Stop The Cuts! Tax Electrolux!
It’s “budget season” here in Memphis. As Mayor A C Wharton and city officials present their budget proposals, the grassroots organization, Memphis Bus Riders Union (MBRU) is on the streets getting riders organized and ready for action.
Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is preparing to receive another cut in City funding to the tune of $2.4 million, raising the total budget shortfall to $5 million. To balance the FY 2014 budget, MATA officials propose to cut service hours by 20%, ending all service at 9:00 pm, to eliminate five bus routes (#5 Central, #6 Northaven, #15 Presidents Island, #58 Fox Meadows Express, and #82 Germantown Parkway), and to discontinue service on Thanksgiving,among other holidays. In addition, MATA has proposed to combine and scale down routes #10 Watkins, #32 E. Parkway, and #43 Elvis Presley.
Organizers from MBRU attended a budget hearing with MATA and city council members where the president of MATA, William Hudson spoke about the plans, stating that he will “balance the budget”, but offering no details on how to compensate for the $5 million shortfall.
Meanwhile, bus riders have begun targeting community organizations in the neighborhoods that will be most affected by the proposed cuts. Residents are being rallied to call their district representatives and local leaders for support. MBRU is demanding that the City of Memphis restore the desperately needed $5 million from the City’s FY 2014 budget in order to stop the MATA service cuts. Bus Riders are asking Mayor Wharton and the council to look elsewhere to balance the budget. Working families need affordable, accessible and reliable public transportation. We need to “Stop the Cuts & Tax Bass Pro!”
The next meeting of the Memphis Bus Riders Union is Saturday, June 8th from noon until 2:00 pm at Memphis Center for Independent Living at 1633 Madison Ave. (Madison @ Angelus on bus route #2).For more information, visit mbru.org, email memphisbru@gmail.com, or call 901-210-3768.
Homeless Organizing for Power and Equality (H.O.P.E.) is the name of a Mid-South Peace and Justice Center sponsored organization whose members are exclusively people who are currently or have formerly experienced homelessness.
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The Community-Police Relations (CPR) Core Group is in your communities, asking the question “What is your vision of community and police relations?” You tell us!
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