SUCCESS!

A group of organizations representing a diverse group of Los Angeles public transportation patrons successfully brought suit against the Los Angeles MTA, charging them for violating the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits government agencies that receive any federal funds from distributing them in a discriminatory manner. The plaintiffs charged that MTA fostered a separate and unequal public transit system for riders of color. In January 2004 the order for MTA to increase their fleet to stop overcrowding was a direct result of the Bus Rider's Union/Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Consent Decree Compliance Campaign.

Local policy work deserves more attention! Not only does it have local impact but it is now the primary form in which social policy is developed. Policy development, previously the domain of expert "wonks" and lobbyists, is increasingly being used as a tool for community change. Grassroots groups are taking their own agendas to city hall and the state house and proactively transforming them into progressive, meaningful policies.

Policies determine our quality of life. A policy is a definite course of action such as agreements, the codes that shape every aspect of life. They guide and determine present and future decisions about our lives. For all the counties getting poor grades on the report card, it's time to make a change!

Great brochures and good advice may help change individual behavior but are not enough to achieve health justice. It will take organizing from the ground up: social change that transforms the current systems of neglect, bias, and privilege into system-policies, practices, institutions-that truly support health for all.

Since the goal of this section is to demonstrate just how powerful local groups can be in getting policy changed, below are a few more examples of successful campaigns.

In 2003, in collaboration with the Center for Community Change, Northwest Federation of Community Organizers coordinated a national effort by grassroots organizations across the country to win an increase in funding for the Medicaid program. The increased funding came during a time of severe state budget crises and enabled local organizations to stop cuts to the Medicaid program. http://www.nwfco.org/medicaid_funding_vict.htm

In 2001, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services targeted “dioxin as a significant public health threat requiring immediate attention,” and established a statewide strategy to reduce dioxin emissions by 50% over the next two years. The strategy includes setting up a comprehensive inventory of dioxin emissions and their sources, and over 50 recommendations to reduce emissions from over 20 sources, such as closing medical waste incinerators.
http://www.besafenet.com/ppc/archives/2006/01/new_hampshire_d.html