This video is one of a series that appear in the http://www.youtube.com/user/transportationequity YouTube site of the Transportation Equity Network – TEN - a project of the Gamaliel Foundation, a faith-based organization with regional affiliates around the United States and 350+ member organizations. For details go to http://www.transportationequity.org.
Additional background is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_Equity_Network.
A particular concern of this program is in providing improved conditions of transport to work, school, health and social services, above all for minority groups, poorer people and the unemployed.
Most of those being interviewed are very angry with their government, and not optimistic that their call will be heard.
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Reader comments:
Sam Finkelstein
“Most of those being interviewed are very angry with their government, and not optimistic that their call will be heard.”
I would say that this is a mischaracterization of TEN’s transit leaders. Although we are indeed “angry” about the influence over which monied interests have on public services, we wouldn’t want that to be used to legitimize a “small government” narrative that leads to privatization of transit.
Furthermore, while “not optimistic” isn’t always completely false, we have faith in our power as leaders and as a community to win the battles over transit, transportation equity, and racial and economic justice.
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Sam Finkelstein
Thanks Eric, I absolutely see that now after looking over the whole website. It’s interesting that one of the obstacles we are up against is a narrative fight about the role of government in the provision of public services, so I find I spend a lot of time on the defensive.
This is a very interesting and important project, I look forward to learning more!
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Posts
Eric Britton, editor
Thank you Sam for giving us this perspective. Your point about the evils of knee jerk privatization are particularly well taken. I was offering this observation after having spend good time with a dozen of the TEN videos. This was my personal read of what I was hearing, not offered as a judgment. I hope you will spend a bit of time with the totality of our Equity program we are up to, where you will quickly see that our approach is not to snipe but to do our best to be part of a solution.
As you will see we take a somewhat broader approach to the issues which we hope you will see as complementary to your own excellent efforts at TEN.
Stay tuned and keep sharing your ideas and reactions. That is what this whole effort is all about.
Regards/Eric Britton
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