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NEWS FROM TALC

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Protect state funding for transit -- your help needed now!
TALC is launching a campaign to permanently secure vital operating support for public transit. We need your organization to sign on now to our letter urging Governor Schwarzenegger to dedicate gas tax spillover funds to the Public Transportation Account as intended by statute. In 2006 we helped get $350 million, and this coming year it may be twice as much. Victory will mean that diversions of spillover revenue away from transit will be prevented in the 2007-08 budget and in future years. To add your organization to our letter contact Carli Paine at carli@transcoalition.org or 510-740-3150 x315 with your name and organization. If you're interested in participating in a conference call on January 10 to strategize about the campaign, contact Carli. Visit TALC's website to see the letter to the Governor and learn more about the issue.

Learn more: www.transcoalition.org/c/sus_spill/index.html

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TALC wishes you a happy holiday season
As we approach the short daylight hours of the winter solstice we are gladdened by brighter days ahead. We are especially hopeful about a growing resolve to address global climate change. A new Air District analysis shows that transportation is responsible for half of the Bay Area's greenhouse gas emissions, so our work truly has global implications. The work of TALC and its members is a small but significant part of the solution. And, fortunately, people are finally beginning to understand that what's good for the planet is also good for our communities and our quality of life. With this hopeful thought, we wish you and your loved ones a happy and healthy holiday season.

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We'd love your year-end support
If you haven't already made a year-end donation to TALC, time is running out! The donation is deductible for your 2006 taxes, and it's a great investment in improving our quality of life and promoting a sustainable region. By becoming an individual supporter of TALC you can help promote world class transit and great communities with safe walking and bicycle infrastructure. Click below to make an online donation, today!

Recent federal rules allow certain Individual Retirement Account (IRA) investors to donate an IRA to nonprofits, thereby avoiding the tax consequences that normally apply to withdrawals from traditional IRAs. If you would like to make this donation to TALC, please contact Seth Schneider at 510-740-3150 x310 or seth@transcoalition.org.

Donate now: www.transcoalition.org/about/about_donate.html

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Donate a prize for upcoming photography contest
In less than a year, TALC will celebrate its ten-year anniversary. As part of this celebration, we will be holding a photography contest. We need prizes to inspire great entries -- so consider helping to make the contest and ten-year event a success by donating a prize or becoming an event sponsor. Examples of prizes: a cash prize from your company, frequent flyer miles, tickets to events, free nights at hotels, gift certificates, use of a timeshare, bike gear, or transit passes. Interested in donating or being an event sponsor? Contact Marta Lindsey at marta@transcoalition.org or 510-740-3150 x321.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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Mark your calendar for TALC's regional meeting -- February 21
TALC's first regional meeting of 2007 will be held on Wednesday, February 21 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.. If you have questions or suggestions about the meeting contact Marta Lindsey at marta@transcoalition.org or 510-740-3150 x321.

At the November Regional Meeting, Philip Bona presented the idea of a Bay Area-wide charrette process to envision where and how new housing will be built over the next 10, 20, and 30 years with a focus on transportation and healthy communities. We also discussed the proposed Oakland Airport Connector and the new TALC working group that is looking more closely at the Connector (contact Marta at marta@transcoalition.org to learn more). Phil's presentation and notes from the meeting can be viewed on TALC's website.

Learn more: www.transcoalition.org/cal/minutes_archive.html#2006
Learn more: www.bayarearegionalforum-aia.org

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Celebrate the holidays and the elimination of a highway -- December 21
Citizens for Alternative Transportation Solutions (CATS) and Hayward Area Planning Association (HAPA) will hold a holiday party on the evening of December 21 at 5:30 p.m., with a pot-luck dinner at 6:00 p.m. The event will celebrate an important victory for the community: eliminating the proposed State Route 238, which would have cut through the middle of Hayward. Other transportation issues will also be discussed. For more information contact Audrey LePell of CATS at 510-785-2840.