From the League of American Bicyclists:
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) has targeted the federal Safe Routes to School program established under the 2005 Federal Surface Transportation Bill (SAFETEA-LU) as wasteful government spending in his weekly “YouCut program”.
Each week representative Cantor asks people to vote for which of five options they would cut from the federal budget. Republicans then hold a floor vote in the House of Representatives to try to eliminate the program that gets the most votes.
This week, the federal Safe Routes to School program is one of Rep. Cantor’s targets. He argues that SRTS duplicates other bicycling and walking programs, and that bicycling and walking infrastructure is a local government responsibility. We need your help making sure that Members of Congress understand the value of Safe Routes to School and support it.
Please take a few minutes to send a message to your Member of Congress to ask them to vote against any effort to cut Safe Routes to School.
If you are a resident of Virginia’s 7th District:
- Call Rep. Cantor’s office at 202-225-2815
- Tell whoever answers the phone that you are a constituent and have a message for Rep. Cantor
- Provide your name and where you live
- Use the following talking points to give a succinct message on Safe Routes to School:
- I’m calling because I heard that the Safe Routes to School program is included in Congressman Cantor’s YouCut program this week.
- This is a program that Congressman Cantor should be supporting — please do not cut Safe Routes to School.
- Children in our communities are facing so many safety dangers, and schools are struggling with busing costs. Safe Routes to School is the only federal program that can help with these issues. It is not wasteful or duplicative.
- I hope Congressman Cantor reconsiders and supports Safe Routes to School.
Thanks also to Stephanie Smith of the Active Williamsburg Alliance for the above alert.
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We believe in safer environment for children.
Those who do NOT reside in Congressman Cantor’s district can take action here: [ http://capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=15141271 ]
Constituents of Rep. Cantor, can take action here:
[ http://capwiz.com/lab/callalert/index.tt?alertid=15140561 ]
I believe in a safer environment for children; the best way is to cut down on government spending so that we don’t leave them subrate schools or insurmountable debts when they grow up. Check out the SRTS program like I have, and find the amount of money they get and the amount of stuff they actually do. Very inefficient, when you would compare it to what could be done if local governments and organizations were to directly use their share of the money to actually make safe routes to school.