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4 L. Action 1 (1969)

handle is hein.journals/lwaction4 and id is 1 raw text is: A MONTHLY ACCOUNT OF THE LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAM LegTl Services Victory Baltimore Bus Users Win Rate Case Representation Rights Legal Services Program attorneys in Baltimore recently established the right of inner city bus users to be represented in transit rate cses. The Legal Services attorneys represented three inner city groups before the Metropolitan Transit Authority in opposition to bus fare increases, A temporary adult fare increase from 2' to 30 cents had been granted last September. The Balti- more Transit Co. applied to make the increase permanent and also to hike the stdents' and chil- drens' fares from 15 to 25 cents plus five cents for a transfer. The Authority, departing from usual practice for Servie attorneys to represent the inner city groups. The permanent adult increase to 30 cents subse- quently vas granted but the increase in students' and childrens' faes was turned down. Witnesses for the community were sworn and testifiled to the poor quality of service anl poor con- dition of the buses. Legal Services lawyers said later this testimony was probably helpful in de- feating the (childrens' and students' increase, The intervening groups included the Lafayette- Douglas Tenant's Council, represented by D)avid R. Packard; the Brunt Community Improvement As- sociation, represented by Irwin Brown, and the Movlement Against Destruction, whbose spokesman was attorney- William Shiber. The public at large, in such rate hearings, is represented by the People's Counsel to the MTA, the City- Solicitor's Office and the County Attorney. The Transit Company opposed intervention by the Legal Services attorneys< as being unnecessary, likely to p -rolong the hearing, and certain to open the door to similar action by some 200 to 300 or maybe 500 different organizations in Baltimore City who have lawyers. The Legal Services attorneys argued that the inner city groups had an interest that went well beyond the interest of the public at large. Saidl Packard: We feel that these groups are special interest groups whose interests may be somewhat different and somewhat focused up from those of the public at large, that this Authority has in many previous occasions taken cognizance of the special needs of the ghetto, as one letter referred to it, or as the Inner City as we refer to it at this point, and that the appearances would be justified in this case. Shiber pointed out that of the 1.8 million people who take rides every day, 1% million of them get to their destination by automobile, and only 300,000 use the Baltimore Transit Co. The 300,000, he continued, are the people we seek to represent specifically, whereas, for example, the City Solicitor would be representing all the people, the majority -of whom get to and fro by automobile. Brown added that the inner city groups are the people who can least afford any changes in terms of fares, in terms of service that is to be provided by the Baltimore Transit Company, Other groups r'ep- resented by the City Solicitor and the County So- licitor can perhaps find alternative ways of getting to their work or their homes. I think this is not the case with the people we represent. I think they have the right to be heard here. Digitized from Best Copy Available W, 4, No. I May 1969 A COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM

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