News

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