Streetsblog Los Angeles

Yesterday CALPIRG released a new one-minute video short showing members discussing why they are supporting Proposition 1A, the High Speed Rail bonding measure that will appear on next week's ballot.  Reasons to support the proposition range from California's needs, to the environmental benefits of rail, to it just being "hella awesome."

To support their video and other efforts, CALPIRG is also asking supporters to get behind an email campaign based on the popular game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon."  Despite Prop 1A's popularity with rail enthusiasts and environmentalists, CALPIRG argues that this grass roots email campaign is necesary because mos trank and file Californians aren't aware of the ballot proposition, High Speed Rail, or what's at stake for our state transportation infrastructure in California.

I can't possibly do justice to the "Prop. 1A Kevin Bacon Game" so just read their message to supporters and draft email to send to your contacts, after the jump.

We need your help to get the word out about why it's important to vote YES on Prop 1A, which would bring a high-speed train to California.

Our target: Kevin Bacon. (And millions of Californians.)

If you've ever played the game, then you know that everyone is connected within Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. We're asking you to forward this email far and wide. If we can get enough people to forward it along, eventually it will get to Kevin Bacon - and it should reach millions of Californians along the way, educating the public about why we need high-speed rail.

Some specifics: Prop 1A would start the process of building the California High-Speed Rail line. This train would run from Sacramento to San Diego, taking passengers between northern and southern California way faster than driving. For example, travelers could get from LA to San Francisco in less than three hours.

The train would create 450,000 jobs once finished. It would reduce our dependence on oil by 12.7 million barrels a year, eliminate 12 billion pounds of harmful greenhouse gasses, and reduce traffic congestion. Get more information

Right now, most people don't know that High-Speed Rail is on the ballot and we don't have the money to buy TV commercials to educate people about Prop 1A. That's why we're counting on you to help us get the word out, by sending this message to all the Californians you know.

So keep this message going - if it reaches Kevin Bacon, then we can be pretty sure we've gotten the word out across the state! Please forward this email to friends, co-workers, moms, dads, aunts, uncles - everyone.

When you're done, go to our website and let us know how many people you forwarded the email to so we can see how many people we're reaching. You can also pledge to vote "yes for Prop 1A" there

http://www.calpirgstudents.org/high-speed-rail

Thanks for all you do,

CALPIRG students from UC Davis, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, UC Santa Barbara, USC, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, San Diego State, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal State LA, Sac State, San Jose State, and SF State.

P.S. If you ARE Kevin Bacon and you are receiving this message, please let us know!