From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 7, 2022 7:14 PM
To: Jason Kligier <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Taxi Fares
EXTERNAL
Dear Council Member,
My name is Sandy Clair and I’ve been a taxi driver for Taxi Taxi in Santa Monica since May 2009. I’m writing to you to ask you to approve the rate increase for taxis on June 28th. In 2011 the cost of a taxi from Santa Monica to Beverly Hills without traffic was approximately $29 on a metered run. The rate is still $29 in 2022 for the same ride. Can you imagine what it's like now to be a taxi driver with gas almost $7 a gallon and all the inflation all these years with no increase in rates whatsoever? Rent, food, clothing and anything you can think of cost more except a taxi ride.
Can you imagine how difficult it is in 2022 for a taxi driver to survive? The increase that we are asking for really doesn’t do justice to the increases we should have had all along but will be helpful. I’m asking you to approve the suggested increase immediately.
Gas was $2.20 a gallon when I started this job 13 years ago and is now almost $7 a gallon but the taxi fares have not increased for the drivers.
The owners cannot attract new drivers because they know they will not be able to earn a living.
Ubers and Lyfts are increasingly becoming more expensive and more unreliable as I’m sure you know.
Please make this change so residences and guests of Santa Monica will still have taxis as a viable option.
Thank you for your time
Respectfully,
Sandy Clair
Taxi Taxi
ATTACHMENT R
2021-2022
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Julie Rusk, chair
John Maceri, past chair
Karen Gunn, vice chair
Jody Priselac, vice chair
Natalya Zernitskaya, secretary
Perry Roshan-Zamir, treasurer
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Gary Avrech
Sheila Banani
Tara Baraukas
Claudia Bautista-Nichols
Lindsay Call
Stephanie Cohen
Timothy Conley
Donna Gentry
Ana Maria Jara
Shawn Landres
Ashley London
Janet Gollery McKeithen
Thomas McLaughlin
Jessy Morales
Tara Pomposini
Cynthia Rose
Laura Rosenbaum
Eric Shafer
Cecilia Tovar
Nat Trives
Angel Villaseñor
Michele Wittig
Leila Youssefi
Donald Zelaya
EMERITUS BOARD MEMBERS
Debra Farmer
Misti Kerns
The Human Relations Council of Santa Monica Bay Area is a non-profit organization that promotes a culture of fair treatment, inclusion and equal access to opportunities.
P.O. Box 1307 • Santa Monica, CA 90406 -1307
:hrcsantamonica.org :humanrelationscouncilsantamonicabay June 8, 2022
Re: June 28, 2022 Council Adoption of FY 2022/23 City of Santa Monica Budget Dear Mayor, City Council and City Staff:
The Human Relations Council (HRC) of Santa Monica Bay Area is a nonprofit organization that promotes a culture of fair treatment, inclusion, and equal access to opportunities. As such, we are deeply committed to equitable, sustained, creative and user-friendly community engagement and public participation. • We appreciate the City Council and staff commitment to greater access for public participation in Council and Board/Commission meetings through your support for “hybrid” meetings and provision of language access services.
This includes call-in and virtual options for public comment and readily available translation and interpretation services, particularly in Spanish and Amharic. We strongly believe that enabling greater public access in these ways is one required step to further the City’s goals of becoming a more equitable and inclusive community.
• We further encourage the City Council to provide the resources needed to support the City staff-created Equity Action Plan designed to ensure increased awareness, action and improved equity outcomes across all City departments.
In summary, we eagerly anticipate implementation progress across all departments on the City’s Equity Action Plan. Genuine and sustained progress on this Plan along with support for those who may not be able to attend in-person meetings and those who may need language support are foundational for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive Santa Monica for all. When you adopt the FY 2022/23 City budget and department priorities, please adequately fund and restate your priority for this necessary and essential work.
Thank you for your service to the people who live, work and visit Santa Monica.
On Behalf of HRC Board With Kind Regards,
Julie Rusk
ATTACHMENT R