By Anna Daniels
“Our budget is about three billion dollars. Billion. To have a few hundred thousand for our students does not seem unreasonable, right?…It’s not the budgetary amount, it’s the will to make sure that we invest in our children.” Mayor Bob Filner, meeting with Councilwoman Marti Emerald and City Heights residents.
Adults have historically established the parameters and content of public policies as they relate to children. The results in recent years have been ghastly as local and state governments have been starved of revenues by virtue of the economy. Conservatives are using the spending cuts necessitated by a weak economy to advance their ideology of small government, hoping to impose a permanent state of austerity on governmental entities.
One in five kids in this country lives in poverty. The ticket out of poverty has been access to quality education and the availability of jobs that provide economic security. Neither of these conditions are currently being met. The kids living in poverty now may very well spend their whole lives in poverty.
There has been an astounding sea change in City Heights as youth themselves have taken an informed and powerful lead in shaping public policy that affects their lives and their families. Mid-City CAN has been pivotal in mentoring and providing a platform for that leadership.
They are City Heights’ think tank and we should be listening to what they have to say about the need for recreational outlets (skate parks), extended library hours and ending inner city violence. They are currently advocating for free mid-city bus passes for youth attending Hoover, Crawford, Lincoln and San Diego High School.
When the San Diego Unified School District decided to scale down school bus services and impose a different more onerous fee schedule, the mid-city communities were disproportionately affected. Parents have had difficulty absorbing the annual costs of over $400 per child for continued use of the school buses or for transit costs on public buses.
Mid-City CAN and City Heights residents made this a high-profile issue. They have appeared before the San Diego school board and utilized the mayoral and District 9 campaigns to elicit a commitment for the subsidized bus passes. They have kept the issue at the forefront since the elections. In the video below City heights youth explain in their own words the importance of these bus passes.
Mayor Filner’s budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 includes the City’s $200,000 in matching funds for the school board’s allocation for the bus passes. The city council must approve the mayor’s budget and the advocacy for this line items continues.
These kids are too young to vote. It is up to us, adult voters, to assure that their advocacy work becomes policy.
Please send an email to Mayor Filner (BobFilner@sandiego.gov) and your council person (martiemerald@sandiego.gov) in support of the bus passes. Take the extra step to email every council person–they will all vote on this issue. In the subject line of the email write: Yes on Free Mid-City Student Bus Passes. In the body of the email simply provide your name and address. It is that easy!
There will also be an evening City Council budget hearing on Wednesday May 22 from 6-9 pm in the 12th floor council chambers at City Hall, 202 “C” Street. The city council will hear public testimony on this and other budget issues.
City Heights is a “young” community compared to city-wide demographics. The median age here is in the mid-twenties, seven years younger than the median age for the whole city. Families are also larger and significantly poorer. The average household income in City Heights is $33,857 compared to $59,901 city-wide.
City Heights shares similar demographics with many other communities south of Rte 8 and demographically speaking, we are the future of this city and of this country. Mayor Filner’s question “Do we have the will to invest in our children?” is a particularly urgent one. We have an opportunity and responsibility to say “yes.”
Post Script: Mid-City youth realize that an essential part of their advocacy efforts is media coverage of the issues. Our SDFP inbox was inundated this past weekend by emails urging us to provide that coverage. I want to assure Daniel O, Danielle L, A Rose, Naomi R, Rocio C, Yvette H, Christina G, Cory B, Ivonne M and Amanda A that we are indeed listening. And good work!
Anna Daniels
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Several things come to mind, Anna, as I read your article. When I was in graduate school I remember reading a study out of Stanford that said that if ” . . . modern technology continued the way it was going then (1963) – the average life expectancy of people by 2050 would be 110+ years. ” It went on to say that” . . we are not preparing our youth for individual physical activities and that ‘team sports’ should give way to individual sports. Can you imagine a basketball game between 110 year olds? There should be more monies provided by cities to help people remain active as they age. ” Then, to save money, most of the public schools have eliminated any form of vocational education. Without proper training, those living in the poverty belt have no way of lifting themselves out of it unless they avail themselves to programs like Job Corps, Americore, etc. To not provide bus transportation to the very students that need it is ludicrous. My letters to the City Council are on their way.
Thank you Judi for your support! Kids need to be in school to get educated. It’s up to us to remove the obstacles to school attendance.
Thank you for writing this piece. It is great to see that advocacy can make a difference. I am glad that my letter inspired you but most of all I am so grateful for the victory and the opportunity it will provide to San Diego Youth. I am a brand new teacher entering the field and I know the importance of opportunity and access to improve our communities and the futures of our youth. Good work!
A warm welcome to a brand new teacher! Because of your support and advocacy, and the support and advocacy of so many people, these bus passes will be a reality. Thank you! Stay in touch with SDFP and best wishes as you begin your career.
Thank you, Anna, and thank you SDFP for bringing this issue to our attention. I got rid of the U-T months ago and I depend on SDFP for info on what is going on in my city. I will, of course, call my council member and ask her to support bus passes for Mid-City students. I’ll also call the mayor’s office and let him know I stand with him on this. Thank you also to the bright, capable students of City Heights for advocating for themselves. It’s the only way that things get done!
Thank you Shelley! City Heights appreciates your support!
In Portlandia, free public transportation in the central city is available to all. So why limit the “ask” to kids in one neighborhood? We should have free public transportation for all kids, and we should have free trunk lines during commuting hours for working people to get them out of their cars. And while we’re at it, we need more cross town north-south public transportation routes. People who work at the shipyards but live further north in Golden Hill, North Park and so on, can’t get to work on public transit without taking a very long (as in distance and time consumed) route via two different different bus lines.
Public transportation is good for everyone and most of all for the planet.
SDFP has received numerous comments about the bus passes which were not left on the actual articles. They deserve a broader audience. Here is one from SP”
“I appreciate your sincere consideration in support of the No-Cost Youth Bus Passes for young people in San Diego. I am a constituent of District 8, however I was raised in Boston, MA and I know the positive difference a youth transit pass can makes to reduce travel time, enhance personal safety by travelling with others, and increase access to civic, economic and educational opportunities. I benefitted from quality access to public transportation between school, work, volunteer service, and home. I believe in this campaign because the youth did their research; Boston youth also successfully advocated for an affordable pass and a no-cost youth pass promotes safety, increases access to economic opportunity, and enhances the ability of youth to achieve educational goals. I have a tremendous amount of respect for civically engaged young people and this is a phenomenal opportunity to use your political power to empower them and keep them safer in America’s Finest City – San Diego. Thank you.”
X. C. writes:
“I am writing in support of no-cost youth bus passes for youth attending these high schools and would even encourage for all of City Heights youth.
I work in an affordable housing complex in City Heights and assist families on a daily basis. Money is very tight and often my students dont have bus passes to get to school, jobs, interviews, or safe recreational activities. They walk which is good for their health and the environment but not having the option to take the bus is hard and dangerous at times. I’ve heard of my students getting harassed, jumped, and robbed on the way home at times. I’ve also heard stories of walking home late from work at night or having missed a job interview because their ride didn’t come through. Some of them hardly get to enjoy the wonderful sights that San Diego is famous for because they are stuck at home. Families are busy working a lot or taking care of younger children that the older youth are left to find their own opportunities for enrichment. They would benefit a lot in being able get to the places they need for enrichment and safe entertainment.
Please continue to putting a high priority on public transportation for our health, and equal access and opportunity for all.”
Thank you for writing this piece. It is great to see that advocacy can make a difference. I am glad that my letter inspired you but most of all I am so grateful for the victory and the opportunity it will provide to San Diego Youth. I am a brand new teacher entering the field and I know the importance of opportunity and access to improve our communities and the futures of our youth. Good work!