DC cabbies will join child- and healthcare workers, parents and community members on September 22nd for a rally at the DC District Building. The Take Back DC rally, which coincides with the Council’s first legislative session, is part of a broader campaign to protect public services for all District residents, strengthen transparency in the way the City does business and hold elected officials accountable. rnrn”Since coming into office the Mayor has instituted a series of reckless policies with no regard for the citizens of the District of Columbia or the taxi cab industry,” said Larry Frankel, Vice President of the Dominion of cab Drivers. Last spring, Dominion organized a strike in opposition to the time-distance meters but Mayor Fenty pushed the reforms through. The results have been disastrous, according to the Frankel.rnrn”When we switched from the zone to the meter, we lost 30% of our income, making us the lowest meter rate nationally, in a city with one of the highest costs of living.” DC is one of the last places in the country where cab drivers own cab companies rather than companies employing drivers in a “medallion” system the Mayor is now trying to impose on the local industry. “The medallion system has failed in New York City, Atlanta, and other metropolitan areas,” adds Frankel. “It gives large companies the power to monopolize the industry. Since coming into office the Mayor has concentrated his power to support large corporate interests by failing to appoint commissioners to the Taxi Cab Commission, the ombudsman for taxi cab drivers.” rnrn- Ruth Castel-Branco, DC Jobs With Justice. Origionally printed in Union Cities.
