How Not to Do Politics.

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 As I was walking by the small honk-a-thon prior to last Tuesday's MTA Board meeting Tariq Mehmood approached me with a smile. This surprised me. He usually waves his arms at me and shouts things like:

"Don't talk to me!" or "Leave! You don't belong here! You are not a driver!" or "Don't you laugh at me!"

He's been acting thus ever since I wrote this post about him. Naturally, I assumed his sudden conviviality stemmed from a desire to publicize some scheme or other in my blog. This proved to be the case.

Mehmood proudly pointed to the line of cabs circling City Hall and told me that he was planning a major strike.

"You mean you're not going to pick people up?" I asked. "Uber will be happy to hear it."

"This time we'll shut the city down!"  He said with a wide-eyed grin.

"Then maybe they'll charge double."

How Not to win the Hearts and Minds of the People.


Of course it would be impossible to seal off a city with so many ways in and out. (Is he going to block off Palmetto Ave, Brotherhood Way, Alemany Blvd, Brunswick St, etc?). What would be possible would be to shut down the bridges. This has been done before and the results of such an action would follow a predictable path.

1. The cabs would block the streets for a couple of hours.

2. Since no city can tolerate such behavior, the police would eventually tow the offending vehicles and arrest and fine or discipline the drivers.

3. The traffic would soon return to flowing (or not) as it had before.

The only lasting effect would be to alienate the public even more than those cab drivers who turn down credit cards. There is nothing that people hate more than being punished for something they didn't do. It would turn people, who might be sympathetic, against the cab driver's cause.

Think of what Critical Mass has done to win love for the Bicycle Coalition.

In short, blocking traffic would be monumentally stupid, meaning that Tariq will probably do it.

What cause?

And there would the problem of explaining why Mehmood and his minions would deliberately cause massive gridlock.

One certainly couldn't tell from the above protest. As usual Tariq substituted personal attacks for reason. Why should Hayashi, Heinicke and Ed Lee resign? (Ed Lee????) We don't know. A guy with a bullhorn kept kept shouting that "we" were, "against electronic waybills, backseat terminals ..." But would this win over the hears and minds of a public that's been stuck on the Bay Bridge for two hours?

 The gentleman in the photo below didn't know if he was against the noise or not.

"It depends what the honking is about?" He said.

"Basically, they're underpaid and don't have benefits," I told him. "It's not fair."

"I can see that," he said. "On the other hand, whoever said that life should be fair?"

"Wasn't that Spinoza?"

"Maybe ... Spinoza's complicated."



A Brilliant Protest: But How Not to Get a Message Across.

I liked this one. In fact, I wish I'd thought of it. I've got to hand it to organizer Brad Newsham.  He's quite the showman and he paid for the photographer out of his own pocket. This stunt did indeed get the attention of the press. The soundbites were there for the taking. But what were they?

An online paper The San Francisco Appeal quoted Newsham as saying that the MTA has been "abusing" taxi drivers, who he says are losing business to the private car service Uber.

"We've got an absolutely demoralized workforce that's being looted," he said.

Will Reisman of the San Francisco Examiner paraphrased Mark Gruberg of the United Taxicab Workers as saying,

"Drivers are upset about onerous credit card fees ..." and "... government overregulation ..."

Gruberg also pointed out that "the SFMTA gets a 15% cut" of $250,000 taxi medallion sales and "... hasn't invested any of that money back into the industry."

Catherin Al_Meten of SF Grandparenting Examiner described signs as reading, "We won't be your cash cow" and "Fire Mirakarimi."

There are no shortage of messages. In fact, there are too many. Some are ridiculous (Mirakarimi????) and others cancel each other out. Mark does't like "overregulation" but Brad wants to regulate Uber out of business. And, what are we to do about "abused" and "demoralized" cab drivers? Do we need group therapy?

Sorry. But there is no center in any of this, no concrete plan of action with which the non-cab driving public can identify. Given this potpourri of soundbites, the media focused on what most disturbs them.

Flikr descibed it as a "Protest of proposed credit card charges for "cabbies.'"

KRON 4 News asked on facebook, "Do you think 'cabbies' should have to pay credit card charges?" The count was tied at 4-4 at last ... count.

Reisman devoted most of his article to discussing credit card processing fees and the MTA's plan to cap them at 3.5% - about which Gruberg continues to harp, despite the fact that not taking credit cards is the one act for which the public most hates taxi drivers. Reisman writes,

"While the drivers and companies bicker about credit card fees, taxi passengers will continue to feel the impact of the argument. Some drivers, angry about absorbing the extra costs, are still refusing to pick up passengers who don’t have cash."

The journalist concluded with a story about a cab customer who was spit at by a "cabbie" when he tried to use a credit card.

Newsham's cab caravan was good theatre but, in the end, the mixed messages may have done little except feed negative "cabbie" stereotypes. The protest that the public is really paying attention to is the one the anti-credit card genius's are holding every day. Uber must be pleased.

How Not to Talk to High Ranking Officials.

Brad Newsham finally scores points.

But, first, Brad shoots himself in the foot.

Director Heinicke isn't going anywhere.  He's just been reappointed. Furthermore, for better or worse, when it comes to taxis, Heinicke is the most influential member of the MTA Board. Since, we can't get rid of him, maybe we should try to free his mind instead.


The self-proclaimed "most powerful and great leader the ..." taxi "... industry has ever seen" throws a "spontaneous" tantrum.

In recorded history, has anyone ever advanced a cause by embarrassing, insulting or threatening powerful officials?

MTA Board: PIM's, Electronic Waybills, C.C Fees et al

The Tuesday June 5, 2012 MTA Board meeting was a little strange even before it started.

I ran into Director Malcom Heinicke in the elevator and said,

"Hello Director."

He smiled at me and responded,

"Call me Mal."

This from a man whose designs for the taxi industry I've been trashing for the last three years. What can it mean? Should I expect a dead fish on my doorstep? Or, is the Director one of those rare individuals (unheard of in local politics and unimagined in the taxi business) who can separate his ideas from his person?

Then, there is the above photo of Deputy Director Christiane Hayashi together with Tariq Mehmood for which I offer no explanation.

Finally, noting the above tender moment and the fact that Mark Gruberg, Hansu Kim, Carl Macmurdo, Tone Lee and John Han had all agreed on the same issue, Director Heinicke commented on the meeting's weirdness by saying,

"This wasn't in my Day Planner."

But, let me cut to the chase.


The MTA Board Voted Unanimously to Approve:


1. Lowering of credit card fees to 3.5%.


2. That the taxi industry convert to electronic waybills. 


3. That Rear-seat terminals (PIMs) be universally used in taxis.

4. Recommending to Board of Supervisors to make certain changes in the police and city codes, including the controversial eliminating the right of appeal on taxi permit hearings.

The Board Voted to "Vett" other sections of the transportation code before voting on them.


For those of you who aren't lawyers or don't hang out at City Hall, "vett" means to:  check, examine, scrutinize, investigate, inspect, look over, screen, assess, evaluate, appraise. At the Board meeting I said that it "sounded like a violent word" and was accidentally half right. It originally comes from veterinary surgery. Since we're dealing with cab drivers here "argue and defame" should arguably be added to the definition.


 The point of agreement among Mark Gruberg, Hansu Kim, Carl Macmurdo, Tone Lee, John Han, myself and others was that the proposed changes the transportation codes had not been properly vetted. Some people also thought this of the 3.5% credit card rate and the PIMs.

The upshot is the we should be having some Town Hall meetings soon.

Even the parts of these recommendations that seem simple have hidden complexities. I intend to explore  some of these more fully in a future post.

Next: How not to do politics.

In Memory of Tori Landsdown

Loved ones and friends of Victoria "Tori" Landsdown (photo, with her daughter Jessica) held a memorial Tuesday night, May 29th, 2012 at the Trocadero boat house in Stern Grove. It was her birthday. Tori would have been 62.

Although a sad and solemn occasion, it turned into a celebration of a life lived to the fullest. Tori was an artist, a cab driver and raised champion dogs which she ran through agility obstacle courses. She loved nature, her dogs, her children, her neighbors, opera and the San Francisco Giants.

People who knew her from all these various aspects spoke of her wit, courage and vitality, of the joy she took in life and gave to others. They talked about how knowing her had enriched their lives.

A friend of Jessica's said that Tori was the only parent that they ever invited to parties. In fact, they thought she was so much fun that they wouldn't throw a party without her and that she would dance everyone else into the ground.

A fellow Giants fan told of how Tori was voted the "Queen" of a rooting section in Candlestick Park (back when her kids were small and they were poor) and how she magically contrived to get most of her subjects into games for free most to the time.

A friend who knew her as both a painter and a cab driver said that she went to visit Tori in the hospital and found that she had organized a party in her ward.

I knew her through the taxi politics of the last three years. Tori was a medallion holder who was very concerned with helping non-medallion drivers. She was on the board of the San Francisco Cab Drivers Association and, working behind the scenes, was instrumental in keeping the Medallion Waiting List part of the Pilot Plan.

She later did research and spoke with members of the Board of Supervisors about problems with the SFPD that eventually led to increased cooperation between the cops and cab drivers.

Later I learned that she was ill all during this period.

A few months ago, drivers Barry Korengold, Franciose Spiegelman and I joined Tori for a few drinks at her neighborhood bar, the Wild Side West. Toward the end of the night, she turned toward us and said with a warm, whimsical smile, "I'm probably not going to be around too much longer."

For once I couldn't think of anything to say and let others do the talking. And I've let people who knew her better than I do the talking here. I'd like to add that I loved her wit, her spirit, her courage, her direct way of speaking and her impish laugh. She set a model for us to live intensely and well.

We rocked out the memorial in her honor.

                                      Rest in Peace.

Taxi Reform Town Hall Meetings

The Town Hall Meetings on Tuesday May 22nd attracted the usual small gatherings. About twenty people attended the afternoon session and maybe fifteen came in the evening when I showed up.

This has always struck me as strange. Several groups are trying to bring out throngs of drivers for the June 5th MTA Board  meeting (which is important) but you can actually change or modify proposals at a Town Hall meeting - especially if Deputy Director Hayashi is running it.

Indeed, there were a few modifications made in the Taxi Services Recommendations draft.

• In part (III) Continue Medallion Sales two changes were made (1) Drivers who earn or buy a medallion will have to keep it for at least five years before selling; unless (2) The new medallion holder is 65 or disabled.
• Under (V) Changes to Leasing Regulations, the wording that would limit "affiliate" leases to 1/3 of the fleet has been struck out. It was felt that "if the standards of regulation were high enough," the affiliates would limit themselves.
• Perhaps less important, the terms for the Issue of Temporary Color Scheme Permits (IV) (d) would be changed to "Three or Four Years" instead of the "life of the vehicle." (c) It was emphasized by Hayashi that driver surveys regarding their companies would be anonymous and that customer surveys would also be used to rate the cab companies.

Drivers expressed hostility to various recommendations especially: dedicating all 350 Pre-K medallions to the waiting list, issuing temporary permits to the color schemes and, surprisingly, giving up to 100 newly issued medallions to aging drivers Not on the medallion list on the basis of A-Card seniority.

All 350 Pre-K's to the Waiting List.

Most the arguments about this item came from members of the Medallion Holder's Association (MHA). I didn't attend the afternoon session where they spoke but I'm familiar with their ideas. They think that Pre-K's should be able to sell because:

1. They paid for their medallions prior to Prop-K.
2. All medallion holders should be treated the same. Not to do so would be discrimination.
3. Most of the aging Pre-K's have already sold their medallions so it would take ten or twelve years for the current medallions to go to the Waiting List.
4. They are the people who built up the taxicab business, it would therefore be unconscionable not to let them sell.

Issue of Temporary Color Scheme Permits.

This is by far the least popular of the proposals. I haven't run a poll but a the majority of drivers that I've talked to are against this measure. Although softly focused in my photo, cab driver and dispatcher Ben (whose last name I didn't catch) clearly summarized the reasons for opposition:

1. The taxi companies already make plenty of money.
2. The companies are crooked

3. Medallions should go to working drivers.

4. Once the companies start getting medallions, they will never stop.

5. The money the MTA makes from the leasing might influence them to take away medallions and turn more cabs into leased taxis.

Deputy Director Hayashi defended the plan, saying that:

• It would help give companies financial relief.
• By setting high standards for the distribution of the permits, it would give the MTA greater control over the companies.
• It would inspire companies to improve their performance.
• It would allow non-medallion holding gate & gas drivers to drive Friday and Saturday night as well as other primo shifts.
• The permits would be temporary and could be taken back if they didn't work or the economy took a nose dive.

Driver and TAC member Tone Lee thought that the MTA should either put out more Single Operator Permits or lease the cabs directly to the drivers.

Hayashi said that both Lee's ideas were future possibilities but the current plan would give Taxi Services the chance to compare the Leased Permits and the Single Operator Permits with each other to judge their effectiveness. One or both might be eliminated or expanded in the future.


Issuing up to One Hundred Medallions by A-card Seniority to Drivers Not on the Waiting List.

Both Ben and Naim Malik, who are on the Waiting List, were vehemently hostile to this idea. Ben wanted to know why drivers who didn't take the trouble to put their names on the List should deserve a medallion.

"Why didn't they put their names on the list?" He asked.

Rua Graffis (photo) responded by saying that she didn't put her name on the list because there was no cab company she wanted to join. Meaning, I think, that she didn't want to make money from cheating cab drivers like medallion holders do at most companies. But, now there is Green Cab which doesn't accept tips or charge credit card fees thus living up to her high standards.


Director Hayashi then told a story that I believe she got from TAC member Athan Rebelos.

"A man finds an old lamp, rubs it and a genie pops out saying, 'you can have anything you want but your enemy will get twice as much.'"

"The man then takes a pencil and puts out one of his eyes."

...

Rua Graffis was the the only one who got the joke - at least she's the only one who laughed - so let me spell it out for those of you who might not have "gotten it."

If Ben, who is thirty-one years old, can't sympathize with a few seventy year-olds who drove cab for thirty or forty years but failed to sign a piece of paper, how can he expect anyone to care about him?


Next: My take on the recommendations.

Jeanette Du Day

Jeanette Du, Professor of the Foreign Language Department at City College of San Francisco, received an official proclamation declaring "Jeanette Du Day" on Wednesday May 16, 2012.  President David Chiu delivered this award for her on behalf of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.  This is the highest award that can be given to a citizen of San Francisco.

Professor Du is the person responsible for opening my eyes and mind to the beauties of Chinese language, literature, art, cuisine, music and culture. Without her influence and the curiosity that her teaching awoke in me, I doubt that I would ever have travelled to China.

“Jeanette Du Day” was proclaimed in recognition for Professor Du’s 27 years of tenacious dedication in promoting diverse cross culture projects which include compiling a series of bilingual educational teaching materials in Multimedia; producing East Meets West theatrical events and performing in the Bay Area; creating language and music CDs and DVDs; being chosen for the Dictionary of Chinese Musicians as one of the top overseas Chinese musicians and making influential short films.  Moreover her many years of pioneer multimedia teaching at colleges, universities and companies in San Francisco and other projects has enlightened many thousands of students, audiences and readers illuminating them to  to Chinese language, culture, history, music, art and films.

Many students and friends of Professor Du attended the ceremony.  One of her students, Mr. Richard Fabian, graduated from Yale University in Chinese Study with summa cum laude and honors with highest distinction, is a well-known American Art collector in Chinese Paintings and calligraphers.  Another one, Ms. Faye Lee is one of the most reputable attorneys in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Perhaps the least distinguished of her students is me. But this highlights one of Professor Du’s other fine qualities - her humanity. Despite her high education, multiple talents and amazing accomplishments, she treats all people as her equals and works to bring the best from all her students. She gave me my first Mandarin lesson as a customer in my taxicab. She deserves a Nobel Prize for teaching this tone deaf “lao wai” how to speak her marvelous, musical language correctly. 

After the ceremony, people went to a nearby restaurant to celebrate “Jeanette Du Day”.

Selections from her books, CD's & DVD's can be found at her website, joyofeastwest.com

Staff Recommendations Well Received at TAC

Deputy Director of Taxi Services, Christiane Hayashi, presented her recommendations for medallion reform yesterday at the Taxi Advisory Council.

The plan (See May 13, 2012 post) carried forward Hayashi's signature idea from the Pilot Plan of giving something to all the various interested parties in the taxicab business without giving too much to anyone. In short, a gravity defying balancing act.

The proposal was surprising well received and praised by people as different as Barry Korengold of the SFCDA, Carl Macmurdo of the MHA, Councilor Tone Lee, Desoto Cab owner Hansu Kim and myself.  Macmurdo and Kim called it brilliant as did I.

Of course almost everyone disliked some item or other of the proposition. The main bones of contention were:

Maintaining the Driving Requirement for Medallion Holders.

Coucilors Barry Korengold, John Lazar of Luxor Cab and Carl Macmurdo all thought that medallion holders should have the requirement of driving 800 hours or 156 half-shifts lowered or eliminated for older drivers. Korengold wanted medallion holders be given the choice of either selling their medallions or retiring with them and having the medallions go back to The List after their deaths.

Hansu Kim, on the other hand, thought that the requirements should be maintained so that medallions would become available more quickly for younger drivers.

The Driver's Fund.


Macmurdo and Lazar thought that the Driver's Fund should become an Industry Fund." Lazar wanted the fund to be used to help wannabe medallion buyers make their down payments.

I spoke in favor of using the fund for non-medallion holding drivers, pointing out that three-quarters of cab drivers will never own a medallion and have no benefits or retirement. The fund therefore should be used for these drivers as was originally intended by the people who created the Pilot Plan.

I ran out of time so I was unable to suggest that, if Councilor Lazar wanted to have an industry fund, he could pool the money that he and his fellow taxi company owners have grabbed by way of "voluntary" tips from their drivers. This could well be enough for the entire industry to retire on. Conversely, the money could be used to pay off the MTA's debt so they wouldn't take so much money from the rest of us.

Dedicate All 350 Pre-K Medallions to the Waiting List.

Councilors Macmurdo and Dan Hinds of National Cab said that it was unfair to not to allow the Pre-K medallion holders to sell. Hinds thought that we should have "compassion" for the Pre-K's who had worked so hard to develop this industry.

Former Yellow Driver Art Lembke came up from his retirement in Texas to argue against the item and with Barry Korengold who backed the measure. The pair engaged in what some might call "lively repartee" and others might describe as "insane caterwauling." Staring at Korengold, Lembke called the people who didn't want Pre-K holders to be able to sell "vindictive."

Well ... I don't think I'm vindictive but I think it's more "fair" and "compassionate" to give these medallions to the working drivers who have been on the Waiting List for fifteen or twenty years and would have nothing to retire on without a medallion.

I'd also like to point out that about 95 of those 350 are corporate medallions and many Pre-K owners, like Art Lembke, hold at least two medallions. So, what we are really talking about is around 150 people, all of whom will earn at least $2,500 from each of their medallions every month for the rest of their lives.

The Issuance of Temporary Permits to Select Companies.

I had expected much hostility toward this measure but, aside one outraged exception, the criticism stayed on point.

Many people accepted the provision because it was limited to 5% of the fleet but, along with Carl Macmurdo, feared that it could lead to a "slippery slope" of more and more medallions going to companies instead of drivers.

Many people liked the idea that the permits would be temporary and could be rescinded if necessary but others wondered whether or not this would work out in practice.

Athan Rebelos, who has long pushed for corporate medallions, thought that this limited release would give people a chance to see if his plan would work.

I suggested that the MTA should return half of leasing income from these permits back to the taxi industry to help improve service and build up the driving fund.

Is Cluelessness really that blissful?

The outraged exception was Brad Newsham (Photo) who likes to carry protest signs and give stirring speeches at meetings which he leaves before he has a chance to find out what's really going on.

Newsham's always entertaining but he outdid himself at TAC when he read a mock letter of resignation that supposedly came from Deputy Director Hayashi.

The text was confused and confusing but apparently Brad thinks that cab drivers would be better off if Hayashi defied MTA Director Malcom Heinicke's orders and quit her job rather than lease out permits to the companies  ... or some such. Highly entertaining to those of us who've taken the trouble to understand a little of the MTA's byzantine politics. No doubt it will prove so to Heinicke as well.

Maybe Brad thinks on a deeper level than the rest of us, but, I find it hard to understand how drivers on the Waiting List (who Newsham supposedly supports) would be better off if the person most responsible for the continued existence of that list leaves the field.

Or, maybe Newsham is alphabetically challenged and merely attacked the wrong "H." If Brad wants to take cheap-shots at a person, Heinicke would be a more appropriate target. He's the one who wants to ripoff cab drivers and gut the taxi industry for more MTA funding.

Taxi Services Staff Recommendations

The MTA Staff has released a draft of their recommendations in advance of the Monday, May 14th TAC meeting. The draft is available on the MTA website and ordinarily I would present the text without comment.

However, an earlier draft of recommendations released by Staff "for discussion" has led to all sorts of wild speculations, inaccuracies and distortions presented as fact. This in turn has upset a lot of drivers who have been falsely told that they'll either lose their shifts or their chances to earn a medallion.

Therefore, I'm going to highlight a few of the main points (with commentary) before listing the entire document.

I. THE WAITING LIST WILL NOT BE CUT OFF! 

• Qualified applicants will remain on the list.
• MTA staff has removed people from the list who don't have A-Cards or driving permits, already hold medallions or don't respond to mail, etc.
• This action has reduced the size of The List from 2,800 to 1,400.
• The plan is to give all of the eligible 1,400 drivers earned medallions as their number comes up.

II THE WAITING LIST SHOULD MOVE MORE QUICKLY.

• All remaining 350 Pre-K medallions will go to the Waiting List as they are returned to the MTA.
• Half of all new medallions will go to the Waiting List. (See the chart near the bottom of the draft.)

III MEDALLIONS WILL CONTINUE TO BE SOLD.

• Post-K medallion holders will be able to sell their medallions at any age.

IV AFFILIATE LEASING WILL CONTINUE.

• But Affiliates will be reduced to a maximum of one-third of the fleet. (Currently 500 cabs.)
• Some long term leases will be gradually converted to gates & gas so that neither lessees nor their drivers will be hurt by the conversion.

VI TEMPORARY COLOR SCHEME PERMITS WILL BE RESTRICTED TO LESS THAN 5% OF THE FLEET.

• These permits WILL NOT be taken from medallion holders or in any way reduce the number of medallions available for drivers.
• They will come from a percentage of new issues only (See chart).
• They will be temporary. 

Of course there is much more to the plan and this isn't the final version. Some of it will also probably be changed or modified during Taxi Advisory or Town Hall meetings.

I'm not giving my opinions on the ideas at the moment. I'm simply interested in presenting the plan as it is. There have been enough opinions already expressed without facts. Erroneous and emotionally loaded conjectures don't do service to anybody.

To see the actual draft click below.