Transportation Is Freedom

Community Transportation
Winter/Spring 2004
Voices from the Community

    America has been the land of choices and self determination since its its inception. Everyday, Americans are faced with fundamental choices; where should I live, where should I work, where should I shop, where is the enabling tool to answer all of these life questions. Without reliable transportation there are no choices for individuals to make. There is no self determination when choice is eliminated.

    Prior to the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons with disabilities did not fully enjoy and often could not obtain the essential tool for self determination - transportation.

    I know only too well about the lack of transportation and the dependency on others that impedes freedom and choices. For the first 10 years of my life, as a person with a disability, I was shackled by the schedule of friends and loved ones. On top of the barrier of everyone's schedule, there were no ramps, no electric doors, no accessible bathrooms, and little access to the built environment in which we live. It was not until the early 1990s that I enjoyed the privilege and experienced the freedom of reliable transportation. And it's changed my life.

    Personal mobility enables personal choices and frees one from the restrictions of other people's schedules. My ability to work, to pick up a gallon of milk and go on a date unchaperoned was nearly unimaginable. These activities that most take for granted were not realized until reliable community and public transportation impacted my life.

    It took some time to break free of the psychological bondage, the sense of being trapped. My new freedom - earning and spending money when and where I choose - is not extended to all Americans with disabilities. Many individuals with disabilities in our great country are still trapped where I was 12 years ago. Perhaps they don't know to use the local transportation options, or maybe there aren't any. These Americans are not free to make independent choices about when, where and how they choose to live their lives.

    Therefore, our collective goal in the fight for freedom and self-determination for all 54 million persons with disabilities is to expand and extend reliable and accessible community and public transportation options. It is through investment in transportation that collectively we will help liberate the millions still trapped by their disabilities. Lack of access to reliable transportation for persons with disabilities prevents their contributions to economic growth and community activities. Too many people with disabilities that could - and want to - work, cannot.

    We have come a long way in the past decade, but we also have a long way to go. We have only to look at how far we have come, to understand that the investment of time, money and effort yields dividends beyond measure for all.

    Your work - and the work of the Community Transportation Association of America - in the struggle to secure and provide reliable transportation choices for all Americans is a model. The increased economic stimuli, healthier lifestyles and more robust communities due to increased participation will our reward for this noble work. Because transportation is freedom.

J.R.Harding

J.R.Harding will bring can-do attitude to city

Tallahassee Democrat
February 01, 2003

Letters to the editor

    The Democrat endorsed the Seat 3 incumbent, Debbie Lightsey, but why? Her record includes moving elections to February, costing taxpayers at least $300,000, and guaranteeing a low voter turnout.

    Her record includes opposing tax breaks for low-income seniors and leaving the public out of the replacement process, as was done in filling the seat of the late Charles Billings.

    We don't need to increase taxes or raise fees to pursue economic development, to protect and serve our neighborhoods. It does not cost any money to treat every citizen with dignity and respect.

    I have met every obstacle in life that one could possibly imagine with a can-do attitude. I don't complain; I just move forward and do the best possible. This approach translates into a record of leadership, a record of achievements, and a record of community involvement. Because this community has embraced me, allowed me the opportunity to demonstrate my abilities, it is now my turn to serve all the people of Tallahassee and bring a can-do attitude to government.

J.R.Harding
Candidate for City Commission, Seat 3

Seats 3 and 5 City Commission candidates

FSViews
Thursday Jan. 30, 2003
J.R. Harding profile
Candidate for City Commission Seat 3

Platform: Return civility to local government -- Enhance economic development by implementing Blueprint 2000 -- Implement a property tax exemption for senior citizens -- Support our neighborhoods and build our communities -- Support local firefighters and law enforcement officers

Qualifications: "The qualifications that make me a better choice for the city commission than my opponents for seat 3 and make me a better representative for your interests are numerous. One, I am a past graduate student of FSU and know the frustrations you have with city government and the qualities that make FSU great. Second, I currently serve as a voting member of FSU's Alumni Board and thus have an intimate knowledge of the quality of life issues that affect the student body and am personally interested in the long-term vitality of FSU.

"Third, I employ five FSU students and thus am reminded daily of the issues taking place on campus. Fourth, I was the only two-time student regent in the history of the past Florida Board of Regents. Therefore, I understand the need for need-based scholarships, merit-based scholarships, housing choices, and of course, the parking problem. My involvement in public service is extensive and it includes city, state and national activities."

Main impetus for candidacy: "Many individuals are interested in what motivates someone to run for public office. In my case, I am driven by a profound need to repay a debt to the Tallahassee community. This debt originated in the fall of 1998 when I went through the windshield of my van on Interstate-75 and broke two legs, my shoulder and my neck for the second time.

"Tallahassee and the FSU community in particular reached out to me in my time of great need. All parts of the community wrote letters, volunteered, sent flowers and facilitated my return to the community. In fact, the flowers in my house today are from my hospital room at the time and constantly remind me of the selflessness and love of this community."

Why the candidate feels students should vote for him: "I want to be your city commissioner because I will aggressively pursue an active partnership between Florida State, the Tallahassee community and the city government. The universities in our community play a key role in the development of our city, provide and create numerous job opportunities, and enrich the standard of living of our city. If elected, I want to give back to FSU and my community by helping students make those critical professional contacts with businesses by establishing mentorship programs in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce.

"I want to make sure your concerns are understood and reacted to by the city government by holding several town hall meetings on campus and continuing to participate in the activities of FSU. The fact that there are so few professional opportunities for students in Tallahassee, that housing fees are unconscionably high, and that you find city government hostile to your issues are all indications of how the city ignores your concerns.

"Together with your vote, we can collaboratively work together to shape the future of this town. A future where there are job openings for you in Tallahassee and where you can earn a living. A future where tomorrow's college students have more and better housing choices, and finally, a future where students have a place to park their car without getting it towed."

In closing: "Please prove the cynics wrong. Please prove that you in fact care about the community in which you live. Please reaffirm what I already know, which is that you are involved, and care about and are involved in the community. Through your collective votes, the college student can have a profound impact on city issues. Whether you choose to vote for me or not, please vote on Feb. 4, 2003."

Other facts: Received doctorate in education from FSU in 1999. Currently works for the Florida Department of Education.

Incumbent Lightsey faces 3 challengers

Tallahassee Democrat
Wednesday Jan. 29, 2003

Three challengers are trying to unseat three-term incumbent Debbie Lightsey, first elected to the Tallahassee City Commission 14 years ago as an environmentalist and neighborhood advocate.

She said her attitude toward growth management has evolved since then, pointing to her votes for the Blair Stone Road extension and incentive programs for businesses. In a recent television ad, she described herself as an "environmental road-builder."

Her opponents, John Byrne, J.R. Harding and Anthony "Dr. V" Viegbesie haven't attacked her for being too green, but have gotten on her case for supporting city elections in February and for voting to reduce a buffer between the city's sprayfield and a southeast Leon County neighborhood after 2015. Lightsey said that voters should decide when to hold the election and that the city's water- utility ratepayers may have to absorb the cost if the city is forever banned from expanding into the buffer.

John Byrne

A recent graduate of Florida State University law school, Byrne has been active in politics behind the scenes, working on the 2002 campaign of Sen. Nancy Argenziano, R-Crystal River. Byrne, 28, said the city's utility rates are too high and that the city essentially taxes residents through the electric utility. "The city should not be in the business of making money off its citizens," he said.

Instead, he said, the city and the state should sell property it owns to private concerns to increase the amount of taxable property in the city. Tallahassee's property tax rate is low, although the number of parcels that are off the tax rolls is high. Byrne also thinks the city needs to work harder at keeping Florida State and Florida A&M University graduates in Tallahassee. Many highly trained graduates leave for bigger cities, diluting a potentially large pool of talent.

"Students play a large role," Byrne said. "It's important to recognize that and work with that. It's a question of creating homes" for students once they graduate.

J. R. Harding

Harding, a 35-year-old program specialist with the Department. of Education, is campaigning on increasing accountability in city government, offering low-income seniors a homestead exemption and holding elections in November.

"We need to be able to do better with less," he said, referring to the city's budget. He's also against raising utility rates and property taxes.

Harding has spent time working as a consultant and educator on disability rights. A wheelchair user, he has received a number of prestigious political appointments, including one by President George W. Bush to serve on the U.S. Access Board. At a recent candidates forum, he said the city needs to aggressively pursue alternative modes of transportation for wheelchair users, pedestrians and bicyclists. "We have an obligation to provide these choices for these citizens," he said.

On the election issue, Harding said that a February election does a "disservice" to voters since many are unaware there is an election. And, Harding - like a host of other non incumbents - said the buffer between the sprayfield and neighborhood needs to stay the same. "Keep the promise," he urged city commissioners.

Debbie Lightsey

Elected in 1989, Lightsey continues to be a green vote on the commission and a stickler for following the city's growth and environmental regulations. She is campaigning as the institutional memory on a board that will definitely see some change. Many people in City Hall and the community commend her for doing her homework and coming to commission meetings having read the agenda.

"I don't make grandiose promises during campaign season," she has said at candidate forums, adding that she feels she has served Tallahassee well.

The 55-year-old Lightsey has become an expert on storm water and flooding. She advocates a conservative fiscal policy for the city, often wringing her hands over increased costs and an uncertain economic future for the city.

Her critics often cast her as a knee-jerk environmentalist, but she has supported pro-growth initiatives. Along with Commissioner John Paul Bailey, Lightsey worked on the city's redevelopment ordinance, which waives some requirements on storm water retention and treatment for developers who rehab blighted properties in the city. The Publix supermarket on Tharpe Street is an example of a project that took advantage of this law, passed by the City Commission in 2001.

Anthony 'Dr. V' Viegbesie

Viegbesie, 48, said the city doesn't need continuity but a change in leadership.

Viegbesie, a Tallahassee Community College economics professor, said the commission "is out of touch with the community, delivering lip service to the people who elected them."

He also criticizes Lightsey for not supporting a senior homestead exemption and voting twice to extend her term. He said effluent from the city's wastewater treatment plant should be treated to a higher standard than it is now. And regarding the two-thirds of a mile buffer, "commitments were made, commitments should be kept," he said at a recent candidates forum.

Viegbesie is a member of Bethel AME Church and political action chairman for the state conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Last year, he criticized the City Commission in a letter to the Tallahassee Democrat for "eliminate(ing) diversity" when appointing Allan Katz after the death of Commissioner Charles Billings.

Viegbesie wants the city to take greater advantage of TCC and the two universities, saying they could "provide training and manpower for needed manufacturers." He also said the city should not simply dig storm water ponds but should work with university experts to address flooding and water-quality problems. He also thinks the city could earn revenue by becoming a hub for conventions in North Florida.

Archana Pyati

Harding set for D.C. meeting

Tallahassee Democrat
Sunday Jan. 12, 2003

J.R. Harding, a candidate for Tallahassee City Commission Seat 3, said he's taking some days off from campaigning to attend the U.S. Access Board bimonthly meeting in Washington, D.C. The Access Board's purpose is to promote compliance, resolve conflicts and create the federal guidelines on disability access for every facet of American life. In April, Harding was appointed by President Bush to serve a four-year term on the U.S. Access Board (www.access-board.gov). Harding is one of 11 public members on the board and the only Floridian. Harding is up against John Byrne, Debbie Lightsey and Anthony "Dr. V" Viegbesie in the Feb. 4 city election.

Archana Pyati

Candidates for Seat 3

Tallahassee Democrat
Sunday January 12, 2003

J.R. HARDING

Age: 36

Family: Single

Education: Doctorate of Education in higher education and public policy

Occupation: Educator, advocate, and consultant. Currently employed by state of Florida Department of Education Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Current civic involvement: Member, US Access Board, Waiver Council for the Florida Building Commission, Transportation Disadvantage chair of the Rate Review Committee, Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, North Florida Spinal Cord Association

Previous political experience: Appointed twice as student member, Florida Board of Regents (1996-1998); worked in appropriations for the Florida House of Representatives

Accessibility: Tallahassee should lead by example

Tallahassee Democrat
December 21, 2002

Letters to the editor
The All-America city - our Tallahassee - had to be sued in federal court to provide basic civil rights and safety for our most vulnerable citizens, the elderly and persons with disabilities.

Ensuring the public right of way for all citizens is a fundamental responsibility of local government. Knowingly maintaining hazardous intersections at both hospitals, downtown and Lake Ella is merely negligent leadership. Adding additional insult to injury, the city paid a Miami-based consulting firm $150,000 to identify and quantify the severity of the problem.

Perhaps it was too easy to contract with the local not-for-profit organization such as the Center for Independent Living, which possesses both the professional and personal perspective to do the job well. Perhaps it was easier to send our tax dollars out of town and not involve our citizens who are most affected by the unsafe and dangerous conditions. It was easier to have our neighbors sue the city to obtain a solution instead of being involved in in the solution.

We are the capital city of Florida and can lead by example by meeting basic civil rights and not putting our citizens in harm's way.

J.R. HARDING
Candidate, City Commission Seat 3

FSU alumnus seeks to inspire

Dr. James 'JR' Harding, a surviving two-time quadriplegic, 
seeks to lead by example

FSU News
Thursday October 31st, 2002

FSU graduate Dr. James 'JR' Harding is running for a city commission seat.

While it may be easy to become immersed in daily activities and complain about a lack of good fortune, it is possible to come across a person who has overcome so much that it could cause one to realize their own fortune. One FSU alumnus is such a person. Dr. James "JR" Harding has overcome not just one, but two life-shattering experiences. Both events left him temporarily unable to care for himself, as well as permanently disabled. Because both events would have been enough to cause quadriplegia, Harding considers himself a "surviving two-time quadriplegic."

"What I mean by a surviving two-time quadriplegic is once in 1983, when I tried to walk away from a fist fight, I was body slammed onto concrete, instantly becoming paralyzed and changing my life forever," Harding said. "The second time was in 1998 when I was completing my doctorate here at FSU. I went through a windshield, broke two legs, a shoulder and my neck for the second time. That's what I mean by a surviving two-time quadriplegic."

Harding's injuries were so devastating after the first accident that a Catholic Priest gave him last rights. He held on, however, and taught himself how to live and cope with his paralysis. He eventually graduated college and moved to Florida to obtain his masters degree at the University of West Florida. He then matriculated to FSU in 1994 in pursuit of his doctorate in Higher Education.

"Actually, I didn't know a whole lot (about FSU)," Harding said. "I knew they had a great football team. My professors over at West Florida said this was the right town for me, the right town for my make-up, and that it would match whom I was and where I wanted to go. And, occasionally when you listen to your professors, they're right."

After coming to FSU, Harding seemingly found his voice. Between his arrival and 1998, he served on the FSU Alumni Board of Directors, the Governor's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Working Group, the Tallahassee Transportation Planning Advisory Committee and the Florida Board of Regents, which, at the time, was in charge of all 10 public state universities.

Then, in 1998, Harding's second nearly fatal accident occurred. It meant having to go through rehabilitation all over again to cope with his quadriplegia. It is the FSU community that Harding credits with helping him through the ordeal.

"It was priceless," Harding said. "My professors drove to the hospital, told me not to worry about my dissertation and assured me I was going to graduate. Not only did I not worry, but they hooked up my room with computer access and Internet access. Kids volunteered every night from 5 to 10 (p.m.) so that when staff had left, I had someone there to help me to learn to write again, learn to eat again, learn to push my wheelchair again."

With the help of those volunteers, and through his own sheer will, Harding again learned to live with his quadriplegia. He again set out to live a life with a schedule that would make a fully able-bodied person cringe, and in 1999, he received his doctorate in Higher Education. That was not the end of Harding's story, however, or his association with FSU.

"Since graduating from FSU, I have been gainfully employed with the Department of Education (and) I've received a presidential appointment to represent all folks with disabilities at the national level," Harding said. "I've worked on the Florida building codes, the transportation codes and I've helped folks with similar circumstances receive the educational training and skills they need to get into the workplace."

At the invitation of Dr. Mark Zeigler, Harding often comes to speak to classes for the purpose of telling his story.

"From hearing JR's story, I hope students realize how lucky they are and how lucky JR is," Zeigler said, "t hat no matter what life serves up, you can push through and achieve whatever you want to. And that, by JR's example, we can all dedicate our lives to serving others."

It is motivation on which Harding tries to have his lectures focus.

"Most of it revolves around overcoming barriers -- reaching out, communicating, involving your friends and your neighbors in your life and collectively overcoming issues," Harding said. "The over arching goal here is anything is possible."

Harding claims that the treatment he has received from FSU has inspired him to want to give back even more. In order to accomplish that goal, he has made himself a candidate for City Commission seat three, up for election in February.

Harding says he wants to help put his life experience into the decision-making process for the people of Tallahassee.

"For me, it is intellectually personally satisfying to make those kind of decisions, because I'm not going to run a marathon, I'm not going to build a building, but I can use my head and I can make good decisions based on community input," Harding said. "And because this town reached out to me in my time of greatest need, I would like to repay that favor."

Justin Rucki

National Disability Mentoring Day

Capital News Service
Wednesday October 16th, 2002

Across the state, students with disabilities are getting new hope for a productive future. Wednesday was the second annual National Disability Mentoring day and fourteen Florida cities are taking part. In Tallahassee, students and others with disabilities met their mentors at Datamaxx, one of the state's high-tech firms. They spent the rest of the day on the job with their mentors learning what a high-tech career is all about. Both mentors and students see the program as a great learning opportunity. "Businesses are a leader in our community, they're the employers, and many folks with disabilities are left out of the employment arena for perceived, sometimes real barriers, and this creates an opportunity to break down those barriers," said J.R. Harding with the Department of Education.

10th grader Caitlin Inman said, "I just want to find out what it's like in the work force and see what people do."

Coordinators of Disability Mentoring day hope students will come away with a better idea about how they can some day make a living and also make a friend at the same time.

For more information about the nationwide project visit

www.aapd.org
Christina Bailey

Flawed process led to self-serving decision

Our city commissioners voted to move the election on the backs of the taxpayers. Recently, the same city commissioners were faced with a daunting challenge of replacing Charles Billings' leadership in the city because of his premature passing. The community was informed that Mr. Billings' replacement would not be a person interested in a permanent seat or that diversity would be a major consideration for the temporary leader.

Although time was short for this important decision, the city had a special obligation to embrace the richness and diversity of our community in replacing Commissioner Billings. Commissioners did not have a list of candidates or public input, but rather chose to replace Commissioner Billings with a political insider.

I'm certain Commissioner Katz will serve the public with prudence and fairness. However, the selection methodology in choosing him was flawed; it represents one more glaring example of self-serving decision-making and limited access by the citizens. It is unfortunate that our community leaders continuously make decisions with their own agenda in mind, rather that what is best for the community: fostering the diversity, economic development, neighborhoods and related pressing city issues.

It is with great enthusiasm that I look forward to February's 2003 election to send a message of change to our city leadership.

J.R. HARDING
candidate, City Commission Seat 3

A City Commission meeting that will live in infamy

The Jan. 23 City Commission meeting will live in infamy. In one breath, commissioners articulated how important the democratic process is. But in another breath, they selfishly justified postponing the needed and scheduled city election for another six months. It appears that we have no better use for a quarter million dollars in Tallahassee than to fund our own special election. The commissioners voted to deprive seniors who qualify for additional homestead exemption on the grounds that it was too costly. Additionally, we should not forget that our seniors and retirees are being pinched by prescriptions, taxes and rising insurance premiums on a fixed income. Let's not consider that we are in a recession.

The wisdom put forth by our five wise kings with self-serving moral pontification resulted in a change from the general election cycle of all the state's issues. This action is unconscionable, the result of which two of the five commissioners voted to extend their reign without the people's approval.

Do they truly believe that the citizens of Tallahassee are not capable of making clear and informed choices while also voting on other issues? Perhaps the possible loss of institutional knowledge and historical leadership would be a refreshing change for the city of Tallahassee instead of maintaining the status quo.

J.R. HARDING

Mr. Harding Goes to Washington

A Tallahassee advocate for the disabled, who himself uses a wheelchair, got a chance earlier this month to tell federal officials they need to do more to help disabled people live like everybody else.

J.R. Harding, who works for the Florida Department of Education in the office of vocational rehabilitation, traveled to Washington DC on September 5, to speak at a “national listening session” attended by representatives of the White House, Cabinet and several federal agencies.

One of his key points was the need to bring all medical facilities – such a doctors offices and substance abuse facilities – into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“We weren’t asking for (new) laws. We weren’t asking for money. We were just asking for them to do what they said they’d do in the first place,” Harding said.

Disabled Say City Offers Few Services

By Tom Kielbasa
Special to the Sun

Gainesville still has a long way to go toward meeting the needs of the disabled, according to residents who voiced their concerns during a public hearing Tuesday.

More than 30 disabled people and representatives for area disabled groups met with the official Working Group of the Americans with Disabilities Act, voicing problems such as inadequate transportation and lack of employment for the disabled in Gainesville.

The Working Group was created last year to encourage the implementation of the ADA legislation and provide cooperation among state and local governments, businesses and disabled people. Tuesday’s hearing was part of the group’s quarterly meeting.

Among the participants was Gainesville resident Zich Andrews, whose right leg is affected by polio and who is hearing impaired.

He said he has been unable to find work since moving here in 1996.

He said the lack of employment for disabled people, compounded with a need for better transportation for the disabled, has made finding a job difficult.

Others echoed Andrews’ concerns.

“Employment and transportation are probably the biggest issues we face as a community,” said J.R. Harding, ADA Working Group chairman.

Working Group officials discovered a lack of what they called adequate resources when they tried to book a Gainesville hotel for their quarterly meeting and found that the only hotel fully accessible to the disabled was the Best Western Gateway Grand on NW 97th Boulevard.

Harding said they needed a hotel with wheelchair ramps and special fire alarms systems for the hearing and sight-impaired members, but only one hotel could accommodate them all.

“It speaks of a lack of sensitivity, a lack of inclusion and a lack of effort to bring everybody in, ‘Harding said. “And as a result we were not able to spend significant amounts of money at all the other hotels. We chose this one (Best Western) because (it) was best able to accommodate the diversity of the disabled community.”

He said a greater community effort is needed to recognize the needs of people with disabilities.

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