Fighting for Daily CCT Riders

Good Morning Ms. Walton;
It was a pleasure meeting you yesterday at the public meeting concerning CCT
proposed fare increase and modifications of CCT services.  I was there in support
of the many citizens (and) daily riders of CCT Bus #30 and Bus #35.  It was a great,
informative meeting.  As I stated at the meeting, we need to save every bus and
not discontinue any services.  There are so many people in Cobb County that have
no other means of transportation. To lose any of the services will be quite devastating to so many Cobb County Citizens.  I do understand about the county shortfall budget and the urgency to reduce by 10% in all dept's for Federal and State mandates.
But what a cost to the citizens to lose so many crucial quality-of-life services such as
transportation, EMT's, 911, Fire and Police, libraries etc.....
The county, with so many major cuts, will impact on a large scale economic decline
 of their own tax base of citizens.  Many will have decisions or choices to move
out of Cobb County; Business (many) will relocate because their employees
won't have transportation, such as CCT, to get them there (to work.) People want
be able to come to many facilities in Cobb County due to public transportation.
Revenue will be lost.
I am trying to organize citizens in the next few days to flood their local Commissioners, senators, congressman, legislators rep., to educate and inform of the CCT possble loss of a necessary bus services in Cobb County and the many citizens who want be able to get around that will be impacted greatly by the choices of Fiscal Budget lack of funds to run the county.  We did make suggestions that I felt were helpful to continue services that would be cost containing and (would provide) future revenues for the county and hope that they will be taken under great considerations.  The riders are not complaining about fare increasing.  They are willing to pay the extra cost to keep the CCT buses in services and also to have fewer time slots until more planning and ideas  along with many suggestions can be studied and implemented.
I will be, in the next weeks, fighting for so many CCT daily riders all over Cobb
County (and) would like to see us adopt the Clean Air Act, less automobiles on the road, carpooling, partnering with other public transportation system, educating and
informing the many citizens of Cobb County about CCT and many riders of public
transportation of the old myth that poor, illiterate people utilize it. This is not
true or neither is it fair accessment.  If you woke up one morning and all your
automobiles did not work and the CCT buses were discontinued, remember what your other options could have been. When the gas price gets so unaffordable or perhaps the Gas Service Stations are closed down or no gas can be purchased, this was another option.
Thanks for your time,
Beverly A. Johnson-Finley