i also echo bob planthold's comments and walter parks. i'm a little pessimistic, because i feel the train already left the system, unlike north carolina north new york city where they result in 50% of taxis being accessible and others are protecting the taxi industry, which means that they are also protecting the consumer. i'm afraid california and san francisco, the train has already left the system, even before the tncs become so big and powerful. the ramp taxi service and i'm speaking of private taxi as opposed to the paratransit program, because that is what i have familiarity with. it has been goingcoun hill. i have some personal examples, which would take more time than we have, but basically, an examples of friends as well. but basically, the only place in the last several years where i feel as somebody in a wheelchair you could count on getting a taxi, if you arrive at the airport, you can find one. that is still the case, but if you want to call a taxi in san francisco, that is accessible, it's totally hit-or-miss to the point th

bob planthold. >> hello, anyone on the bridge line? >> i'm bob planthold. i wanted to offer an analysis, and then put the burden on you individually as councilmembers. you have heard the indications, the evidence that these tncks, they are not accessible through their communications, their vehicles do not provide universal service. they are public accommodations, but somehow, that has been overlooked by cpuc. they should have been accessible from the beginning. somehow nobody in this city is able to call attention to that or has mentioned that. the mayor is silent about the lack of accessibility. the city attorney doesn't mention it in interviews, comments about tncs. the president of the board of supervisors says nothing. the two supervisors who are mtc commissioners and ostensibly knowledge about transportation, are silent, the rest of the supervisors are silent. what is evident and obvious is lost on these public officials. a major public interest law firm, disability rights advocate is seeking instances now of people who are denied service. the very fac

>> i am bob planthold, we are all thankful for the publicity that this is getting city-wide about hiring people with disabilities. i want to say also that we heard you talk earlier about funding for additional positions that could help with the out reach of communication. i want to go beyond that. separate from the civil service type of rule for entry level positions is activities of the board of supervisor itself can do to model the increasing of employment of people with disabilities. we heard about culture change for agencies. supervisor mcgoldric when he was supervisor for district one had a charter amendment passed that said when they consider appointments for diversity they must consider various categories of people including people with disabilities but how often really do the supervisors reach out and say we don't have enough people with disabilities in applying to be on the planning commission, or the building inspection commission or the police commission or the elections commission. and some years ago the school board had a chance to appoint a knowledgeable person of a disabil

. >> i'm bob planthold. i want to raise an issue that is something where you can more -- with impact raise questions. i learned this week that the paper forms provided by the california secretary of state for voter registration are not in accessible format. the white house for the blind staff told me that they get paper forms that are not in accessible form and i checked and they are not. it's not that they just don't make that -- i don't know whether there needs to be a specific individual request, but when the white house for the blind is issued paper forms that maybe myself can fill out, but some of their clients and staff and board can't, some is inconsistent here. now the current secretary of state is termed-out. so i'm not sure who would be handling any requests, but i think the disability council could say what is going on here? that could help press whoever is the new secretary of state to better respond to this. thank you. >> thank you. i have no other slips. is there any other public comment, gener

. >> i'm bob planthold, i am here on behalf of friends of ethics. we are people who are either former ethics commissioners, ethics staff but have a variety of other good government type work experience such as on the board of appeals or several grand juries or sunshine ordinance task force. what we haven't heard said i think is going it need reminding. it is the board of supervisors that's the policy making body for the city. the mayor is the chief executive officer. so when a mayor appoints over half of the policy makers, that's a problem. the analogy is to look at private enterprise. companies whose chief executive stacks the deck of the board of directors often lack competent executive oversight. they can get into trouble. that's the analogy with the way this system can happen now. i'm suggesting let the people decide right now. do they want things to go as they are? so be it, if that's the case, don't deny people the opportunity to have a truly fully independent policy making body, the board of supervisors. thank you. >> any other public comment