- Feb 24,2010
- In: Finance
Obama Gives Importance to Civil Rights over that of Stimulus Funds
On year ago Obama inked the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act involving $787 billion. But recently his government has warned to withhold funds from this account from a transit firm because of its failure to comply with the laws pertaining to civil rights.
FTA or Federal Transit Administration warned that would withdraw $70 million given from stimulus finds to BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) system because it transgressed Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans agencies that indulge in discriminatory practices from availing of federal funds.
Advocates of transportation equity said that this action indicates the beginning of a new period in the history of the land when civil rights enforcement would be stepped up. It would mark a change from the way the administration was run during the time of George Bush.
Guillermo Mayer of Public Advocates (civil rights group) said, “Before, were pretty lucky if we got a response. Under Bush there was a huge backlong of unaddressed, uninvestigated complaints.” The swift and firm decision taken by the FTA marks a new approach taken by the FTA to get things moving.
BART was pulled up by FTA for not properly analyzing how a connector being planned to Oakland International Airport would impact on the riders who came from the low to modest income group. The FTA expects this kind of fairness analysis it being a part and parcel of enforcement of Title VI.
Peter Rogoff, the administrator of FTA wrote to BART and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission that the Bay Area could forfeit the full amount of $70 million if BART did not rectify matters by 5th March this year.
The MTC is now in the horns of a dilemma – either to retain the dollars with BART risking the loss of the federal funds if BART fails to satisfy the conditions or to transfer the money to different transit agencies. Last Wednesday the commissioners gave their vote favouring more time to be given to BART so that they can comply with rules regarding civil rights.
An investigation has been carried out by FTA responding to a complaint made last September by Public Advocates representing community advocacy groups of Oakland, Genesis, Urban Habitat and Transform. Mayer observed, “In the Bay Area, all transit agencies are facing a shortfall. At a time when people are hurting most, BART moves forward with a project that benefits mostly affluent riders.”