PLEASE sign my petition

I'm an epileptic, and there is a distinct possibility that I will never have a valid driver's license or a car. Much as this pisses me off, it's the truth and there's not much I can do about it. After accepting it, I started to think more about why social status in this country is so intimately tied to cars. They'll give a license to any moron who can coordinate his hands and feet with what he sees; suddenly he's a stud and can get whatever he wants. My driving education was delayed, sparse, sporadic, meted out ever so grudgingly by my parents, and over a year-and-a-half ago. Ever since I my first high school friend got her license I've felt like a second-class citizen and a burden on my friends, family, co-workers, and random strangers. I was incensed when my dad first suggested that I stop trying to get a license. He said that it could be my own personal contribution to environmentalism.

I've been an environmentalist for considerably longer than epilepsy has been an issue for me, so dealing with such a comment has of course been a constant source of inner struggle for me. I might be okay with it were there decent public transportation systems available around here, like there are in basically every other developed country around the world, but there just aren't.

This uncomfortable situation has been augmented by my decision to attend college in a small, relatively isolated town. The nearest town that has any public transportation to speak of is 17 miles away -- a pretty pathetic system, at that, considering that the town is a good 200,000 people. I have chronic Wanderlust and I hate feeling dependent on other people, both of which have led me into some pretty ridiculous situations.

There is a glimmer of hope: I have been circulating an online petition for public transportation since July, have gotten one-tenth of the signatures that I need, and the deadline is 1 January, 2008. Most of them I had to pry out of people one by one. All things considered, the thought that anyone would, for any reason, not want to support such a concept, fills me with unadulterated, fiery rage.

It takes all of five seconds to anonymously sign an online petition. You don't have to join anything to sign, and I'm not asking for your Social Security Number, a kidney, or three million dollars. Hell, you don't even have to care, as long as I get your signature.
How to get there:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/midwestcommutertrain

They don't have on-campus universities?

I don't know what you mean. All colleges and universities that aren't online are on campuses.

Your post is very confusing to me, Juls .. though, that is normal for me.

You have strong opinions about the environment, yet, are upset because you can't drive a car, which pollutes .. you have Wanderlust, yet, choose to remain in a small town which prohibits your ability to venture .. you choose to go to a University in which has no public transportation, yet, are aware that in other bigger towns, there are Universities which provide for this transportation problem .. you speak of wanting to be independent, yet, chain yourself by choice.

I get the feeling that your aim is to fight the establishment, rather than make your life more comfortable.

Certainly, I'm not dissing you, for I have a debilating handicap, as well (not physical) .. I'm just not understanding why you would prefer to struggle with your condition, with this "inconvenience" issue that you testify is an upset to you, rather than make your life easier for yourself.

I don't have a problem signing a petition ... but, I do have a problem in understanding the intention.

My resentment at the driver's license issue draws on a number of psychological reasons through which I am trying to work, and will describe to you if you wish.

I chose this particular college, I suppose, because it's one of two schools in the United States that has 100% of its campus entirely on the National Register of Historic Places, and I REALLY love old buildings. I didn't seriously consider schools outside of Iowa because I was having major self-esteem issues at the time and didn't think I really had a chance. Also, we have a relatively unique academic schedule, which makes me feel less overwhelmed.

And yes, I would be advocating this issue even if it didn't affect me so personally, because this is something that needs to happen sooner or later. Maybe not as passionately, but I would definitely still want it.

The Assembly hasn't appropriated the necessary funds .. if you got all of your signatures, what happens at that point? It was approved by Senate, right? The issue is funds .. how would this petition produce the revenue?

What's the next process?

Why do you have to pull hair out to get people to sign it? What are their reasons for declining to sign?

The Senate did approve it. And yes, the issue does seem to be the funds. I'm still new at this, so I'm still not entirely sure what I am doing. I think that I'll send the list to each member of the Assembly who is still voting nay.

The reasons just seem to be apathy. There's actually only one person whom I've tried to ask more than once. At first it was because he thought he'd have to join the site to sign, and didn't want to do that. The last time I said anything to him, he got kind of angry and said that he'd sign it but honestly doesn't care at all what happens. He still hasn't signed it. By and large, everyone else I've asked just ignores it until I'm chatting with them online and ask in person. The exceptions: my parents and progressively minded people, although that doesn't entirely explain for all of the other members of care2.com who ignored it.

Most people only care about what effects them .. natural attitude for most people and I don't know if it has to do with being non-progressive, it simply has no benefit to them.

So, I would suggest that you make up fliers and stick them on windshields of all the commuters in your area who are as disgruntled as you are .. certainly, they will be more eager to support your cause, for it effects their life directly. Or, a local radio station .. it would cost you money, but, also get the word out that you want people to hear. Posting on the bulletin board at college might get a couple signatures, for certainly, a few other students don't have cars.

If you meet your deadline .. I would suspect that it would still take until the next meeting of the General Assembly before any action would be put in place (if the funds can be appropriated) .. and then that would depend on getting the same majority vote PLUS your one petition vote .. so, not only would I contact the nays .. in your position, I would also dedicate myself to keeping the yays in my corner to ensure their vote when the Assembly commences.

I'll consider signing for you .. if I do, I'll meet the deadline. However, because I'm not an Iowa resident, it may be discounted.

The site I'm using is international, so it probably doesn't matter where the signers live. In fact, I never even thought of that. And I printed out hard copies today and posted them around campus. The authority figures who agreed to hold them for me are pretty excited about it too. And I'm sending in something about it to the school paper, either as a letter to the editor or as an opinion piece.

Another thought to get your signatures ....

First find out if signers have to be Iowa residents .. if that's not a requirement .. then pull on the sympathy string for your handicap.

Locate online sites, forums for people with epileptcy (sp) and plead your case to them .. they will likely hear you for they can relate to your plight.

Good Luck 🙂

Have you ever heard of Guerilla Marketing?

It's very effective, for it promotes creating a relationship with the customer by capturing them with a need in which your promotion, in itself, displays the importance of this commodity (though there are other tatics that fit this term).

In your case .. you could do this: Along with some supporters, create signage and costumes to display yourselves in a well populated area, in which will get a lot of attention .. and attempt to reach people by promoting this public transportation system by pointing out the benefits of the commodity to the community .. such as: saving of auto maintenance and expenditures, identifying their savings with gas prices by using the system would get thier attention, it would also boost the towns revenue by bringing in industry, whatever tourist attraction is local .. any benefit in which would save the citizens $ $ $ and create the revenue for the county/city .. it's all about money.

This kind of selling will get you a higher participation rate BECAUSE of the simplicity of it ... for your promotional angle actually displays your own personal activity in remaining cost efficient.

Another thing you could do is appeal to the shop owners .. you'd probably have to go door to door .. but, they would be sure signatures, for to have a public transportation system would bring them more customers.

You know ... I hate to tell you this .. but, you're probably fighting a losing battle.

It may be that you're passionate about it, for whatever reason ... however, to get the appropriated funds would mean the tax payers would have to put out more money .. and your in a rural community in which the farmer is struggling as it is already.

As much as you have your reasons to have something provided to you, and it angers you that you can't get a drivers license .. there are farmers going belly-up everyday, and their plight needs to be acknowledged, as well.

You could get your signatures if you worked hard enough, for YOUR benefit of transportation .... however, if this system is approved, somebody other than yourself will suffer the consequences.

I love old buildings, too .. however, that love wouldn't calm my conscience, if by my actions somebody lost their livlihood due to tax increases to pay for it.

Here, I would like to cite an article from a local newspaper from about a year ago:

The estimated cost for the project could reach $ 70 million, but, according to the study issued by the Washington, D.C. consulting firm R.L. Banks & Associates, Inc., it would be federally funded.

"It sounds like an astronomical number, but when you consider that adding a lane into [Interstate] 380 between Cedar Rapids and Coralville would cost in the neighborhood of $ 400 million, that sure makes rail transit part of the discussion," Schamberger said.

http://media.www.dailyiowan.com/media/storage/paper599/news/2007/01/23/Metro/Officials.Still.Mulling.Area.Commuter.Train-2668182.shtml
for the rest of the article.
It's hard to tell if they're even thinking about it right now. There's also a transcript of a radio show from 8 October, 2007, where everyone was talking about how it seems like another good idea, they were going to do some more surveys, they're working on estimating the costs of repairs and updates to the tracks and trains, but there's nothing available online about the results of their studies, one of which they wanted to have done by the end of November.
The bill's name is HF 559 if you want to have a look for yourself. Its history on the Iowa legislature website ends on 20 April, 2007, and I can't remember how to find out who in the General Assembly voted what and when.
As for taxpayers feeling too much of a crunch, all of our other social and environmental problems will compound at a higher rate if we continue to rely on personal vehicles, making them much more difficult to fix. I know it's going to be tough for a while, but we have to start making changes somewhere, sometime.