislation through Congress without its leadership. Don't let our allies in Congress hide behind waiting for the White House.

As an alternative, California gays have the luxury of two Democratic candidates for Governor who have shown they aren't just talk, they show action -- Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsome. Plus, the campaign to repeal Prop 8 will be on the ballot next year. Can we use our political campaign money for something that will actually benefit us?

Don't worry about the hysterical rantings of Beltway insiders and apologists who are in a panic about this one fundraiser falling apart. There will be countless others and there are a lot more important things to worry about than their "access".

Boycott the DLC-LGBT fundraiser.

The Department of Justice just filed a legal brief to UPHOLD (not repeal) the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA) which not only bans federal recognition of gay marriage, but civil unions and domestic partnerships as well, and denies all of the 1,138 federal benefits of marriage for gay partners, and also bars gay marriages performed in one state from being recognized by another.

This legal brief used outrageous legal arguments invoking incest and pedophilia and could have easily been submitted by a McCain/Palin administration or the Bush/Cheney administration for that matter. This legal brief was signed off by Assistant Attorney General Tony West, President Obama's appointee in HIS Department of Justice.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/16355867/Obamas-Motion-to-Dismiss-Marriage-case

Here is John Aravosis' great commentary on the legal brief:

http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/obama-justice-department-defends-doma.html

Here is what David Mixner had to say about this legal brief:

http://www.davidmixner.com/2009/06/a-personal-statement-doma-brief-brings-shame-to-obama-team.html

We cannot let this DOMA brief go without an accountability moment. It's a willful betrayal of the community and nothing less than that. There was no legal requirement for the Justice Department to file any brief. Previous administrations have occasionally declined to file briefs in the past. There was certainly no requirement to file a brief that invokes incest and pedophilia. Why didn't the legal brief at least stipulate that the plaintiffs were entitled to the 1,138 federal benefits of marriage if not the name?

I don't care what "standard procedure" is. Some of the worst evil on the planet is carried out in the name of "standard procedure". The SS guards in Nazi Germany were just following orders. People who bought and sold slaves were just following standard procedure. Apartheid was standard procedure. Intensive State spying was standard procedure in East Germany. Throwing us in prison for being gay was standard procedure, that is if we were lucky enough not to be tortured and killed. Even now it is standard procedure to allow people to deny us employment, housing and hospital vistation of our partners in most states. Standard procedure is not a defense for evil.

And, this is not a matter of the President and the Administration having too much to do to help us with their campaign promises. I too support the President's success on the economy, health care, climate change and the myriad foreign policy challenges. However, this is a case of the Administration using its valuable time and energy to actively harm us. And the time they picked for this was now, on the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall. And now they ask us for more money?

Just for once can we not be doormats who go back for more when politicians wipe their feet on us, as they think we are?

We HAVE to boycott this DLC-LGBT fundraiser. If we don't, what does it say about us individually and our self -esteem and pride? What does it say about us collectively on the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall?

It's clear that our votes don't matter to them, our volunteer time and energy doesn't matter to them. Even our street protests don't seem to matter them. The only thing that seemed to get their attention was when be started turning off the GayTM.

So in response a scrambling President Obama signs a memo granting gays and their partners "benefits" that were already available via the federal agencies for which they work, but don't include health or pension benefits. Yay. There were no executive orders on anything meaningful and no mention of stop lossing the over 200 gays who have been discharged from the military since he took office.

Pardon me while I try and keep my lunch down.

The crumbs the President threw us last night in no way begin to make up for his Department of Justice filing this offensive legal brief.

We cannot let this DOMA brief go without an accountability moment. It's an out and out betrayal of the gay community and nothing less than that. There was no legal requirement for the President's Justice Department to file any brief. There was certainly no requirement to file a brief that invokes incest and pedophilia.

Don't fall for the "standard procedure" defense for filing this brief. Some of the worst evil on the planet has carried out in the name of "standard procedure". The SS guards in Nazi Germany were just following orders. People who bought and sold slaves were just following standard procedure. Corrupt CEO's who ran their countries into the ground while paying themselves obscene bonuses are following standard procedure. Insurance corporations play games with people's lives by denying them the health care treatments they believe they were paying coverage for as standard procedure. For centuries, throwing us in prison for being gay was standard procedure, that is if we were lucky enough not to be tortured and killed. Even now it is standard procedure to allow us to be denied housing, employment and hospital visitation of our partners in most states.

If you know anyone who was planning to attend this fundraiser, please ask them to withdraw.

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/11487/politely-ask-barney-frank-tammy-baldwin-and-jared-polis-why-they-are-hosting-a-dnc-fundraiser

There will be hundreds of $1,000 a plate fundraisers before the next election.

Please consider giving this $1,000 elsewhere. All worthy nonprofits and political organizations are suffering in this economic climate. This one time, redirect your $1,000 to something constructive. Don't throw good money after bad. Only when we were willing to withhold our money did Washington give a crap about our outrage. If money is all we are valued for, then we should use that value for our greatest benefit.

If you need any further incentive to boycott next week's fundraiser, then click on the link of what Obama promised us and compare this with his Administration's feckless behavior over this legal brief.

http://obama.3cdn.net/36ddd2f5daac41cb21_rym6bxaax.pdf

Even if the President meant to be honest with us during the campaign, he's chosen that he cannot and will not be that "fierce advocate" for us now. It is beyond outrageous that did not repudiate, distance himself from or even criticize this legal brief.

And since we are exercising the only power we seem to have, our money, we should also boycott the DSCC and DCCC as well until they take action. Congress isn't returning our phone calls either and our "allies" are hiding under their desks lest we find them and ask them to keep their promises to us as well. Since we aren't going to get the kind of leadership from the White House we were promised, we need to refocus our efforts to getting our legislation through Congress without its leadership. Don't let our allies in Congress hide behind waiting for the White House.

As an alternative, California gays have the luxury of two Democratic candidates for Governor who have shown they aren't just talk, they show action -- Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsome. Plus, the campaign to repeal Prop 8 will be on the ballot next year. Can we use our political campaign money for something that will actually benefit us?

Don't worry about the hysterical rantings of Beltway insiders and apologists who are in a panic about this one fundraiser falling apart. There will be countless others and there are a lot more important things to worry about than their "access".

Boycott the DLC-LGBT fundraiser.

P.S. The fundraiser is on Thursday, June 25, 2009
at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel
1330 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington, DC
Reception 5:30 p.m. / Dinner & Program 7:00 p.m.

If you are going to be in Washington, D.C., feel free to attend the protest and see who actually attends this thing. Take pics and upload them so we can all know who the scabs are.

California's Financial Armageddon

Well, I hope everyone in California is happy. You showed them! You rejected all of the ballot measures yesterday.

Go on. Feel self-satisfied that you stood up to those politicians in Sacramento.

Unfortunately, the Day of Reckoning is coming. We are going to see cuts in services beyond our worst nightmare.

Yes, the politicians are to blame. Yes, they overspent money in the good times and didn't prudently save.

However, you voters are to blame too. You consistently vote yourself lower taxes and higher spending and then hamstring the legislature with spending requirements. You then enacted term limits which gave immense power to lobbyists because no one is around with any institutional memory or stake in long-term planning. You have an woefully small State Legislature with only 80 Assemblymembers for 36,000,000 people (with one member for every 450,000 persons, over 10 times the national median). You instituted a 2/3 budget rule which means super-MINORITIES on both sides of the spectrum can stop all decision making. Therefore, you want it all, low taxes and high spending.

You are about to experience the REAL world. You're not totally at fault. Conservatives sold you an economic lie that low taxes would bring so much economic growth you would not need to cut spending in order to balance the budget. They told you that you could have "something-for-nothing". And, of course, you wanted to believe them.

However, now we are going to get draconian spending cuts far beyond your worst nightmare. And this is not what the majority opinion in this state is.

Just know the era of supply-side economics is over. Tax cuts do not "pay for themselves". They require spending cuts to balanced the budget. Previously conservatives have gotten away with calling for tax cuts without having to outline how they would be paid for. Now you will see what level of spending conservative tax policy will support. And chances are high that you won't like it.

I want to know why rescinding the 2/3 state budget rule wasn't on the ballot.

I want to vote for a measure that will repeal that undemocratic rule AND repeal all voter improved tax and spending measures for the last 40 years, including Prop. 13 and Prop. 98, thus both forcing and enabling the legislature and governor to once again make policy decisions and be held accountable for those decisions. I want to increase (double) the size of the State Assembly to 160 members so that Committees have more influence and that districts are less populous so that less special interest money is needed to run for these seats.

I want California State Government to be overhauled root and branch, and I want the elected politicians to be able to enact and be held accountable for their policies. No more rule by super-minority and being able to blame the other party for their intransigence.

Blame the Governor and the Legislature and your fellow voters, and the worst economy since the Great Depression for this financial disaster, but primarily blame the undemocratic 2/3 budget rule for the prisoners about to released early from prison, from the parks that will close, for the draconian cuts in education and health and transportation spending, and for the draconian cuts to county and city budgets soon to follow.

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Note: As far as transit goes, if you want to know why we are about to have cuts in bus service despite passing Measure R, it is because the state budget completely abolished the $536 million that it dedicated to subsidizing transit operations.

A tale of two Valleys

While I currently live on the Westside, I have lived in the San Fernando Valley previously and do care for the welfare of its transit future -- if for no other reason that getting to/from the Westside via transit is often as exercise in frustration and futility.

What struck me over the debate over Measure R (which the voters thankfully passed last November) is just how unified the San Gabriel Valley political establishment is over the construction of the Gold Line extensions. There may be differences of opinion about the routing of the southern leg, but there is unified support for it. (I hope these same politicians also recognized the importance of upgrading Metrolink Commuter Rail service and Foothill Transit bus service.)

Compare this to the San Fernando Valley. Where is the unified support of SFV pols for upgrades to transit in their areas? While they rave about the Orange Line busway, and there is great fanfare about extending on the western end up to Canoga Park, anyone who actually takes the darn thing knows it is already stuffed to capacity as it is. Most transit advocates realize the Orange Line will eventually need to be converted to light-rail. However, why aren't Congressmen Howard Berman and Brad Sherman working together for this with the same unity that Congressmembers David Dreier and Adam Schiff and the SGV state legislators are doing for the Gold Line? Will the local pols have the courage to face down North Hollywood NIMBYs when it is?

What about the issue of connecting the Burbank Airport to the North Hollywood Station? What about connecting the North Hollywood station to the Gold Line in Pasadena through Burbank and Glendale? What should be done on Ventura Blvd? light-rail? subway? streetcar? Perhaps bus-only lanes on Ventura and Van Nuys Blvds?

There is some money for a Sepulveda project. What about the vision of a rail line from Sylmar to LAX connecting two Metrolink Stations, the Orange Line and Ventura Blvd. to points south?

However, for argument's sake, since there are two Gold Lines connecting to Union Station, let's boil this down to just two proposed rails lines for the San Fernando Valley: (1) converting the Orange Line to light-rail and extending it east through Burbank and Glendale to the Gold Line in Pasadena; and (2) a Sepulveda north/south line from Sylmar to LAX -- I just find it so strange there is not the advocacy activity in the San Fernando Valley as there is in the San Gabriel Valley.

There are individual advocates of course, but not the sort of political coordination by elected officials to bring these two rail project to the SFV.

The only explanation that comes to mind is that with California's and Los Angeles County's "too large, too populous" legislative districts, many of the people representing the south San Fernando Valley have districts with most of the voters and political weight on the Westside.

As a Westsider, I benefit from this, and understand and appreciate that the Purple Line and Expo Lines, and perhaps even the Pink Line via Santa Monica Blvd. are considered higher priorities. However, the San Fernando Valley will probably be a poor relation to the San Gabriel Valley and Westside unless SFV specific transit advocates work together and a lot of people with automobile-entitlement decide having transit alternatives in the Valley is a good thing for themselves as well.

A Homophoblic Incident on the Big Blue Bus

Here is a letter I sent today to the Big Blue Bus regarding an unfortunate incident that happened on Tuesday.

-----------------------------

Dear Big Blue Bus,

I am sorry to have to write this note for I do not like to get people in trouble, but I've thought about this incident for two days and based on the events of the past week, I feel I must report it.

On Tuesday night, I was riding on a No. # Bus, number ####. Around 6:10 p.m. we past a "No on 8" demonstration in Santa Monica on Ocean Avenue. The bus driver surveyed the situation and exclaimed the slur, "sodomites."

As a gay man, I found this to be incredibly and deeply offensive. I do not believe a public employee on duty and in uniform has any excuse for using a slur like "sodomites". What's next? "Faggots"?

A bus operator is entitled to his beliefs, opinions and even prejudices.

However, no rider should have to hear any slurring language against them by a bus operator on duty for any reason, be it race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or anything else.

Anti-gay bigotry is no longer publicly acceptable as far as I am concerned. Perhaps your operators need diversity training.

In any event, I would like an apology and a promise that it will not happen again.

I am sorry I had to write this note. I believe the Big Blue Bus provides exemplary service and I am otherwise a very satisfied customer.

Best regards,

Dan Wentzel

-------------------------

Here is the text of the note the Big Blue Bus sent me in reply:

------------------------

Thank you for taking the time to contact us.

The Big Blue Bus does not condone the type of behavior that you have described. Your comments have been forwarded to the operations supervisor. The driver will be addressed and the appropriate action will be taken. It is our priority to have curteous drivers.

We appreciate your feedback as it makes us aware of the problems that hinder us from providing excellent public transportation.

Customer Service
Big Blue Bus

Paying for the Pink Line and other new rail projects

There will likely be a 1/2-cent sales tax increase measure on the ballot in November to help pay for new transit projects.

I am hoping that Metro will choose Alternative 11 as part of the Westside Transit Corridor Extension Project, a combined alternative which includes both the Wilshire Blvd. and Santa Monica Bld. alignments. If Metro unfortunately approves the Wilshire-only option at this time, this means a separate Santa Monica / La Cienega alignement will have to be lobbied for. (This blog will certainly continue to do that lobbying and hope you will too.) Hopefully, Alternative 11 will be chosen.

However, whenever a Santa Monica Blvd. alignment is approved, built either in conjunction with the Purple Line or by itself. It is unlikely without a new source of money that even the Purple Line by itself will ever get built, no matter how desperately it is needed.

This truth will set you free, but first it will tick you off. I will state the following about taxes which many of you don't want to hear, but need to hear:

Reaganomics has failed under three Presidencies now. Advocating low taxes for the wealthy as a matter of policy is certainly a person's right, however, contrary to what these "supply-siders" tell you, this policy doesn't result in the enormous economic growth that then causes additional tax revenues to come flowing into government coffers. Experience has now shown us how real wages have remained stagnant, that prosperity did not trickle down to the middle and working classes, and money did not flood the government coffers. Reagan, Bush I and especially Bush II all exploded the federal deficit, believing (or at least successfully selling the idea) that their "something for nothing" approach would actually work. It didn't and doesn't.

Conservatives know that the American people would never tolerate the severity of cuts to protective services (military/police/fire) and social services (Social Security/Medicare/education) and crumbling infrastructure (bridges, dams, rails, highways) that would be required in order to allow them to pay the derisory levels of taxation they'd be willing to pay. In particular, long-term investments like infrastructure is particularly vulnerable to the political circus and interests of short-term budgeting. Therefore, in order to get what they wanted, conservatives had to come up with an economic theory that said that tax cuts for the affluent wouldn't actually require any pain for anyone. ("W." and the neo-cons extended this amoral "something for nothing" approach in Iraq when they convinced themselves and sold the radical and now discredited idea we could have a successful war without common sacrifice.) Conservative political strategists knew that they would be selling something that people would want to believe. Who wouldn't want to believe in "something for nothing"? Elder Bush once accurately called it "voodoo economics". The truth is self-evident. Lower taxes actually responsibly require cuts in spending. Conservatives had control of the Presidency and Congress for 4 years (2002-06) and put their faith in voodoo economics rather than objective reality.

As much as conservatives know that people want to believe we can have "something for nothing", the truth is, and adults know this, that if we want something funded, it has to actually be responsibly paid for and not dumped into the future like a maxed-out credit card. George W. Bush's failed economic policies have proven once and for all that supply-side economics just doesn't work in the real world. Low taxes for the wealthy only extended wealth at the top. Prosperity does not trickle down to the masses, nor are the government coffers increased in this approach. Let us put aside the wishful belief that needed investments in the common welfare don't actually have to be paid for. There is no tooth fairy and there is no transportation fairy who will wave a magic wand to pay for these improvements. We, all of us together, will have to pay for them, for they will benefit everyone economically and environmentally directly and/or indirectly in the County, even if we don't use these lines ourselves.

While I enthusiastically support the 1/2 cent sales tax increase to pay for transportation projects, I know several people who do too in theory, but have great skepticism that the money will all go to transit. Transportation money is an inviting target to raid in a budget crisis because the anti-tax and social service lobbies are much more vocal. The Governator is once again proposing raiding transit funds again in the current state budget negotiations. Many people understandably just don't believe that the politicians won't be able to resist raiding any new transportation money for other non-transportation related purposes.

With gasoline prices ever upward and realistically over $5/gallon over the summer, and with ever-worsening congestion, a tipping point has been reached where the masses really want more transit capital projects like new rail lines built. The real question now is that is whether their desire so focused and determined that they are actually willing to pay for them. I believe they will if they believe that the money will actually go to transportation. Is it really possible to design this upcoming sales tax increase ballot measure so that the money CANNOT be raided, period? Convincing people that is really the case may be the real challenge.

The sales-tax increase measure will meet with several responses:

1) Yes, we desperately need these projects and we need to pay for them.
2) I'd like to support this, but I just don't believe all the money will actually go to transportation.
3) I'd like to support this, but I'm so pinched economically I just cannot afford it no matter how much I know this money is needed.
4) I support more transit funding, but the government should just better use the money it already has and cut government "waste".
5) No new taxes, period. I don't care what gets cut or destroyed in the future. Nor, do I care if Southern California remains economically or environmentally sustainable because I will be dead eventually anyway or just move somewhere else.
6) All transportation money should go to preserve my divine right to drive and park an automobile anytime, anyplace, anywhere, and I want all transportation money spent on roads and screw the common good.

Getting to two-thirds voter approval will be tough, especially in a difficult economic climate. To get to yes, in adding to the 1s, we need to hope that enough 2s vote for it anyway by convincing them the money cannot be raided. 5s and 6s won't vote for it under any circumstances. 3s are possible, but they are most likely to switch sides to "no" in the privacy of the voting booth. A number of 4s are still possibles too. The Governator is finding out that this myth of all this "waste" is coming up against reality. One person's "waste" is another person's "lifeline" and "essential funding".

The 1s will vote for this. The 5s and 6s will not. Some 3s and 4s will still vote for it, but the issues involved go beyond just transportation funding into larger issues about personal microeconomics snd government funding and may be solely beyond persuading on this issue.

I don't think we can get to a two-thirds vote unless enough of the 2s are convinced that the money will not be raided for other purposes. Let's hope they design this ballot measure right. Even then, a two-thirds vote is a very high hurdle.

High-speed Rail will also be on the ballot this fall as a bond issue. We desperately need that too. But that's for another blog post.

Rail Riders Union comes to Gay Pride!

Everyone should know about the Rail Riders Union -- a desperately needed alternative and counterbalance to the backward looking and vehemently anti-rail, but thankfully declining in influence, Bus Riders Union. (Reasonable transportation advocates recognize we need both a strong rail network and a strong bus system.) Other transportation advocacy organizations worth joining include Southern California Transit Advocates and the Transit Coalition.

Founded in 2008, the Rail Riders Union’s mission is to promote new transportation solutions for Los Angeles. As a not-for-profit mutual benefit corporation, the Rail Riders Union relies on the support of people like you in our efforts to educate Southern Californians on the need for an expanded subway system, identify supporters of new transit projects and mobilize them to give Los Angeles the subway system it deserves as a world-class city.

The Rail Riders Union will be at the Pride Festival this year.

Rail Riders Union Comes to Pride

Just imagine... Someday we will be able to ride The Pink Line to Gay Pride each year!

And perhaps we can have a station with rainbow colors and gay-themed monuments, such as the ones in Berlin and Montreal, at the LaCienega/Santa Monica Station.

Go to the Pride Festival, and if you see someone from the Rail Riders Union and they offer you a sticker, wear it proudly!

The Pink Line Supports the Purple Line

These two lines do not "compete" with each other, they compliment, reinforce and strengthen each other, and the Red Line too.

Check out this article from WeHoNews.com
wehonews.com/z/wehonews/archive/page.php?articleID=2298

Note the following excerpt:

To their own surprise, the proposed subway expansion makes better sense to planners when a Santa Monica Boulevard route is added to the traditionally better-preferred Wilshire Boulevard route.

A crowd of 75 attendees listened in rapture while Long Range Transportation planners explained how a Santa Monica spur running from the current Hollywood/Highland Red Line Station hooking up with a Wilshire line south of West Hollywood would not only increase ridership significantly, but also provides enough in travel time improvements to give Congress reason to fund the subway expansion.

“What was surprising to us,” David Mieger, project manager said, “is that adding Santa Monica Boulevard to the Wilshire route, in compliment to one another, it works [from a feasibility, cost and ridership perspective].”