Clean Air Campaign Members working the yard sale.  From left counterclockwise: Reggie Streeter, Sonisa Norman, Sunyoung Yang, Channing Martinez, Francisca Porchas

Report back on our first Clean Air Action Committee Yard Sale

My name is Channing Martinez and I’m part of the Clean Air Clean Lungs Clean buses Campaign Action Committee.

I joined this campaign because of my passion for being outdoors and I wanted to stop the pollution that comes from cars, trucks and factories that endanger my community and the earth. I used to live near Slauson and Vermont which is mostly a working class community of color. I call it pollution city because of the amount of old factories on Slauson Avenue. There are over 40 old factories on Slauson from Western to East LA.

I joined the Action Committee because it is empowering to be able to work with other people who are standing against oppression and fighting for environmental justice. Our committee has worked together around the Wilshire Bus-Only Lanes Campaign that encourages people to ride the bus instead of driving alone in their car. A car only holds five people while a bus that holds 40 or more has less carbon emission.

This year we're working on raising $10,000 to build support around the Wilshire Bus-Only Lanes Campaign which is so close to victory. To kick off our fundraising effort, we had our first event on Saturday January 30th--Clean Air Campaign Yard Sale. It was hard work gathering the donated items, setting up but it was a teambuilding effort for our committe and we raised about $400 dollars. The $400 from the yardsale and the $1,500 from the t-shirt sales that we have raised so far will go to the first round of organizing--gathering support from community members and businesses around the corridor about how to get involved with the Wilshire Bus-Only Lanes Project.

These next few months are especially critical for building support for the Wilshire BOL campaign as it goes through an Environmental Impact Report and must overcome some staunch opposition by a few but politically powerful Westside residents. The only thing holding back this project is the completion and approval of the EIR by the city.

Help us raise support for the Wilshire Bus-Only Lanes Campaign!