Cab Drivers, the PPA and the Case of Double Jeopardy

by Milena Velis and Todd Wolfson

Update: Ron Blunt was found not guilty

Despite having already been exonerated on assault charges, Ronald Blount, President of the Unified Taxi Workers Alliance (UTWA) will stand trial for a second time this week on the same allegations. Back in October of 2009, in municipal court, a jury exonerated him in less than one hour. But that resounding decision has not deterred the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) from retrying Mr Blount for the same crime in their administrative court, Thursday April 22nd. 

The PPA is attempting to revoke Mr. Blount's license in its administrative court, where complaints against cab drivers are heard. Cabbies have referred to the PPA court as a "kangaroo court," because there is no due process and cab drivers rarely receive justice.  But this proceeding is about more than Mr. Blount's license. The PPA is motivated by its own political concerns, not by concerns of justice or safety within the taxi industry. To see this clearly some facts need to be laid out. Mr. Blount is the President and democratically elected leader of the Unified Taxi Workers Alliance of Pennsylvania (UTWA), an organization of over 1,000 cab drivers who fight for their rights in the face of unfair regulation by the PPA. For years he has been building the voice and power of cab drivers in this city, and because of this he is a threat to the interests of the Philadelphia Parking Authority. 

The PPA played a substantial role in the initial criminal arrest of Mr. Blount, and as he was taken into police custody at PPA headquarters, their employees laughed and cheered. For the last year, despite the fact that Mr Blount was found Not Guilty in criminal court, the PPA has refused to meet with the president of the UTWA until the conclusion of the trial. When asked why, James Ney, the Director Taxicab & Limousine Division for the PPA explained that their decision not to meet with the leader was "not based on any statute but was something the PPA decided to do."  

Technically, this isn't a case of double jeopardy, for that to happen Mr. Blount would have to be tried twice in the same court. But it is a case of the PPA using its administrative court to silence Mr Blount and weaken the UTWA, the only institution representing the interests of cab drivers. 

Nothing makes this more evident then the PPA's refusal to meet with Mr Blount. As Mr Ney admits, there is no legal rationale for the PPA's refusal. Instead they choose not to meet with the democratically elected leader of UTWA in a bald attempt to weaken his power and fracture the taxi driver movement in the city. This is not the first time the PPA has used this type of tactic. Since it began regulating the cab industry in 2001, the PPA has tried unsuccessfully to create a company union and elevate pliant drivers into leadership positions.

As Mr. Blount enters round two, facing the PPA's kangaroo court, we must demand that the PPA stop these unjust anti-worker tactics. We must demand that PPA board members, including Joe Ashdale of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades and Pete Matthews of AFSCME DC 33, hold true to their union backgrounds by looking out for the interests of both cab drivers and the UTWA and demanding the charges be dropped and that the PPA meet with Mr Blount. We must prepare to build a counter suit against the PPA to show that this injustice will not be tolerated.

And we must come out and support Ronald Blount on Thursday April 22, at 10:30AM at 2415 S. Swanson Street, to make sure Philadelphia's leaders receive the justice they deserve.

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