Sisters Acting Up: Meet The Sisters in Action for Power

These days, the left is continually criticized for lumping too many issues together on one politically active plate. So, it can be refreshing to a see young activists with a focused vision. Maybe that's why the Sisters in Action for Power, a group of young women in Portland, Oregon working to win free bus service for students to and from high school, are having their voices heard. The Sisters in Action for Power three-year campaign for free student bus service is the force behind Portland's Tri-Met transit company's recent decision to allow free rides to high schoolers who qualify for free or reduced school lunches. The group, whose campaign has been covered in numerous Portland newspapers, is showing how acting on one issue can create positive social change for a large group of people. The Sisters' hard work is paying off in a big way for low-income high school students. But even though they have achieved some success, the Sisters aren't stopping there - they plan to keep battling for the option of free service for all Portland high school students.

So just how did the Sisters become so focused? Well, let's go back in time to the early 1990s. At that time the state legislature allowed the Portland and Eugene school districts to get rid of "yellow bus" service to high school students. As a result, "yellow bus" service in Portland is only available to students who live within 1.5 miles from campus. Then, in 1997, the Sisters knocked on doors, and surveyed over 2,000 students, mostly from public school districts and found that 11% reported missing school because of problems with transportation costs. It's important to remember that "yellow bus" service is free, while public transportation is not. This year's student fares will cost between 75 and 90 cents per ride (depending on how they are purchased).

The Sisters also have a bone to pick with the way Tri-Met has set up what they call the "Fareless Square" program, which allows people to ride free within the downtown area. The Sisters call these programs "corporate welfare," accusing the company of furthering segregation between the business and shopping district and the other, less "developed" residential parts of the city; areas where the poorer people reside and work. In addition, Tri-Met makes riding the bus especially appealing to the employees of larger businesses by allowing their employers to purchase bulk amounts of fares as part of their "Passport programs." Again, the Sisters see this as benefiting those who already have several transportation options.

According to Tri-Met spokesperson, Mary Fetsch, the two programs promote clean air and livability in the city and reflect the city's eco-conscious history. She says the Fareless Square was started over 20 years ago when Portland was committing clean air violations in the 1970s, and adds that transit carries the equivalent of two lanes of traffic on every major thoroughfare to the downtown area. As for the Passport Program, Fetsch says its purpose is to reduce single occupant vehicles, air pollution, and congestion. She also cites that Tri-Met's total service takes 164,000 car trips off the road every day. "The Fareless Square is key to the downtown area," Fetsch says.

So why would the Sisters oppose programs that aim to eliminate air pollution and congestion? Darlene Lombos, Sisters' spokesperson, points out that their pushing for further subsidizing does not mean they oppose these pro-environment efforts.

When you consider the number of low-income students in the Portland school district who may qualify for the passes under the current Tri-Met and Sisters arrangement, the Sisters have lived up to their name, by taking action and applying their power. 21,000 to 22,000 K-12 students qualify for free or reduced lunch meals in the district. Though high school students are only part of this figure. But the number of high school students who will get reduced passes this school year could likely number over 1,000.