SGA Coalition Call Notes, Thursday, March 31, 2011 (you can also download the word document)
Attendees:
Lacy Strohshein – Center for Planning Excellence (LA)
Tara Sulzen – 1000 Friends of Oregon
Andrew Austin – Transportation Choices Coalition (WA)
Chrissy Nichols – Metropolitan Planning Council (IL)
Kevin Doyle – Livable Communities Coalition (GA)
April Putney – Futurewise (WA)
Elisa Ortiz, Walker Toma, Abby Gardner, Rayla Bellis, Katy Hartnett, Beth Zgoda – SGA
Atlanta Transit Campaign Launch – Kevin Doyle, Livable Communities Coalition
15 months of planning prepared for launch/rally on Tuesday afternoon in downtown Atlanta
Mayor was instrumental in passing legislation on Penny Tax for Transportation
Campaign on getting most $ from leg for transit, not roads
Prepare leg by OCT 15 for vote next summer
Georgia General Assembly – MARTA; stood with us; daily papers and bloggers supported as well
Great support from all fronts; papers: Atlanta may be changed with new funds for transit
Had folks from all walks of life speak to benefits of transit
$24 billion list needs to be weeded down to $8 billion
Blog post on SGA regarding Atlanta campaign launch
Federal Policy Update – Katy Hartnett
Last 2 weeks has been working on Partnership and CR
Watching any negotiations on compromise
Short term extension expires a week from tomorrow (4.8)
Going to cut $33 billion; not sure where from
Optimistic on compromise → Boehner wants to get something done; where money will come from needs to be worked out
Highlight what coalition members can do to help support Partnership
How to hold in-district meeting etc…
Make phone calls…
Discuss further re: lobby day
DOT Fiscal National Report
50 state specific profiles → how to spend funds more efficiently
National report focuses on repair and maintenance → in poor shape, states should spend dollars on repair maintenance; more efficient $
State specific tables, info, data
May 10 release date; preliminary interest?
Anyone co-releasing can have info before May 10
Kevin: interest in GA info → let them know whether they are focusing on GA?
Introduction of Abby Gardner, new Press Secretary at SGA
Things Abby will be working on:
Economic messaging for smart growth
Access to PR software, blogging, help pitching to DC reporters…
Place SGA products in local markets (e.g. in GA or CA for DOT report)
Kevin: messaging is useful information that should be shared!
Messaging cont.: examples of how smart growth can be phrased within economic lens
Rundown of Coalition Meeting/Lobby Day
Working closely with T4A
April 13, 14 and 15
14th and 15th lobby day, training on hill, meetings scheduled all day
Within next week, what meetings have/have not been confirmed
14th Lobby day, hill meetings all day
14th evening Happy Hour at Capitol City Brewery
15th – NTHP downtown offices, 830am-1230pm coalition meeting
Fed policy update (Devon)
Drew Schmidt-Perkins: Maryland… ? Sharing policy work
Diana Williams on where funders are right now
Open Conversation; what work is being done in Coalition Member states
Andrew, Transportation Choices Coalition: launched campaign future transportation in Washington
Bus service cuts in 2 large counties in state: public process around 30% service cuts → using to organize grass roots
Cuts as smartly as possible, cost-effective routes
Depressing capitalization
Lacy, Center for Planning Excellence; Baton Rouge and New Orleans
Policy brief in Feb; bit of a splash
2nd brief out by April 17th: looking for more press w/ more leaders in area (includes industrial folks, officials, LSU folks, etc.)
Rail line benefits between cities
Specific strategies on how to implement these strategies
Blog, facebook, etc. from SGA?
Tara, 1000 Friends of Oregon
New Program Area: Land-use Leader Program
Looking to other states for motivation
New generation working on SG
PolicyLink and T4A event on Transportation Access
Local equity group to host conversations
Oregon Active Tran. Summit
200+ people lobbying state capitol for trans. issues