Voter Education/Registration - BOSS
Community Organizing Team members are actively educating clients in our
shelters in regards to the upcoming election. They are registering voters
and discussing important Measures and Propositions that affect them.
Transportation Justice-
The Transportation Justice Working Group (TJWG)
is a network of nonprofit organizations, researchers, and advocates who are
working together to make equity a top community priority in transportation
planning and funding. TJWG educates policy makers and the larger community
to raise awareness of the consequences of our current transportation
policies, including documentation of inequity and defending the transit
rights of low-income families and communities of color. To read about the
efforts of this group, please
click here.
Proposition 63 (The Mental Health
Initiative) -
BOSS Community Organizing Team members are actively involved in the
implementation of the Proposition 63 Mental Health Services Expansion that
passed in the November 2004 Election. Click here to go to BOSS COT's Proposition 63 page.
Berkeley Community Coalition A
group of Berkeley homeless providers and other non-profits working together
to save the local safety net. To read about the efforts of this group,
please click here.
Berkeley
Progressive Coalition - Various members of Social Service Agencies
(including BOSS Community Organizing Team members) in Alameda County and
other concerned individuals have banded together to form the Berkeley
Progressive Coalition. We are building a Progressive Coalition Convention
whose first job will be to write a progressive platform and principles
for the city of Berkeley.
Completed Campaigns
Save the Safety Net
Coalition The BOSS Community Organizing Team is an active member in the
Save the Safety Net Coalition, a statewide movement of people and
organizations responding to the egregious cuts in the programs that provide
essential services to the homeless and very poor. For the latest information
on the state budget process check out the following links:
http://www.speakoutcalifornia.org and
http://californiafordemocracy.com. One of the largest
projects for 2004 was the Save the Safety Net Rally in Sacramento on May 12,
2004.
Click here to read and see pictures from
the rally.
Don't Let AC Transit Fall! Governor Schwarzenegger's revised
state budget will take $20 million of critical property tax revenue
away from AC Transit as part of his effort to balance the state
budget. That means, AC Transit would have to cut $20 million worth
of service for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2004 (and also the
next year). This could mean the elimination of all weekend service,
all school service, all transbay service, or any combination of
service cuts.
Update from the AC Transit website - Your letters and calls made a
difference! Thanks to you, our legislative delegation, and the
community at large, Governor Schwarzenegger has agreed to reduce the
proposed cut to AC Transit from $20 million to $1.5 million.
Also, you can click the following link
http://www.transcoalition.org/archives/govbudget04.htm to read an
article from the Transportation and Land Use Coalition's website that
includes a picture of BOSS's Executive Director boona cheema who attended the
June 3, 2004 rally to stop the Governor's proposed cuts.
Measure A, Measure A gives Alameda County voters a chance to save
our essential medical services. It would generate an estimated $90
million, dedicate this revenue to the county-wide network of
hospitals and clinics, ensure basic health care services for
uninsured and low-income families and children, create a Citizens
Oversight Board to ensure that funds are spent in compliance with
the measure, and to report back to the Board of Supervisors.
This measure passed in the March 2004 election.
Proposition 56, The California Budget Initiative on the March 2004 ballot, an
initiative that would prevent future budget stalemates by allowing the budget to
be passed by the June 15 deadline with a 55% majority vote instead of the
two-thirds vote currently required. Currently California is one of only two
states with a two-thirds vote requirement. This proposition failed to pass in
the March 2004 election.
Assembly
Bill 4 by
Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, a personal income tax bill that would
increase slightly (1%) the taxes of individuals making more than $200,000.
The average increase in taxes for taxpayers earning over $250,000 annually
would be only $53. These same individuals will still see a net tax decrease
due to hug tax cuts recently enacted by federal lawmakers.
Senate
Bill 17 by
Senator Martha Escutia, a corporate property tax reform bill and the federal
Corporate Tax Accountability Act that would help to close corporate tax
loopholes that allow some large companies to avoid paying taxes.
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