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35th State House District
Candidates differ on senior transportation,
health-care issues.
JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR
Special to the Jewish News
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ransportation for senior
citizens is one of the issues
facing two candidates run-
ning for the 35th State
House District seat on Nov. 7.
But the issue has become an
important one for the Jewish com-
munity. This is best illustrated by
looking at the growing demands for
transportation services provided by
Jewish Family Service, based in
Southfield and West Bloomfield.
As director of transportation and
translation services for JFS, Alex
Goldberg has seen a significant
increase in the number of rides his
department provides to seniors in
the community, and to people who
don't have cars or can't drive them to
get to doctor appointments or
errands.
A few years ago, he and his six
drivers assisted 10,000 people with
roundtrip rides. That number
increased to 15,000 in 1999 and to
an estimated 20,000 so far this year.
"The need for this service is grow-
ing, not shrinking," Goldberg says.
That's why the issue has become
important to the Jewish community
during the election, says Allan Gale,
assistant director of the Jewish
Community Council of Metropolitan
Detroit.
"Governmental funding for trans-
portation has always existed," Gale
says, pointing to the building of
roads and the funding of some pub-
lic transportation systems. "But it
doesn't fund [public transportation]
to the level that the seniors need
them to. This is an unfilled need
that the seniors are crying 0 for."
Currently, JFS receives grants and
funding frorn the Jewish Fund, the
of Metropolitan
Jewis h
Detroit and the United Way.
Additionally, passengers are assessed
a fee based on their income, with 85
for a roundtrip ride being the lowest
amount.
"Five dollars doesn't cover what it
costs for the vehicle, the driver or
any of the costs," Goldberg says. "If
we keep growing the way we are, we
may need some kind of government
funds."
Aaron Samson, the Republican can-
didate for state representative of the
35th District, feels there are alterna-
tives to providing public funds.
Instead, he suggests revamping the
current system and cutting what he
perceives as wasteful practices.
"There are senior vans in many
communities in Oakland County that
seem adequate," says Samson, an Oak
Park resident. "We also have a mass-
transit system that runs certain routes
without any passengers on them dur-
ing the day, Wasting money. Taking no
one to nowhere is not a legitimate
business. Perhaps we can cut the
unused mass-transit routes and use
part of the savings to fund more sen-
ior-needed vans.
Samson's opponent, Democratic
incumbent Rep. Gilda Jacobs of
Huntington Woods, sees the answer in
a slightly different way.
"While the state must address inade-
quate public transportation, in the
interim, tax credits and incentives
could be given to individuals who pro-
vide private transportation or who
start jitney services. Many of these
services have gone out of business
because of high costs," Jacobs suggests.
"Additional monies to expand or
begin senior-transportation programs
could come out of the extra money
the state has reaped from extra gas
taxes," she says.
The position of state representative
of the 35th district, comprised of
Huntington Woods, Berkley, Oak
Park, Royal Oak Township and
Ferndale, is a two-year position, The
representative earns $56,981 annually,
with a 810,000 expense account for
living and travel costs.
Aside from transportation, both can-
didates for the office also take oppos-
ing stands on emergent health-care
issues, including providing incentives
for personal-care workers and provid-
ing safety net coverage on pending
long-term care and mental-health
plans. At the same time, Jacobs and
Samson agree on certain education
issues, like allowing organized prayer
in public schools and providing school
vouchers. Both candidates stand
opposed.
"