Address to the DC City Council

[Karl Rudder]

My address to the unique DC Taxicab Zone System has

always been based on the little known facts.

Fact 1 - Meters were the original means that

were used to compute taxicab fares in

the District of Columbia.

Fact 2 - The "zone system" was denied by

the DC Public Utilities Commission for

20 reasons when they issued

PUC order no. 956 on 11/6/31.

Fact 3 - The decision by the DC Public

Utilities Commission was completely

upheld by Judge Adkins (1932 PUR

vol C page 1) and Judge Adkins decision

was upheld by the DC Appeals Court.

(1932 75F2d 1005)

Fact 4 - The District of Columbia is

the only major city in this country that

does not use a meter to equitably

compute taxicab fares as well as serve

as a reliable means to record the income

and compute the taxes due from taxi companies

and drivers.

Fact 5 - Reason no. 9 on PUC order no. 956

stated: "That proper accounting records

cannot be secured under the zone fare system."

Fact 6 - The Public Service Commission issues

an annual report on the tax revenue that

they collect from the industries that they regulate

and yet the DC Taxicab Commission,

since it was created in 1987, has yet to issue

a similar report on the tax revenue that they

collect from DC Taxicab Companies and

drivers.

Fact 7 - DC has a very popular subway and bus

service and the least a taxicab driver should be

compensated for is the cost for providing the

personal service incurred for transporting

a party from a point of origin to a point of destination.

Fact 8 - It is insulting to the residents of DC

as well as to the tourists to DC to have their

taxicab fare to be inequitably computed only

due to the zone boundaries that they may have

crossed through the course of their taxicab ride.

Example 1- A passenger must pay a two zone fare

to travel from the Fort Totten subway statio

to travel across South Dakota Ave NE

Example 2 - A passenger must pay a two zone

fare from GWU to Wisconsin Ave yet

another passenger can travel from GWU to

Capital Hill for only a charge of one zone.

Example 3 - Alabama Ave SE has residents

paying a two zone fare for traveling

across that one street while other rides can travel

ten times the distance for only a

one zone fare. (other examples are available)

Fact 9 - The issue cannot be responsibly addressed

as long as politicians and the news media refuse

to responsibly research and expose the

corrupt social, economic and political facts of this issue.

Fact 10 - An alleged "preference" of a poorly

informed public or "representatives"

of DC Taxicab Companies and drivers should

not dismiss the merit of the still standing

government and Court decisions that

denied the DC Taxicab Zone System 70 years

ago.

[BlingBling]

I don't know who you are or where you came from. But, finally we get a voice of reason for our community. Its funny that the color of my skin does not bother drivers when I am on the Hill. But, when I ask drivers to take a cab to Ft Stanton I get, "I am sorry, but I don't go that way." When a Afro-American turns down another of Afro-American's hard earned money you know something is wrong with the system.

[Karl Rudder]

I don't know who you are or where you came from. But, finally we get a voice of reason for our community. Its funny that the color of my skin does not bother drivers when I am on the Hill. But, when I ask drivers to take a cab to Ft Stanton I get, "I am sorry, but I don't go that way." When a Afro-American turns down another of Afro-American's hard earned money you know something is wrong with the system.

 

Thanks BlingBling. I am sure you know that it isn't just some innocent coincidence that for more than 70 years all appointed or elected DC government officials have completely failed to responsibly research and "report" on the facts of this issue. (I hear that Congress does believe in spanking !)

I will be testifying before DC City Council member Jim Graham in early April due to the fact that they are trying to quietly schedule one hearing in respect to the DC Taxicab Commission and then we won't hear about another one for at least 6 months.

"Oh the games people play now,

every night and everyday now.

Never saying what they mean

never meaning what they say!"