In an unprecedented court settlement reached today, Caltrans has agreed to spend $1.1 billion over the next 30 years to repair and improve sidewalks, crosswalks and park-and-ride facilities across the state so they are accessible for people with disabilities.
The settlement, filed at the federal courthouse in Oakland, is a major victory for civil rights activists that have been battling with Caltrans for years to provide equal access to public rights-of-way for the blind and people who use wheelchairs.
State to pay unprecedented $1.1 billion to make walkways accessible to disabled | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times
To paraphrase the anti-gay crowd:
1. Why should the desires of a small minority be put ahead of the majority?
2. The state should focus on the economy before anything else. Spending money on something like sidewalks for disabled people is a distraction that the state can't afford right now.
3. The handicapped already have every right that non-handicapped people have. Why do they want special rights?
4. What's next? Today the disabled want special sidewalks. Just wait. Next thing you know they'll be demanding special buses and taxis.
5. Upgrading sidewalks for the disabled might teach kids that it's cool to be handicapped.
6. Show me where the Constitution says that handicapped-accessible facilities are a right.
7. They should let the public vote on this. It's not right to approve something this major without letting the public voice its opinion.
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