Los Jornaleros del Norte (2)

Parte 2 de 2.

Omar León, quien comenzó a cantar desde los 13 años, y emigró de Morelia, México, dijo que su grupo también compone canciones de critica a las corporaciones policiacas que no los dejan vivir y trabajar en paz, a él y a unos 12 millones de indocumentados.

“Criticamos al ICE, a lo que era el INS, a la policía, etc., por el maltrato que han dado a los inmigrantes, y a con quien simpatizan y los organizan”, dijo León. “Las letras de las canciones del grupo se dirigen a las costureras, a las personas que buscan trabajo en las esquinas y a la gente que esta en necesidad de cuestiones positivas de inmigración”.

Hace seis años, los Jornaleros del Norte grabaron su primer disco, titulado Cruzando Fronteras (Crossing Borders ). Ellos están por lanzar su segundo album, que se titulará Unete Pueblo (People Unite).

Con estribillos como:
“Llegaron, llegaron, tocando cumbia los jornaleros
mueve la cintura y los pies
Le cantan, le cantan al trabajador,
Tocando, tocando música para el trabajador,” y otros que invocan a su audiencia a ser participes en sus peticiones como:
“El pueblo unido jamas será vencido,
alto a las redadas, y alto a la explotación…,”
los Jornaleros del Norte se autodenominan músicos con un proposito definido. Han amenizado conferencias de inmigración de paises centroamericanos, visitaron el capitolio estatal, viajaron a Washington, D.C., y han tocado frente a los 14 concejales de la ciudad de Los Angeles. También han sido contratados para tocar en simposios legales sobre el estado actual de la inmigración indocumentada en los Estados Unidos.

Genaro Sifuentes, quien lleva un año como miembro del grupo, dijo que peticiones para tocar en iglesias de diferentes denominaciones les llegan con frecuencia. Ellas vienen de pastores, feligreses y miembros de la comunidad latina. Han tocado en congregaciones metodistas y católicas. Hace unos meses se presentaron en la catedral de Los Angeles.

“La audiencia ha sido positiva, y receptiva. Hay mucho campo para expanderse con el concepto de los Jornaleros del Norte”, dijo Sifuentes.

Fermin Herrera, profesor del estudios chicanos y etnomusicolgía de CSUN, mencionó que los Jornaleros del Norte bien podrían ser escuchados en estaciones radiales establecidas en Los Angeles. Herrera dijo que a través de programas como el de Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo, quien es un DJ interesado en cuestiones de inmigración, ahi los Jornaleros pudieran tener un espacio de difusión.

Sin embargo, Herrera piensa el mensaje de los Jornaleros caería un poco crudo en la programación de otras estaciones, o segmentos radiales.

“Juzgando por lo que he observado y oido, creo sería un poco difícil para que se difundiera su música. Pero si podría ser posible”, mencionó Herrera. “Quiza su música podria encuadrar mejor el formato de estaciones como KPFK. Esta es un poco más progresista”.

Herrera enfatizó que la meta de las radiodifusoras en español locales es programar música comercial, a pesar de que un gran segmento de sus radioescuchas son inmigrantes indocumentados. Univision Radio y Spanish Broadcast System son los dueños de las estaciones radiales en Los Angeles que transmiten música regional mexicana, formato que se asemeja al de los Jornaleros.

“La pregunta es: Estarían las radiodifusoras dispuestas a respaldar a los Jornaleros? Los Jornaleros del Norte son buenos porque su música es verdareramente apegada a sus origenes”.

Por el momento, y a pesar de que las radiodifusoras en español no los han escuchado, Ortiz dijo que lo importante para ellos es llegar con su mensaje a personas que, como ellos, pertenecen a un pueblo que tiene en común ser trabajadores, laborar mucho y muy duro en lugares y puestos donde la paga tiende a ser mala y no reciben prestaciones. Los Jornaleros de Norte venden sus discos directamente, en sus apariciones en las iglesias, adonde los invitan a tocar, o por medio de correr la voz entre sus conocidos y familiares.

“No es que seamos grandes, o famosos músicos. A nosotros nos gusta motivar a continuar la lucha por los derechos de los trabajadores. Obviamente, lo que distingue al grupo es lo que hacemos en pro de la comunidad”, dijo Ortiz.

Los Jornaleros del Norte: música y causa social (1)

Por Alfredo Santana
Parte 1 de 2.

Pablo Alvarado todavía lamenta el fatidico día de hace 12 años, cuando agentes del occiso Servicio de Inmigracion y Naturalización lo arrestaron en una feria de salud local. Lo que sobrevivió de esa experiencia ahora lleva como nombre artistico Los Jornaleros del Norte.

Fue por la mañana de una sábado de marzo de 1996 cuando Alvarado, en compañía de varios trabajadores, acudieron a una clínica movil de salud estacionada en un negocio de City of Commerce. Ahi les checaron a algunos los signos vitales, como la presión de sangre, latidos cardiacos, y respiración. Un conjunto de mariachis fue contratado por la clínica. Eran alrededor de las 10 a.m.

Pero al poco tiempo, una serie de automoviles arrivaron al sitio, con hombres vestidos de civiles. Llegaron un poco de prisa, pero sin hacer mucho aspaviento, para no alertar a los asistentes.

Al bajar, comenzaron a quitarse los sacos y chaquetas, para mostrar su uniforme real. Eran agentes del INS.
“Varios corrieron. Algunos lograron escaparse. Otros no”, dijo Alvarado, quien
a pesar de vestir con camiseta color naranja, pantalones khakis cortos y tenis New Balance, dirije la Red Nacional para la Defensa de Jornaleros, entidad sin fines de lucro que tiene como objetivo organizar y defender los derechos de estos trabajadores. “Los mariachis fueron llevados para amenizar a los atendientes.”

Esa negra tarde, 10 mexicanos y tres guatemaltecos fueron detenidos por los agentes federales. Por lo menos un jornalero huyó de los policías, quienes se llevaron a los arrestados, para despues deportarlos a sus paises de origen.

Fue en este contexto que Alvarado, y algunos compañeros que fueron testigos y supieron de este hecho, lanzaron la agrupación Los Jornaleros del Norte. El grupo, que en estos momentos cuenta con siete músicos, todos ellos con la caracteristica de haber sido jornaleros, es la respuesta artística a abusos y redadas oficiales que, del 2006 para aca, se han multiplicado en todo el país.

Asi pues, los músico-jonaleros recabaron algunos fondos, y lanzaron su propuesta musical. Desde su inicio, los Jornaleros invitan a su audiencia a abogar por los derechos de los trabajadores, tanto en Los Angeles, como en otras ciudades, dijo Alvarado.

Integrado por Alvarado en las congas, Manuel Ortiz en la bateria, Omar León como vocalista y a la vez acordeonista, Genáro Sifuentes en el bajo, Arnoldo Juárez en los teclados, Arcires Hernández en la trompeta y Godofredo Rivera en el saxofón, los Jornaleros del Norte han amalgamado ritmos propios con mensajes que hacen referencias de las travesias de las personas empleadas en los talleres de costura, de las personas que limpian casas, y de aquellos que jornalean en la construcción, en trabajos de jardinería y hasta en los lugares de servicio al cliente, como restaurantes y negocios de lavacoches.

“Tocamos de todos los ritmos un poco. Tocamos corridos, cumbias, baladas, trópicales, etc.”, dijo Ortiz, quien emigró de Guatemala. Ortiz perdió la vista en sus dos ojos a la edad de tres años.

Todos los músicos son de Guatemala, Mexico y El Salvador.

Si bien los Jornaleros del Norte tienen como escencia musical ritmos tipicos de quiza millones de latinos, Ortiz asevera que sus letras emanan del diario trajinar de los trabajadores inmigrantes que, como ellos, tienen algo que decir para lanzar llamados de union y perseverancia ante una sociedad hostil y anti-inmigrante.

El trabajo musical “lo hacemos como un ‘hobby’. Lo hacemos por hacer un trabajo de conciencia en la comunidad”, indicó Ortiz, quien lleva 30 años como músico, y se guía por el sonido de los tambores y tarolas para ejercer control de su bateria. “Las tocadas son relativas a un trabajo que forman los demás compañeros en sus estudios de grabación”.

Voto Latino 2008

Buenos empleos en América Latina son raros

Sindicatos de América Latina resaltaron la persistente falta de buenos empleos con decente remuneración y la constante oferta de trabajo precario o sin protección que tienen millones de trabajadores, en su mayoría mujeres.

Durante las jornadas de trabajo de la Jornada Mundial por el Trabajo Decente, realizada en Buenos Aires, Argentina la semana inicial de Octubre, trabajadores de la Confederacion Sindical Internacional convocaron a seminarios y llamaron a realizar actos callejeros y protestas para crear conciencia sobre la necesidad de crear buenos empleos.

En Perú, la reunión marcó un momento coyuntural sindical por huelgas y protestas contra el gobierno de Alan García. Segun datos oficiales, el salario minimo es de 180 dólares al mes. En el sector minero, catalogado como principal actor del crecimiento, y que ha dejado ganancias fantásticas, el 64% de los trabajadores son contratados sin derechos laborales. Ellos vienen a través de terceras empresas y muchos no gozan de protección médica ni social.

En México, la reunión no hizo eco en los sindicatos laborales. Sin embargo, la Secretaría del Trabajo informó que el 50% de los trabajadores mexicanos tienen empleos informales, sin contrato y sin prestaciones. En los primeros seis meses del 2008, se contabilizaron 12.1 millones de mexicanos en la economía informal, la cifra más alta en la historia de la nación.

En Argentina, la Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT) organizó seminarios en sus sedes regionales del interior del país, y lanzó una campaña de anuncios y mesas informativas que exhortaron a "crear trabajos decentes para llevar una vida digna". La Central de Trabajadores Argentinos (CTA), grupo que cubre a trabajadores públicos, médicos, educadores, del orden público y a jubilados, llamo por la “redistribución de la riqueza”, y la libertad y democracia sindical.

La taza de informalidad laboral en Argentina es del 36% de la población economicamente activa, a pesar de que desde el 2002 el desempleo argentino se viene reduciendo, según el Instituto Nacional de Estadisticas y Censos.
El sector donde mayor informalidad laboral es registrada es en la industria textil, ya que miles de inmigrantes extranjeros se dice trabajan en condiciones infrahumanas.

América Tropical va a abrir en septiembre de 2010

Un artículo de Agustín Gurza en los Angeles Times reporta que la nueva fecha tentativa para arbir al público el mural América Tropical (1932) de David Alfaro Siqueiros es septiembre de 2010, para coincidir con el centenario del movimiento revolucionario que dio vida al muralismo mexicano del siglo XX. El mural fue borrado por su contenido abiertamente polítco, y esto es considerado una metáfora del borramiento de la cultura y la historia mexicana, chicana y latina en Los Ángeles, California y el suroeste de EE.UU. El nombre de este mural nos sirve como título de este blog de periodistas jóvenes latinos.

Deadlines set to show ASI improvements (5)

Los Angeles city councilman Bill Rosendahl said at the end of the March 26 hearing he was disgusted to hear so many complaints from the disabled community against ASI, an agency that tags its budget at $90 million a year.

“I’m in shock and I am stunned. I’m actually ashamed that (ASI) services are not up to it,” Rosendahl said. He said those in the public transportation management should not be in the business if ASI services don’t improve.

“There’s no excuse at all for not giving dignity and respect to the disabled. I heard comments drivers being disrespectful, showing cavalier behavior. This is totally unacceptable. Period. I don’t want to sit in another meeting like this about how they’d been treated and, frankly abused.”

ASI is engaged in a series of three sub-contracting models, to fully operate their nearly 900 vans across the Los Angeles County. The third and most important, called group sub-contracting, entails the purchase of services from Access Paratransit by contractors based on costs. The subcontractors rent the minivans at $1 a year, and print the name of Access Paratransit.

These agencies receive portions of federal grants to run operations. The subcontractors are Global Paratransit Inc., San Gabriel Transit, Southland Transit, MV Transportation, and the city of Santa Clarita. MV Transportation covers most of the San Fernando Valley’s ride reservations and dispatches of Access Services vans. Most Access Paratransit operations are run by these five subcontractors.

The San Gabriel Transit agency, for whom Diego Soriano Lopez worked, owns at least three repair and maintenance warehouses in the San Gabriel Valley. It also operates several others in the Los Angeles County, and one in San Diego County.

The American with Disability Act (ADA) uses the name Access Paratransit to identify the special transportation vehicles for disabled people in Los Angeles County.

The ASI audit issued 16 recommendations to improve current decaying working conditions. Among the points the audit adviced to improve within six months are:

* The agency needs to improve its management and oversight of paratransit service providers, and to require all subcontractors to perform driver performance evaluations annually. It needs to keep the evaluations in the drivers’ personal files for periodic ASI reviews,

* It should develop a standard driver code of conduct and require each driver to sign and agree to such conduct,
* It should develop a written manual of procedures for processing and inputting complaints, and ensure that the list of complaints type codes and definitions are kept up to date,
* It must reinforce ASI’s goal of providing courteous and quality service to clients.
* To reassess its recertification policy, and
* To evaluate the scheduling system to minimize or eliminate circuitous routing of share rides and to ensure the routing/dispatching methodology minimizes wait times and trip times.

Councilwoman Greuel said she wanted a full report on advances in the implementation of the audit’s report six months after it was issued. City of Los Angeles councilmembers have yet to program a hearing on the audit’s implementations.

I wanted to make public the situation thousands of ASI rides live every day, and how this company operates so that public pressure against ASI can prompt tangible changes for the betterment of our disabled. Disabled seniors and students, adults and adolescents, whether they are males or females are the segment most discriminated against in many areas in our society, and poor, mediocre transportation services adds to this discrimination.

For my part, I’ll continue trying to give voice to a community I personally care about, that has historically been ostracized, and forgotten in all media news coverage. I was blessed with a brother whose physical presence is no longer with me, but who taught me many good lessons about how to move on and be persistent despite blatant discrimination.

Debate Vice-Presidencial

En Chiapas, el PRD continua violencia indigena

A pesar que el Partido de la Revolución Democratica (PRD) gobierna el estado mexicano de Chiapas, la violencia oficial sigue acechando a los indigenas de ese estado, ya que recientemente seis indigenas murieron y 17 fueron heridos por protestar el no ser participes en los fondos obtenidos por el mercadeo del turismo de un centro arqueológico local.

El 2 de octubre pasado, unos 40 policías ingresaron lanzando bombas lacrímogenas a la pequeña comunidad de Miguel Hidalgo, donde residen unas 750 familías de la etnia tojolabal. Los oficiales buscaban desalojar a los protestantes, quienes habían ocupado el 1 de septiembre una zona arqueológica adyacente. Los locales repelieron los ataques, despojaron a los policías de sus armas y los encerraron. Poco después, unos 300 policías contraatacaron, lo que desemboco en las muertes, y varios heridos de ambas partes.

Cuando menos cinco indigenas todavía se encontraban hospitalizados hasta la semana pasada. Treinta y seis personas fueron liberadas después de que entregaron las armas que tomaron de los agentes.

Jorge Luis Hernández, director del organismo Centro de los Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, dijo que la violencia contra los indigenas locales es un patrón estrategico de criminalización por las protestas de parte del gobierno estatal de Juan Sabines, quien previamente fue militante del Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI). Sabines gobierna desde el 2006. Varios miembros del PRD en Chiapas también pertenecieron al PRI antes de la toma de poder de Sabines.

Hernández mencionó que el perfil estatal está más bien ligado al PRI, pues varios de sus participantes ocupan cargos públicos.

El gobierno de Chiapas se comprometio a castigar a los policías culpables, y a indemnizar a los dañados en los sangrientos enfrentamientos, otorgar becas a los hijos de las víctimas, pensionar a las viudas, y comenzar programas de desarrollo comunitario.

El Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de las Casas fue fundado por el obispo católico Samuel Ruiz en 1989, quien es seguidor de la Teología de la Liberación. Este organismo ha dado seguimiento a varios incidentes atribuidos a “practicas represivas” oficialistas ante indigenas este año. En julio, agentes armadas trataron de remover por la fuerza a indigenas que bloqueaban el ingreso a un sitio turistico llamado Cascada de Agua Azul.

En abril, varios indigenas acusaron a funcionarios de recibir amenazas de cárcel y multas por trabajar en tierras cercanas a una zona arqueológica.

LA city council hears about ASI complaints (4)

Donna Pomerantz, who is a member of the Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities, said ASI riders have told her some of the foldable-ramps in the minivans have missing latches that keep them still. When they ride, the worn, rickety conditions of the units make them feel unsafe. She added other riders have told her many drivers ignore how to safely latch electric wheelchairs that sometimes weight up to 500 pounds. Wheelchairs tend to become loose, and move around as the units lurch forward and make sudden stops.

Pomerantz also complained many drivers refuse to carry guide dogs, which must travel along with blind customers. When the drivers do agree to let the pets onboard, the pets sometimes are injured as the vans get crowded. And in order to reach their destinations on time, ASI drivers speed, which also endangers communters.

Pomerantz criticized an ongoing re-certification program, which also includes a transit evaluation test used to verify the medical conditions and the ability to ride buses and MTA trains of current Access riders. She said it has put a lot of stress on the disabled. Customers fear they could be denied ridership benefits.
The transit evaluation includes questions about the riders’ ability to use buses, completion of “simple functional tests” to measure abilities to use buses, and visual observations of the riders’ abilities to get around. Some evaluators ask riders to step up and simulate a walk to a bus stop. This evaluation takes about 45 minutes.

Those willing to go public with these allegations have contacted elected officials in Los Angeles.

Bill Powers, a blind Access Paratransit customer who currently doesn’t have certification to ride, said at a March 26, 2008 Los Angeles City Council public meeting chaired by second district councilwoman Wendy Greuel that once his wife was picked up later than expected, and either the driver, or dispatcher logged in a ‘no show off.’ He filed a written complaint in the ASI’s website. Within two days, the company answered that it had upheld the ‘no show off,’ and concluded the minivan’s arrival time was as scheduled.

Powers said the ASI’s complaint mechanism ASI is dysfunctional. He said in some cases complaints are misplaced, and are so badly filed by staff that customers never hear of case follow-ups. Powers said ASI’s corporate culture must change.

“The attitude of ‘We only have rides available at certain hours’ must change to ‘We are sorry, we committed a mistake in the ride booking. We’ll get you another ride on time,’” said Powers.

The ASI’s audit concluded the transportation agency needs improvement in areas such as management, development of a standard driver’s code of conduct and a more efficient system for processing and handling complaints.
Second District Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, who also chairs the city’s public transportation committee, said her committee would closely watch the approach ASI would adopt to implement all the recommendations in the audit. She said the city’s department of transportation would investigate all complaints against ASI.

Greuel also said she would schedule another public hearing to get an update on the internal changes at ASI.

Students Across the Nation Fighting for Education

North Carolina, Alabama and California election contests are bring up undocumented college students as an election year contention just prior to the Nov. elections.

In North Carolina, Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue (D) and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory (R), both gubernatorial candidates both say they oppose undocumented immigrants attending the state’s community colleges.

Under pressure from Perdue, the community college system banned access to undocumented students in a decision made on Aug. 15, after 11 of the 16 board members voted to restrict admissions. In a survey earlier this year, the system identified 112 undocumented enrolled students in the 58 community colleges. “We don't know how many of the 112 are Latinos but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a majority,” said Irene Godinez, advocacy director of the Raleigh-based Latino group, El Pueblo.

Tony Asion, executive director of El Pueblo said he did not understand why education officials would vote to deny students an education. “We were shocked that the person who’s running for governor as an education proponent would deny so many youths an education for political gain because there was no other reason to do this.”

The North Carolina issue spilled over into presidential politics when John McCain’s campaign in the state issued a statement saying the candidate opposed providing benefits to illegal immigrants. Meanwhile, Democrat Barack Obama spoke in favor or open enrollment, the traditional community college policy.

In Alabama undocumented students face a similar problem. The state board of education approved a policy Sept. 25 denying undocumented students admission to Alabama’s two year colleges.

In a 4-0 vote, with one abstention and 4 members absent, the policy will take effect in the spring, 2009.

Applicants will be required to show three forms of documentation, such as an Alabama driver’s license, a naturalization certificate, an unexpired U.S. passport or an unexpired U.S. permanent resident card in order to enroll in a community college.

Two-year Chancellor Bradley Byrne said there is no way to know how many students would be affected or how much money this policy would save, but he did not think many illegal immigrants were enrolled.

Raul Gonzalez, director of legislative affairs of National Council of La Raza said Alabama’s actions are troubling, “They need to make sure in their zeal to deny public higher education to undocumented immigrants that they may deny those services to U.S. citizens who don’t have documentation.”

In California, governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed for the second time the California Dream Act (SB1301) on Oct. 30. This proposal would have enabled qualifying undocumented students to apply for aid administered by individual college and universities, scholarships and loan programs which are all funded by non-state monies.

The governor said, “Given the precarious fiscal condition the state faces at this time, it would not be prudent to place additional demands on our limited financial aid resources as specified in this bill. For this reason, I am unable to sign this bill.”

Senator Gil Cedillo (D), the bill’s author said the governor once again ignored strengthening California’s workforce. “It’s shocking in such difficult financial times, with the state facing systemic budget shortfalls that the governor would turn down private monies; investment that would secure our economic position and expand educational attainment to our workforce.”

DREAM Act Makes it to Governor's Desk and is Shot Down Again

On Sept. 30 California Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed Sen. Gilbert Cedillo's California Dream Act. Literally a dream for the thousand's of undocumented student's throughout the nation who are struggling to receive a higher education without the help from financial aid or loans. It is estimated that about 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school every year.

The DREAM Act would grant those students or AB 540 students the right to apply and receive State University Grants, UC Grants, scholarships, and loan programs which are all funded by non-state monies.

CSUN is home to many of these students, in fact they have started their own group DREAM's to be Heard. Two semesters ago they along with supporters successfully pushed for Associated Student's to back the DREAM Act, as it was about to go to the governor's desk.

The students who attend a college or university are some of the hardest working students, working three to four jobs to pay for tuition on their own while taking a full load of classes. Some where brought to this country as infants with no say in deciding to immigrate to this country.

They are also some of the brightest who, despite barrier after barrier, continue to excel.

You can hear some of the stories of these AB 540 students while at a press conference in Washington D.C. as they advocated for the DREAM Act last fall to no avail.

In the face of budget cuts to California higher education institutions which leads to increases in tuition and fewer students being admitted to universities, AB 540 students will have an even tougher time gaining access to higher education.

It is because of the current budget for California universities that the governor said he refused to sign the DREAM Act.

For now AB 540 students will have to wait and plan their next attempt at passing this legislation, however this blow has left many of them disappointed and exhausted.

ASI riders criticize agency, drivers (Part 3)

Issues about safety and timely pickups from ASI continue to be a recurrent concern for several students. CSUN student Gerardo Garay said timetables are often missed when he books transportation. Garay said he recently suffered a three-hour pickup delay.

“For me, timing is a big issue. (Drivers and dispatchers) need to get their timing right. If we have a 20-minute wait period after they are supposed to arrive, they need to get their timing straight,” Garay, a kinesiology major, said. “Most drivers are nice, and many drive slow, but the issue is that I depend on Access transportation. The routes are poorly designed, and I can’t drive. It’s a big issue for me.”

Access Service drivers undergo training workshops that run between three and four weeks, before they are authorized to work. The drivers’ salaries during training are $8 an hour. Once they start regular work, their salaries are increased to $9.50 an hour. Their salaries reach $10.50 an hour, only if the operators are able to drive “bubble vans,” or large vans whose ceiling are raised to form a bubble shape.

All drivers need to pass a criminal and DMV background check before and during training time to determine their work eligibility. Diego Soriano Lopez, the driver at fault in Ernesto’s case, was arrested in 1995 on one misdemeanor count of unlawful entry on a closed property in the Wilshire District. He paid a $1,000 bail and was released from jail. Lopez’ case was later dismissed for insufficient evidence.

Donna Pomerantz, a member of the Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities, told me many of the approximately 70,000 disabled Access riders often experience mistreatment from the drivers, who engage in verbal fights related to drop-off and pick-up sites, pick-up timetables, ridesharing and improper wheelchair belt fastening.

There are drivers do not wait a reasonable time for the disabled to exit their apartments or houses to arrive at the pick-up site, said Pomerantz, and log these situations as ‘no show offs,’ which in turn tarnishes the customers’ booking records. Riders are allowed to record three, and sometimes four ‘no shows’ in 60 consecutive days to keep ridership benefits.

“Some riders are afraid they may not be picked up by the drivers at all. In many occasions, the drivers are overburdened with work, and that creates tension among them and the riders. That is not fair,” said Pomerantz, who is legally blind and also uses Access transportation. “Some Access riders have told me they are afraid of dying if conditions don’t improve.”

ASI executive director Shelly Lyons Verrinder said many of the current problems ASI faces began to grow about 15 months ago, when the agency adopted ridesharing as an option to ensure more customer transportation with less dispatching. She acknowledged pick-up waiting times are now longer. She said the agency has not increase its current fleet of minivans.

“ASI spends about $1 million a year in complaints. We refer those complaints to OMC (Operations Monitoring Center). This center monitors late pickups and issues minivans to get late pickups within 45 minutes of the original bookings,” Lyons Verrinder said.

Lyons Verrinder said about 55% of all ASI rides are handled as ride-shares, which has prompted the agency to save money in units operations.

The January 2008 audit on ASI found that 41% of the surveyed ASI customers said overall service of Access Paratransit was the same in relation to last year’s, 46% said it was improving, and 13% answered it was getting worse.

The same audit reported that some ASI contracts with other paratransit providers don’t require annual evaluations of conduct on Access Paratransit drivers. In 2007, there were 893 drivers working for contractors under ASI.

The audit stated two of the three contractors they chose to review did not conduct performance evaluations on their drivers. The audit does not reveal whether the San Gabriel Transportation agency was monitored in this review.