April 19, 2017 Page 5 TriMet Budget Battle c ontinued from p age 3 spending on transit police is the wrong priority when TriMet is not sufficiently prioritizing the needs of low-income riders. “We want to see that funding go toward increasing service and improving accessibility,” he says. “Safety doesn’t just mean the presence of more police officers… Safety has a different definition when you’re a low income person, or a person of color, who is used to being harassed by police officers.” OPAL wants TriMet to support its low-income fare program pro- posal, which also is estimated to cost about $11 million. The Low Income Fare Equity (LIFE) program would be avail- able to anyone whose income is below 200 percent of the Feder- al Poverty Line, and would offer monthly passes at the Honored Citizen rate of $28. “Transportation is a lifeline, and just because people are un- able to afford that $2.50 doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve to go to the doctor, or that they don’t deserve to get to their job,” Fleek says. “The most common instance is when a person has to make a choice between getting on a train and spending the $2.50 to try and get to the grocery store, or spend- ing that $2.50 on extra groceries.” Aldstadt says that TriMet is at- tempting to implement a low-in- come fare system, and that there are currently services available to help those in need, such as the Access Transit program serving nonprofits and community groups with reduced cost fares. Avalon Flowers 520 SW 3rd Ave., Portland, OR 97204 • 503-796-9250 A full service flower experience Cori Stewart-- Owner, Operator • Birthdays • Anniversaries • Funerals • Weddings Open: Mon.-Fri. 7:30am til 5:30pm Saturday 9am til 2pm. Website: avalonflowerspdx.com email: avalonflowers@msn.com We Offer Wire Services Upholster y C le aning • S ofa / L oves e at • Pet St ai ns • F l o o d R estor at i ons Showdogs is a full service salon. We do baths, all over hair cuts, tooth brushing, nail trims, soft claws, flea treatments, mud baths, and ear clean- ing. We also have health care and grooming prod- ucts to keep your pet clean in between visits. 5 0 3 - 7 0 5 - 2 5 8 7 2 Rooms + Hall $ Show Dogs Grooming Salon & Boutique 926 N. Lombard Portland, OR 97217 503-283-1177 Tuesday-Saturday 9am-7pm Monday 10am-4pm Yo dawg is gonna look like a show dawg and your kitty will be pretty. 59 95 Complete House $ 109 95 We Also Do Janitorial Services Licensed • Bonded • Insured Carpet Cleaning Spot/Stain Removal • 24 Hour Flood Service Upholstery Cleaning • Area Rug Cleaning • Dry Time 2-4 Hours With Free Deoderizer Free Estimates • Available Weekends