increased revenue to continue to pay even absent the subsidy. we're working with the employer community now. we're also working with the jobs now employees should there be a loss of jobs in transition, helping them to navigate the system and benefits if necessary, building up their resumes and getting them transition to other jobs. >> we're looking to see if we can create some stimulus for the business as well, some incentive to keep people on. we're hopeful that maybe hundreds or even a thousand or more could maintain their status at least temporarily. after the holidays, many businesses can afford that through the fourth quarter. many are in the service and retail economy. come january, there will be a big dip. what happens is you take one subsidy and and give people another subsidy. in the case a lot of transitional workers, it is more money not to work. that sends a pretty powerful

message that we're not serious about job creation and growth and not serious about supporting businesses. the last paycheck would be for the work done through september 30. arguably, the second week of october would be the last check the come. we would process the final checks through the end of october. when people started -- this was multiple millions, have people learned about it earlier. it was almost a year in the program. trent deserves the credit. he was doing conference calls with other gubernatorial staffs and morals staffs. not one mayor had heard of this. this was after we had 1500 people employed under it. we thought they were kidding. i even went to see the governor.

we went together. i do not want to let him out, but my gosh. call the california chamber in your office. call 58 counties and and their boards of supervisors and tell them about the money, let's go out and create 250,000 jobs in this state. instead, we had a speech about needed more money for work force training. where are you going to find the money? he never came forward. there is no accountability in this country. you just heard that the best job training program is a job. we could have been doing that with federal money. that would have helped all of these businesses and substantially reduce unemployment in this state and our city. why do you think the san francisco and plena rate is

better than almost any other county? does anyone asks a question? why is that inherently the case? do the math. people are employed that would have been unemployed. 40,000 people unemployed overall. what does that represent in percentages? we are well over 10%, up there with other peer cities, without this program. it has been that significant. it does matter what happens down at city hall and the state capital. it is about leadership. it is not just the elected folks as much as it is the people in the trenches. they have driven it with the business leadership you see behind me. >> what impact with those people becoming unemployed have on the city social-service is? >> two things can happen.

mayor newsom: is very important. you have heard about the 99 yea'ers who will lose benefits m the federal government. they end up on county welfare rolls. those of the county assistance programs. we already saw when the unemployment debate occurred and there was still a question of the unemployment benefits being extended, you saw substantial increases, and double the number of applications on the county program. underbudgeted, subsidized by the county. two things happened. people go on the federal rolls. some may have already had experience on the rolls before and did not get the natural extension benefits. then they go on the county rose. the county has to subsidize it at a time when the counties are already financially strapped, versus a program that cost less money to keep people employed

and creates economic output and sales growth. that generates more sales tax revenue and gross revenue. it has a multiplier with the stimulus. there is a physiology behind this. i am mesmerized that it is not so obvious to the folks in washington. it may be a complete disconnect. it may not be rhetoric. there is a disconnect between washington and main street. it was beautiful when you heard from robert. it seems almost like pulp driven rhetoric. they say it every debate. it is nonsense. it is just words. i cannot understand how this is getting caught up in the politics in the senate. we're one or two of votes away from getting this as a done deal.

all they have to pick up as one or two republicans. >> the online campaigning. to the states think the senate republicans are wavering? are the states using the programs and have a lot of people that will benefit from continuing to use them? >> the common currency with all the states is that the color of money is green. the states we're going after are red. mississippi, texas, and states similar to those are read states. we believe that when the true facts are put on the table that people will believe this is a bipartisan issue. we want to keep america working. it is important for us to know that less risk is taken out of our decisions every day a small business owners. this will take a tremendous amount of risk out of our decisions for the next year. >they have used the program.

i talked to a woman yesterday it with a delightful mississippi accent. she said this was the most successful program we have ever done. she said they could not spend the money fast enough. that goes to the same thing that trent and mayor newsom were saying. she said she had small business owners clamoring to take people off of the unemployment rolls. it is not left coast or east coast. it is every coast and esstate in between. >> the campaign? >> it is a collaborative campaign. we're reaching out business owner to business owners and trying to garner letters of support. this is not a handout. it is a hands up program. we believe bluntly it helps our bottom line and also our topline.

we want people who have benefited to speak out and let their congress people know this is something that has to be carried forward. i am working closely with the government officials here to leverage their contacts to put our voices with theirs. mayor newsom: i did not mean to take a shot. i do not know that i did. i could have but did not. the governor is supportive. his chief of staff is a supportive of our efforts. we do have a bipartisan effort. the board of supervisors member in los angeles is a republican who trusts me and is not very supportive of a lot of things we do appear. he is extraordinarily supportive of these efforts. he and i wrote an op-ed piece that ended up in some newspaper. it may have ended up on line. maybe i just put it on the website. did anyone pick it up?

the loud and by the "l.a. daily news." -- go out and buy the "l.a. daily news." if you are the governor of mississippi, you should love this. if you are the governor of texas, you should love this. they should be out their front and center. the key is going to be republicans taking the leadership. we have a strong leadership with the democrats. it has gone through the house twice. we have had two victories. ultimately people get caught up in the jobs bill debate and everything else. they come back from recess. there's a small period of time when this can happen. the advocacy is going to be focused for the next few weeks no city is better positioned to be an advocate-liter than san francisco because of speaker policy -- to be an advocate-city than it san francisco because of

speaker nancy pelosi and other representatives. we are in a unique position. it is not good enough. everything is being played out with the midterm elections. we're playing with people's lives. we're playing with their families. you have two kids. this is serious business. this is not just about the person speaking. with an 11-month old, i get it now. 11 months ago, i would have said that i understood it but i understand it now. it is serious. it is not 3020 people. it is 3820 families. >> california is working with the small business committee in the senate on this program. mayor newsom: those are the key. >> over the last nine months, 994 families have left the

welfare program in san francisco. compare that to the prior nine months before jobs now, a little over 254 families. we're more than 3.5 times the number of families leading state aid. we only have about 5000 families on welfare. this program is funded with federal and state dollars and county dollars. where do the fans want to spend their money? on the welfare side or on this side? -- where do the fans want to spend their money? on the welfare side or on this side? mayor newsom: the benefits are far reaching and self-evident. any other questions? thank you very much. we will try to make this happen. [applause]

>> cents and cisco's buses and trains serve many writers -- san francisco buses and trains serve many riders. the need to be sure they can get

off at their intended stop. the digital voice announcement system, which announces upcoming stops, can help these low vision riders know where they are, but only if set properly. >> it is a wonderful piece of technology, but in practice, it is a little bit more tricky. oftentimes, i find that the automatic announcement system is turned off or turned down so low that i'm unable to hear it, or it is turned up so high that the sound is distorted. >> most of the time, it does not ever seemed to be on. or is it is, it is a really quiet. occasionally, it is so loud that it is distorted. >> driver, may i have california st., please? >> no problem. >> whenever the announcement system does not work properly and a driver does not call out the stops, and i'm totally lost

as to where i am. the announcement system calls out the stops, but to help the customer, i caught the destination, transfer points, and requested stops. and it is the law. >> i use the p a system to make sure everyone on the bus here is my announcements. >> i have had both experiences with the loudness and the to stop for the announcements. you are never going to have it exactly balanced for every trip because your level of noise changes. the announcement system ranges from 1 to 10. 10 would be too loud, a little distorted. eight is a good number. not too loud, but loud enough for everyone to hear and understand what is going on. >> i think bus drivers might not be aware of the fact that if you let a visually impaired person off at the wrong stop, number one, they may be absolutely unfamiliar with the area they are in. >> the driver overshot the stock

that i wanted. i decided to get off and find my way back, but it was very disorienting, not exactly understanding how far i was. number 2, it might be a potentially dangerous situation if they do not know the area and are attempting to make crossings that they are unfamiliar with. >> they let me off somewhere else. i had no idea where i was. i missed the stop, and the bus was gone. then, i look around. i tried to find someone to help me, and i cannot find anybody. i would have no way of knowing where i am at. >> [inaudible] i asked why he did not stop when i asked. we did not panic. we do not know where we are. we do not know what is going on.

i get over there, and right away, i almost got killed. >> #3, it's the person in question is trying to get somewhere, it is going to make them late for whatever they are doing. >> i had to find my way to a corner and ask someone where i was going to and how to get there. i eventually made it to my appointment, which was with social security, but i was very late, and they almost did not see me. >> i was very late former doctor's appointment, and there was concern about whether or not i could be fit in. >> when i get off i stock that is unfamiliar to me, because i have no sight, i cannot just automatically orient myself off to a new environment. it takes a lot of training, a lot of work. there are a lot of skill sets involved when i am first introduced to a new area. to get off at an unfamiliar bus stop for the first time and to

do it unintentionally -- it can be a really disorienting experience. >> i think there is a sense that it is ok, that person is going to find their way, and did they do not know where they are, you are potentially putting them in a seriously dangerous situation. >> i always appreciate when the drivers are proactive in asking questions like, "where do you want to get off?" i appreciate when they help find a seat for me. i also appreciate when everything is working properly as far as the voice announcement system. they make sure that it is turned on, that it is loud enough for everyone to hear, not turned down so low that it helps no one. >> excuse me, driver, what stocks are we at? can you remind me when we get to

venice and broadway? thanks. >> what we're talking about here is full participation and inclusion. i want to be able to lead a full life. the only way that i'm able to get from place to place this by using a fully accessible public transit system like meany -- muni. >> the americans with disabilities act of 1990 is a wide-ranging federal civil- rights law that prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities. title two of the ada addresses access to public services, including public transportation for persons with disabilities. it requires transit operators to call out stops at transfer points, major intersections, and major destinations, and to announce particular stocks requested by customers with disabilities. stop announcements are especially important for

passengers who are blind or have low vision. these individuals cannot travel independently if they are not assured of getting off at their intended destination point.