amount of revenue by selling these medallions and there are literally hundreds of potential medallion holders, preapproved to purchase these medallions. they're extremely valuable and the purchase of this medallion is affordable because of the extra income you have for the medallion. having said that, the concern i have in front of you is the board of supervisors and the mta needs to be focused not just on the interest of drivers or cab companies, but in the public's interest and we are family. we are -- we are failing. we are failing to provide the right services to this public. that means taxicabs that do not provide dispatch services. these things need to be reformed. one of the things on the table is something that this industry will all poes. that is the city replacing the medallion holder with themselves as the monthly income earner of the medallion. that is being proposed right now. in other words, the medallion not issued to a qualified

working driver who is the pride of ownership in making sure the medallion is servicing the city but ran to -- rent it out to the city and the city becoming the landlord to the medallion. and want to give you pause before we go down this trajectory because the city can make $300 million selling medallions in a politically correct way or they can read them and replace them with themselves which we oppose. president chiu: thank you, next speaker. >> i want to take the opportunity while i am here to remind you of the existence of an important document. the san francisco arts task force report issued six years ago. we are seeing legislation moving forward that had to do with this document. if you have not ready yet, please be aware that exist.

i would be glad to hand deliver copy to each of your offices. these are an invaluable contributor to the tourist industry and the tax coffers have francisco needs to operate. i want to remind people exists and please take it seriously and adopt as many of these proposals as possible. as we move forward with some legislation, san francisco and many economies go through cycles. the great recession has groups on many communities. we are in an upswing of development. i point to the recent article. as we are evaluating or implementing future fees touse stabilize developments, and neighborhoods, this would be one of the greatest impact. as far as looking as -- to [unintelligible] maybe we should look at what the budgets are and have san francisco operate as a business and look for what it can expect

out of its development community so has the budget and the fees to go into balancing the communities and preserving the diversity we have in the city. consider as future projects are coming forward if there is a way to ask the community to engage in april -- a true discussion of profits, we can evaluate what we can ask for or what is not reasonable. i believe you should be greatly concerned about the politicization of the prosecution of ross mirkarimi, a former peer many of yours on the board of supervisors. what has happened has torn this family apart and has served injustice to the domestic violence advocates. you should look at this serious ly as to how it impacts of the politicians and san francisco. president chiu: thank you, next speaker. taiex i am here in support of my fellow cabdrivers to send a message to you that there is a

huge conflict of interest in the mta's regulation of the taxi industry. they have the right to regulate us and they have the right without any bounds to extract money from our industry, from our drivers for their own purposes and this cannot be allowed to stand. this is not good government. there are no checks and balances here. there are no appeals here. they simply can use us as a cash cow as they wish. the latest scheme is to lease one-third of the taxi fleet, over 500 cabs directly to cab companies, cutting out 500 drivers who would otherwise have an opportunity to have these medallions as -- their consolation prize -- they are a consolation prize because they have no benefits or sales in the terms of conditions -- they have no say in the terms of and

conditions of their being employed. we can get back their lease revenues that cannot be allowed to stand. it is more than about money. the mta is getting money out of this, but it is about robbing people of their futures. it is about foreclosing on the hopes and dreams of -- is that my time? >> you have 26 seconds. >> we need to put an end to this. we need a ballot measure. we need to stop the mta from using our industry as a cash cow and we need to ensure all medallions go to qualified working drivers. thank you. president chiu: thank you, next speaker. >> hi. i am a san francisco born and raised citizen. i am no.

4 under 92 on the medallion list. -- 492 on the medallion less. i have been driving since 1996. what this is proposing is ridiculous. they're selling medallions now. i have been on the list to get it when my name came up. now my name came up, i do not have $250,000 to pay for it so i am waiting for my name to come up, it will never come up is -- if this goes through. if you look at the classification of drivers, it is the most stressful job, period. firefighters, ceos, next to us. we serve the community, we do a great job. i do a great job. i deserve what i have been waiting for four years. i am the taxi drivers here today. i came on my off day and will

have to keep coming to speak my mind. i do not feel like saying this. i do not like being here, but my number is 492 on the list. please respect what we do. thank you. by the way, we are independent cabdrivers. we are by law forced to take credit cards. we have to pay for our cabs and cash at the end of the day. when they pay with credit cards we do not get it until four days later. thank you. president chiu: thank you, next speaker. >> hello, i am renata and i have been a cab driver for 19 years. i received my italian -- medallion in 19 -- 2009. all the drivers behind me on the list, they are waiting, too. i've waited 15 years for my medallion. 15 years, that is a long time. in 1978, when the voters voted

to allow the cab drivers to have a medallion until they die, that is something the drivers work towards getting. it is like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. that is what we're working for. now the mta has hijacked the medallions, they're stealing them from the drivers. it is not right. they should not even be selling them. they should be going down the list and giving -- when the driver dies, it goes to the next person. if they put out another 100 or two murdered or 500, they go down the list and give it to who wants it. that is how it should be. another concern, this has been growing. we want to go back to the police department. we do not want mta running us anymore. they are just looking out for themselves, not the cab drivers. we have done everything for them to raise millions of dollars.

we're making a little money. it is not right. these cabbies work long, hard hours and with love -- i love driving. it is my favorite job. but the cabbies need to be treated with some respect. if we're not going to take health benefits, we do not get any of that stuff. they should get some medallions. everyone who wants it. most of these guys wait for 20 years at the rate is going trade at least they put out 500 or 1000. that list will of faster. there is 4000 on the list right now. -- that list will move faster. i could be wrong. please fight for the taxis. president chiu: thank you, next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors.

many years ago, mr. -- sneak in one paper in the bundle, to take the taxi commission not. -- out. the muni drivers were screaming. it was done right here in this chamber. i would like to know from supervisor carmen chu, two years ago we got together and got some money together. i looked at [unintelligible] but i could not remember political people who gave that money. i would like to send her an e- mail today, where she got the money. she started supporting the cab companies. president chiu: if i could

direct you to direct your comments to all the supervisors. >> i have been advised not to talk about it -- one of the new supervisors [unintelligible] to distribute checks to the drivers picking up the cars but what happened to that story, was it just a scam? that was to get an introduction with that supervisor who was listening now. the point was, why this check system [unintelligible] could not continue afterward. the reason was that it was just to get a shake hand. we want to get out of the mta, what you to help us get on the ballot. [unintelligible] just ripping off the taxi drivers money. please help us. we want to be independent. thank you very much. president chiu: thank you, next speaker.

>> hi, i am president of the san francisco cab drivers association and vice chair of the tax advisory -- taxi driver advisory council. it is a conflict of interest that the mta is making going into the cab industry and competing with cab companies and medallion holders for revenue. they're taking money from drivers who have worked years and years and waited for their medallion as the previous speaker said. this was the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. now for every medallion that the mta cells are right, that is coming from a driver who has worked 20 years and waited 15 years on the list. i got my medallion after 15 years waiting on the list. i'm lucky i got it before this money grabs thing that just happen right now. right now, the mta is proposing printing out without medallions instead of companies.

instead of going to drivers, they would go to the mta. i urge you to think about a ballot measure to prevent money that is generated from the taxi industry to -- from going to the mta, it should go back into the taxi industry. this is robbery. i cannot think of any other word. it is an egregious conflict of interest that is happening right now. proposition a gave the mta authority to regulate all motor vehicles for hire which is not really true because they do not regulate the shuttle's or the limos. this is just a money grab. please consider supporting a ballot measure to counter this. thank you. president chiu: thank you, next speaker. >> how are you doing? i am a seven-year cabdriver and

a san francisco native. i am doing my bit for the city on the front lines of the cab industry by driving. i believe it is not ethical for revenue generated by cabdrivers to not in turn be used to solve taxi driver problems. i will give you an example. the original revenue generated goes to fix roads so there is no reason -- their -- i do not see why there should be a problem, y.a. revenue generated should not solve cab problems. also the -- i oppose that as well. and why is because we're on your front line. we're serving the public. we never did. we have burned this cabs, if they're going to be distributed, they need to go to the drivers that are taking the majority of the liability while driving. gas goes up, we pay the gas

prices trade we get into an auto accident, guess what? our personal auto insurance is going up. we're assuming a lot of the human liability which is why i believe we should be the ones to have the medallions, not the companies. thank you. president chiu: thank you, next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors. i'm a civil rights attorney and paetec -- phd candidate at uc berkeley. i started my career representing taxi drivers. over the past three -- decades, taxi cab works have endured a legal classification changes and privatization of medallions, making it difficult to earn a living. this is an industry where you can work for 10 hours and go home without a penny in your pocket. they have fewer social ties and a limited resources yet they endure the health and saving --

safety dangers and the constant surveillance and no guarantee of profit, much less immigrant -- much less [unintelligible] like domestic workers and farm laborers, taxi workers are excluded from the protection of labor laws. due to their position as excluded drivers, they are owed proper regulatory oversight and protection. since sf mta to overregulation of the industry, they have done little more than treat the five dozen to 7000 cash -- workers as a cash cow. the mta has reaped $12 million a year from the taxi industry. none of this money has gone back into the industry to protect the lives and livelihoods of these workers. there is a coalition of drivers working together, some of whom you have heard here to bring forth the ballot measure to change the terms and i encourage

you to engage and support the workers through this difficult process. most of you are concerned with the service provided by the industry. i urge you to consider the blood, sweat, and tears of the men and women who provide this important service. thank you. president chiu: thank you, next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors. i am from the library users association. the stench from the library grows ever stronger and it becomes more and more of an effort for the city's administration to ignore it. i hope you, supervisors, do not join in pretending nothing is happening. i wish you could see all the many letters sent supporting the preservation and renovation of the burdo heights branch library. i received a copy of the one to you and from the mayor from holly near.

why would one want to remove cultural history without a profound reason? i could [unintelligible] understand to bring together the past and present. or if there was an image that became offensive in the face of change consciousness but to simply painted over makes no sense. victor hara contributed greatly to the power of industry -- music in the face of terror. do we not need this reminder more than ever? as we experience ongoing violence, is this not the time to have the valiant efforts of working woman reflected back to was in the spirit of courage and hope? in a time when negative images and events blast as daily, please do not bulldoze our positive history, our images of corp. and caring. yes, my image appears in the marrow, but my image appears in other places. it is the fact that the work him -- included together in a

community that was so powerful. people seldom have a stone carvings in the way of presidents. we do have the great work of artists all over the world and there is no greater honor it then to have such art held dear by public libraries. they're not to remove -- be removed lightly. i ask you to consider your actions very seriously. thank you for your consideration. president chiu: thank you, next speaker. if there are and members of the, -- public who wish to speak in general public comment, please step up. >> i went to the mta meeting, i wanted to say that we have to teach the kids with do not live on any other person, you have to live on yourself. a lot of people are spoiled. they're like to smoke, they like to get health care. i saw someone -- [unintelligible] a free muni pass.

it is not right. wheat -- were teaching the kids everything is free. -- you are teaching the kids everything is free. it is not right. this country is already very good enough to live. we pay some money to live as we should. i am an immigrant here and i never asked anything. i am a taxi driver. the city needs the job and the city needs a taxi. that is all i want to say for my job. the problem is we have the buyer of this city -- getting into two systems or without the capitalists. we have to we have to teach kids you have to get help yourself.

10,000 people are turning 65 every year. we have 3 million retired now. i keep healthy myself. the human beings structure can live a healthy for 80 or 90 years old, without any worries to take care of you. i looked at a lot of old people at 64 who say, "can somebody help me out? i need to go shopping with somebody. the state give me the money." the governor said we had no more money. thank you. >> my name is paulette brown. matthews the overhead?

i am here to talk about my son again. there is still an unsolved crime here. i am still looking for justice for my child. it still has not happened. i am not just here for my child. there are other family members who have lost a whole family that breaks up behind this. i always talk with my pictures. here is my son laying here dead, that i have to look at and feel this every day this is a medical condition for us. it is a health condition for us. i am still standing here with my son, saying this is what i remember every day, his smile. we still have family members that are dying.

i still want to say here -- the sheriff, could you let him do his job, so he can help? he was there. let him do his job. he is not the criminal you guys portray him to be. you are making him look like that. i want to say if you are listening, sheriff, keep fighting. fight like we do. fight like your life depended on it. fight like we do for our children. this is political payback everybody says it. i have nothing against the prior chief. i have nothing against her. but if you are going to do it to one, and do it to all. sheriff, keep fighting. do as we do as parents. thank you. president chiu: are there any

other members of the public here for general public, and? seeing none come public, is closed. why don't we go to our 3:30 special commendation, offered by supervisor olague? supervisor olague: colleagues, i am pleased to present a commendation to susan stroliss. she has lived in the upper haight since [unintelligable] she now serves as the board president of the neighborhood association. she has also served on the boards of friends of sharon arts studio, and is present -- is president of this organization. she goes by the lake area, and

this inspired her to volunteer to clean up the ground. the albert like garden party plant's flowers and other plants that attract birds and butterflies to the park. in 2008, san francisco beautiful awarded the albert lake garden party for its perseverance in beautifying golden gate park. i represent all of the members of district 5 in offering susan this commendation. [applause] >> thank you very much. i am very honored to receive this recognition, although i feel there are so many others in the neighborhood who are even more deserving than i am. this is not a similar effort by any means. my neighbors all participated

over the years. i would like to recognize in particular karen and ted. ted is currently working with me to prepare the future of robert -- of albert lake, so residents and tourists is can enjoy this area once again. thank you so much. [applause] president chiu: with fact, can we call the 3:00 p.m. special order related to the america's cup? i believe that offers to acquire us to consider -- supervisor mar: excuse me. i had a commendation. president chiu: i have not an oppressed of that. supervisor mar:-- i had not been apparaised of that. supervisor mar: i would like to

honor the richmond district ymca, which keeps me healthy, and so many other families in our district. this is the 90th anniversary of our richmond district ymca. we have a special proclamation we have provided today. the tremendous staff at the ymca, when i go into the 18th avenue, there is a tiny little parking lot back there, but it is a warm place that allows me to de-stress after difficult board meetings, but also a place to hide out and work the weight room. there is tight she, -- tai chi, pilates, yoga, ballet, and programs from the middle schools as well. 90 years is a tremendous accomplishment. born in 1022 -- 1922 after the influx of families after the

earthquake that move out west -- it creates tremendous opportunities for our families in the richmond district. i think the first location was near where the richmond branch library is, close to geary, where the antique -- where the at&t building is. i hope we can expand it to a much better space in the future. there are currently over 4000 members like myself of the richmond district ymca. the programs include youth development and how the living. i really support the healthy families and families work, and the social responsibility of welcoming community health and well-being, providing opportunities to give back to support the neighborhood. our proclamation reads -- thank you to my staff for working to say that in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the

richmond district ymca, the original founders, volunteers, and supporters will gather this thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. to celebrate the 90 year ymca tradition of strengthening the foundations of community. be it resolved that the san francisco board of supervisors proclaimed april 5, 2012, and ymca day in the city and county of san francisco. i am a proud member of the y. it feels like a family place i am so comfortable with. i think the executive director, the director of the minister of the services, and the director of youth and family programs for their incredible work to make our neighborhood healthy and safe. [applause] >> i was not really prepared to make any