GoPasco Route 54: The Bus Driver (Who Did Not Read the Constitution)

GoPasco Route 54: The Bus Driver
Montgomery, Alabama bus driver James Blake ordered Rosa Parks and three other African Americans seated nearby to move ("Move y'all, I want those two seats,") to the back of the bus. Three riders complied; Rosa Parks did not. Vincent, the bus driver for GoPasco in Pasco County, Florida needs to learn the constitution and start thinking for himself. So does the local Deputy and his lady partner.

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Civil Rights
Title VI Policy Statement

Title VI Program (PDF)

As a provider of public transportation whose employees have extensive daily contact with the public, Pasco County Public Transportation (GOPASCO) recognizes its responsibility to the community it serves and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination. GOPASCO works to ensure nondiscriminatory transportation in support of our mission to provide effective and efficient management and delivery of public, specialized and coordinated transportation services in Pasco County.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance. Specifically, Title VI provides that “no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” (42 U.S.C. Section 2000d).

The Environmental Justice component of Title VI guarantees fair treatment for all people and provides for PCPT to identify and address, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse effects of its programs, policies, and activities on minority and low-income populations, such as undertaking reasonable steps to ensure that Limited English Proficiency persons have meaningful access to the programs, services, and information PCPT provides.

Environmental Justice Regulations are:

(a) To avoid, minimize, or mitigate disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects, including social and economic effects, on minority populations and low-income populations;

(b) To ensure the full and fair participation by all potentially affected communities in the transportation decision-making process;

(c) To prevent the denial of, reduction in, or significant delay in the receipt of benefits by minority and low-income populations.

Transportation Administrative Manager has been designated as GOPASCO’s Civil Rights Liaison, responsible for civil rights compliance and monitoring to ensure non-discriminatory provision of transit services and programs. The Transportation Administrative Manager is also responsible for implementing all aspects of the Title VI Program. However, along with the Transportation Manager, all transportation supervisors and their staff share in the responsibility for making GOPASCO’s Title VI Program a success. Implementation of the Title VI Program is accorded the same priority as compliance with all other legal obligations incurred by GOPASCO in its financial assistance agreements with the Department of Transportation.

To request a copy of this agency’s Title VI program contact GOPASCO. Any person who believes they have been discriminated against under Title VI has the right to file a formal complaint within 180 days of the alleged discrimination. Individuals and organizations may file a complaint with the Federal Transit Administration’s Office of Civil Rights or by filling out the Title VI complaint form.

The complaint form should be completed, signed and sent to the Title VI Liaison at:

Email: [email protected]
Mail to:
Pasco County Public Transportation
GoPasco Business & Compliance Manager
8620 Galen Wilson Blvd
Port Richey, FL 34668

Please read the Title VI Complaint Procedures prior submitting your form.

Note: The Florida State of Emergency was over when this event took place in Pasco County.

The key actions taken on May 3, 2021, include:

Executive Order: DeSantis issued Executive Order 21-102, which suspended all local COVID-19 emergency orders, invalidating restrictions on individuals and businesses, such as mask mandates and capacity limits.

Vaccine Passport Ban: He signed Senate Bill 2006, making the prohibition on "vaccine passports" permanent in the state. This law bars businesses, government agencies, and schools from requiring proof of a COVID-19 vaccination. A violation could result in a fine of up to $5,000.

Emergency Powers: The legislation also amended the state's Emergency Management Act to place new limits on the future emergency powers of local governments and the governor.

DeSantis declares COVID ‘state of emergency’ over, overrides local restrictions

Declaring Florida’s COVID-19 emergency over, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed an executive order invalidating all remaining local emergency COVID orders and signed a bill into law that bars businesses, schools and government entities across Florida from asking anyone to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination.

“I think it’s the evidence-based thing to do,’’ DeSantis said at a St. Petersburg restaurant where he signed the bill with House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson at his side. “I think folks that are saying that they need to be policing people at this point, if you’re saying that, you really are saying you don’t believe in the vaccines, you don’t believe in the data, you don’t believe in the science. ... We are no longer in the state of emergency.”

The provision regulating so-called “vaccine passports” is tucked into SB 2006, a bill intended to update the state’s emergency powers in the face of a future public health emergency. The new law is effective July 1, but DeSantis also on Monday said he would sign an executive order invalidating all remaining local emergency COVID orders that are still in place after July 1 and suspend immediately any orders related to COVID-19 now.

https://amp.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article251123044.html