EMERGENCY PUBLIC BUS TRANSIT INDEPENDENCE SHORTFALL OF 2009 FUNDS

IF YOU CAN CALL JEFFERSON CITY OR E-MAIL
IF YOU WANT TO HELP GET BUS SERVICE RESTORED IN INDEPENDENCE
HERE IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED:
1. On April 28th, all 7 State House Representatives plus both State Senators for Independence were e-mailed on an emergency basis by CPIBT (Committee to Preserve Independence Bus Transit), asking to include Independence and its shortfall of $132,000 for May through December 2009 in House Bill 21 (HB21).
2. HB21 is to provide emergency public bus transit operations funds for 2009 to keep service from being cut in St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield. Those 3 cities only.
3. The City of Independence failed to join in on HB21 and failed to ask to be included as an amendment add-on as a fourth partner to cover its shortfall.
4. HB21 went for third and final reading on April 30th, before being allowed to pass on to the Senate as a Senate Bill yet to be numbered there.
HERE IS WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN:
• Several thousand people need to call and/or e-mail Senator Victor Callahan and Senator Matt Bartle IMMEDIATELY on an emergency time-sensitive basis.
1. ASK that Independence be included as an amendment on HB21 (after 3rd and final reading on April 30th) when it comes over to the Senate as a Senate Bill.
2. TELL THEM that Independence needs to be included as a 4th party along with St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield for emergency public bus transit local operations funding 2009 shortfall.
3. TELL THEM that this is in the amount of $132,000 due as the required local co-contribution for the remaining 8 months of May through December of 2009.
4. TELL THEM that the City of Independence paid the KCATA $1,050,000 and was short $198,000 as of the beginning of the year, but the prorated amount of the shortfall to cover from May through December is now only $132,000 and will restore all the damaging service reduction cuts that occurred as a result of the shortfall in bill paid to the KCATA.
5. TELL THEM that we need to be included for our disabled, fixed-income elderly, and socio-economically disadvantaged and working poor citizens who are being decimated from the service reduction cuts because of this shortfall.
• Senator Victor Callahan e-mail: victor_callahan@senate.state.mo.us
• Senator Victor Callahan phone: (573) 751-3074
• Senator Matt Bartle e-mail: matt_bartle@senate.mo.gov
• Senator Matt Bartle’s Chief of Staff Todd Scott e-mail: tscott@senate.mo.gov
• Senator Matt Bartle phone: (573) 751-1464