County residents have heard quite a bit from groups supporting and the few in opposition to Measure A. Let me share the view from someone charged to serve frail seniors and people living with serious disabilities.

Measure A represents the difference between those individuals accessing vital programs and community services and being homebound and ultimately institutionalized.

Measure A would support specialized transportation for individuals unable to use the MTD bus because of severe physical or cognitive disabilities. Measure A would continue where Measure D will end.

Just ask the individuals who depend on specialized transit how important it is that they continue to participate in our community as well as accessing life-sustaining medical procedures such as dialysis treatments, cancer curing procedures and Alzheimer’s day programs. Ask the families of those individuals the improved quality of life they would enjoy because they can “get there” on their own.

Ask the families caught in the “sandwich” generation, supporting small children at home and caring for aging and ailing parents, how important transit is for their ability to support their family needs. Ask the medical professionals in our community what the cost would be if these individuals did not have access to their treatments or procedures. Ask the many senior nutrition sites what would happen to so many of their participants if they didn’t have access to those vital meals.

The “Silver Tsunami” is showing its gray little heads at a rate that many human service professionals will tell you is not slowing down, but just the opposite growing at a staggering rate. Please support your friends and neighbors needing specialized transit.

On Tuesday, when you drive, bike, walk or bus to your polling place, think about those individuals that have no certainty how they would get there without specialized transit. Please vote yes on Measure A.

Ernesto Paredes
Santa Barbara