-- has been smiling since i asked these questions. we have been asking about why the trains have slowed down since the work in the tunnel. to my knowledge, we have not received a clear answer all the we have been receptive. one of the last conversations i had was about this issue and he said he had not been satisfied. recently, we were actually riding the train and noticed as you enter the curve, we're going about 5 miles an hour. it seems to me that not only have we not gone unanswered on the speed in the main portion of the tunnel but now the trains are going slower and i have not received an explanation for that. obviously, this is only in minute or two or three on an individual trip but when you add that up, this is really a massive amount of time.

so, i would like to know at our next meeting or in the next report why we have a slowdown in the you reek of curved -- why we have a slowdown in the eureka curve. >> this has been going on for a long time. >> the next item is the citizens advisory council report. -- is unable to be with you. he will have a full report at the next meeting. item nine is items that are within the jurisdiction but are not on the agenda. we do have quite a few members of the public who are anxious to address you.

>> i wanted to make two suggestions. this arose from a situation today. this flows also from the suggestion made by john haley at the meeting last week in terms of trying to improve service for the j st., he suggested that where these meat, they are possibly putting in a left turn signal. i wanted to support that idea. today, there was a problem at that intersection. it was there for about 20 minutes. i want to commend the supervisor. that guy did a hero of job of moving the truck and also directing traffic because the

drivers were abysmal in their responsiveness to the safety issues. the crew did the work quickly. a left turn signal could have been helpful at that intersection. it would not have stopped the problem. it would have made traffic flow easier all around. i want to suggest that what mr. haley said is something you should consider in whatever level you can. thank you. >> the next speaker is -- >> funneling all of these millions to a company out of the state is not a solution while we are short in money. we can use this money over here in san francisco, in california. drivers can only pay 2% and

having this 2% spent inside, why they should funnel money to another country? -- and out of state company. this is full falsifications. this is not present the facts. all the personal information of passengers, drivers, are being held in databases and as we know, these databases can be accessed during the process that it goes through and we see a misuses it all of the time. fortunately, -- can be -- personal information can be compromised. using gps is a bad idea. using automation as a foundation

is a much better idea. 90% of the cab drivers are the silent majorities. they are the people that transferred people here. why they are not here on the prior session's because they are migrants. in their countries, when they speak their minds, bad things happen to them and their families. yes, you push the income to the level that is half of what teenagers make in mcdonald's. remember, -- >> next speaker. [applause]

>> you listed my name first. i live on 21st street and i have received something in the mail saying that we would get permits for parking. my neighbor passed around a petition and i signed against it that he showed me since then that there is a record of me being in favor it -- in favor of it. i am against it. i spoke to a neighbor up the street and she believes the same thing happened to her.

my vote is no. >> thank you. >> i am here to speak for -- to cannot be here today. he is out of state. he addresses this to the director regarding permit parking. i received a copy of the block map that was used to justify approval. i am unable to attend this meeting but wish to point out that three properties were longley shown -- were wrongly shown in favor. please correct this mistake. >> thank you.

>> i am here on the topic a permit parking. as you are each going to receive a pamphlet and this is important that this would be delivered to each now because i'm going to refer to -- >> this is not accessible to all members of the board said the board has a policy that unless every board of member can access it -- >> they can. right there.

>> if you start speaking, we will put it over to show what you are trying to show. >> being approved on march the first, 2011. >> this is upside-down. >> that's it. >> ok. >> some of this shows up in red. it is those three properties with the arrows, these have been changed in their vote as you have just heard. this vote was changed from yes to know. the next person is two doors away from her have her vote change.

i have signatures from each of these people. his boat was changed from yes to know. that tilted the balance. -- his vote was changed from yes to no. therefore, it follows that your approval for a permit was based on very erroneous information. that is on the map down here. those three properties have voted no. they are colored green because someone wanted to color them green. you are responsible to the public and it is not the other way around. >> thank you. >> please complete halt and reverse this decision.

>> i am here to support my fellow members and state that this whole department of parking and traffic situation approving this is something that was just outrageous. we have three people here at the hearing proposing it, two people for it, and a signed a petition must. one person who asked to park on this street instituted this to the situation. when this was approved, i

wondered to myself if you have overwhelming support against this, are we living in a democracy? how many people can say no but it is a very small minority of people who want this and they still approve it. i would really like to ask how would is that the hearing board of the department of traffic, they all work for the department of parking and traffic. why don't they recused themselves? -- why don't they recuse themselves? this is absolutely ridiculous to have members of the mta sitting on the hearing board deciding what is right for them to do, especially when they are obviously biased and completely

in support of everything that the city wanted to do. this is no more than a conspiracy. >> i have come to speak on my behalf and all little people, the taxi drivers. last time, when you passed the rules, they were unaware of what was going on because the taxi driver has never published it properly to let people know. there are some laypeople that would not be speaking that are

sitting here. yellow cab and started driving 5% to the drivers under the new rules. this item is sold by the cab company and you are forcing us to pay. this is the paper from one of -- which shows the story. we gave them an increase of $13. these are people who would not take a penny.

they would drink the water. [applause] >> cabbies are losing income all

the time. we are losing more. we will lose five more. i do not support this. this is my shift. many drivers did not come because they are working and they do not support this. that is it.

>> good afternoon. >> i have been driving for nine years. i've not felt like this before. we are paying out of our pocket.

i do not accept that. >> why hasn't the issue of the credit card transactions been tailored by this body? now we have one minute to speak? first of all, your staff has mandated that the microphones be

put in the back of every taxi. i wonder why this is necessary. there is one with a lower interest rate. another question the need to ask is to is financially profiting from this. who are the middle man? what is the schedule of fees? there is a whole schedule of fees that banks charge. who has access to 6000 drivers personal information? my day driver called to check his balance and a woman answered. it sounded like she was in her kitchen making dinner. i find that weird. is she working from home? do you want to give your social security number to who? you have to give a report on low-level radiation coming from these units. there is one here, one here.

the concerned scientists say there is no level of radiation. i think it is your responsibility to ensure that the working environment for 6000 taxi drivers is completely safe. you need to conduct a study to see if the emf's are bouncing off of the frame towards the driver. it is your responsibility to ensure that we will not get chronic exposure. you can laugh at me if you want but i believe this city just passed a law to disclose how much radiation is coming from the cell phone. you are exposed to this every day about this far from your head and this is coming from the rear of the unit. [applause]

>> there is a lot of electronics, how much will this harm? we have no idea. they are at each other. i think it was covered before.

5%, this will be a big blow to the taxi drivers. we are purchasing new hybrid caps which is already more offensive. that is what i have to say here. thank you very much. >> i am with united taxicab workers. for 15 years, cab companies were not a large -- allowed to charge taxi drivers for credit card transactions. this has been turned inside out by your agency. the drivers are being asked to pay 5% when we all know that the true cost of credit card transactions, even with the profits is more like 3%. where is that other 2% going?

in many cases, it will go back to these cab companies. i have it on good authority that they are getting a kick back. they are exporting their drivers. this has been turned completely inside out. -- they are exploiting their drivers. they are making a profit and that is this agencies doing and nobody else's. [applause] any other merchant can pass on the processing charge to their customers, cabdrivers cannot. we have not seen a meager increase in over 8 years. -- we have not seen a meter increase. i have made this point before. maybe you will not ignore these

drivers who took time to come here today. i am asking you to do something about this. i also want to say that there has been a huge intrusion of communications technology in taxis. -- take pictures inside and outside of the caps. we have computerized debit and credit card equipment. we have electronic bills. this records every click of the meter and every inch of the road. while it might be legitimate purpose for some of these things, we very very badly need guidelines, standards, rules saying what this can and cannot be used for. this is big brother come home.

i am askingto listen to these ds they speak and to do something about this, because they are not going to sit still. it is going to be -- thank you. chairman nolan: next speaker. secretary boomer: [reading names] and i cannot read this one. i am sorry. >> chairman, i hate to use this phrase, but you are operating in a critical way. you run this with an open hand, project open hand, but in compassion, why are you not being compassionate to people of color, people from different countries, who are trying to do hard work and be the ambassadors of this city? [applause]

why? the city of san francisco deserves to have an answer, and this is also a violation of your rules and regulations, and maybe i should read it out loud, because you do not know how to read. beginning in 2010 and every calendar year thereafter, the sfmta should hold a meeting to determine if the fees should be increased or remained unchanged. ok, what are you breaking your own law? what are you breaking your own regulation? -- why are you? there is the comptroller's report that says what to do. there are gas prices going up every day. these drivers may have hybrids, but they are paying more for it, and you do not care about it? i was quoted in the paper that if you pay drivers more money,

you get better service. i will say it again and again. why are you throwing these people under the bus, so to speak, you know, and not taking care of them? you have your own problems. i feel sorry for deputy director hayashi, because she has to go out and collect money to help pay for muni, and this is not her own faults, the problems going on in the industry. why are you gouging the drivers and not improving their ability to provide things in this state? thank you. chairman nolan: next speaker. secretary boomer: sayid -- i do not know the rest of it. [reading names] could you say your name for me please?

>> [unintelligible] why? that is the one point that i have. a credit card. why visa, visa, visa? where are our choices? and 5%, what are you not thinking about the cab companies? -- why are you not? always right here, and they can talk about it. we cannot come all of the time. the second thing, the electronic

bill systems that you're going to put into the cabs, right now, we do not have health care. you are making us more slaves. that is what i have to say. thank you. secretary boomer: mr. chairman, we have been advised by the city sheriff that we are violating the fire code by having everybody standing against the wall, so we're going to ask everyone who is standing to please move to an overflow room, which is room 408, so we will move on for a moment until we are either able to find a seat -- and i am going to read a bunch of names so that peoples whose names i read can stay.