No more free parking, state senator insists

But where are the clowns? There ought to be clowns.

For several decades downtown districts in California and across the country have attempted to avoid becoming blighted areas, as shopping centers have sprung up in outlying areas, attracting chain stores and taking customers away from downtown.

Hoping to attract store owners and shoppers to keep the downtowns from becoming eyesores of shuttered and neglected buildings, citizens have spent a lot of time and money on revitalizing downtown areas.

Many cities have been successful in improving the character and appearance of the downtown areas and in providing free and convenient parking so that the locally owned specialty shops could compete with the chain stores.

It wasn’t that parking meters were a great expense; it was knowing that as taxpayers we paid for the parking area AND the parking meters AND the salary of the cheery little man who scooted around and gave us a $40 ticket if we were a minute late getting back to our cars to put in our quarters.

Now in their infinite wisdom California state legislators are considering a law to ban free parking in downtown areas. And, of course, the politician's best friend, Global Warming, is cited.

State Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) has won Senate approval of a proposal geared to prompt cities to reduce the availability of free parking.

"Free parking has significant social, economic and environmental costs," Lowenthal said. "It increases congestion and greenhouse gas emissions."

Free parking encourages people to drive instead of taking the bus, walking or riding a bike.

Of course the Wal-marts, Targets, Lowe’s, Home Depots, McDonald’s, Walgreens, movie theatres, supermarkets, and malls on private property will continue to provide parking without meters.

And we're even smart enough to know that they don't offer "free parking" because they are fond of us.

One of the supporters said, “Free street parking is paid for by the entire community in the form of higher taxes.”

Of course the same can be said for the streets we drive on and the free street parking in front of people’s houses, both paid for by the cities, not the state. I’m guessing if you put parking meters in front of the houses on your street, you wouldn’t have any more guests than businesses would have customers.

But wait, here’s the best part: Besides the stick, here is the carrot. He is promising that cities which take action to prohibit free parking could get more state money for parking garages, transit programs, and “bonus points in competing for state grants.”

This from a state that has done everything it could to steal money from cities and counties to make up for an insane budget deficit.

Obviously the California legislators don’t get what every other citizen understands: THE. STATE. HAS. NO. MONEY!!

Send in the clowns, Don’t bother, they’re here.

Comments

[Dennis the Vizsla]

Duh. That was the first thing I thought: "What state money?"

[Karen Friesecke]

The stated environmental reasons are total BS, they're just greedy. I lived on and off in San Clemente for a year and I loved going downtown. Cool little shops and restaurants. Paying for parking just might change someones mind to go there if they can get free parking elsewhere.

[jackie]

gee I forget about parking meeters..we have never had them here..these ole czechs are too cheap to go for that..

[pam]

Downtown Sacramento has no free street parking. This is not due to global warming angst. It's because we're absolutely cash-strapped & could never turn down such a source of revenue. Still, people are always fighting for parking. There's rarely an open slot. If this legislator had wanted to learn how supply and demand really works, he could have just stepped outside the Capitol building.

I don't know. Maybe they get paid more for introducing bills they can tie to the environment?

[Jan]

I'm curious about where the legislators park. Do they pay their own fees? Do they fight for metered space like everyone else? Or maybe they have (ha ha) bicycle racks.

[John Earle]

Ooooo! A political rant (and a very good one!) with nary a mention of dogs. Whatever will your advertisers think?

(I particularly like your question about where do the legislators park. Surely they are exempt, just like our congresspersons are exempting themselves from Social Security, and mandated health care, and other programs that are "good for us," but not for them. Hmmm.)

John

[Lynne]

I have a friend that just opened up and fiber shop downtown and parking is a major issue. I don't know how her employees do it. She's allowed one free parking spot for herself. Her employees don't get free parking. There is free 2 hour parking and when I go down to help her I give her 2 hours and then leave. Some say just move your car... what a pain. I had a chance to use the parking metered spot on Thursday. Needed 30 minutes of parking. Instead of an actual meter I had a sort of parking ATM. It was dark... the writing was small... I had people behind me... I needed my reading glasses... what a MAJOR pain. They want to keep downtown alive and yet kill it with the parking situation.

[Jan]

I worked for a while in a downtown office when we still had parking meters. We would get caught up in our work and it was so hard for us to remember to go out and move our cars. Having to pay parking tickets finally made the town rebel and we got them taken out.

Now someone who has never been in any of the towns around here wants to bring them back.

[cube]

Just think of the businesses that will fail when people refuse to subject themselves to
the hassle of parking meters. Just think of the workers that will be unemployed as a result. This is asinine. Why are so many liberal politicians anti-business?

[Jennifer Armstrong]

The very people that liberals like senator Lowenthal purport to defend, the poor, the elderly and those on fixed incomes, would be most impacted by this ridiculous proposal. And for Lowenthal to suggest the elimination of free parking as a way to protect the environment is the epitome disingenuousness. He and others in Sacramento like him are the best argument for a part time legislature.
P.S. Be sure and call Lowenthal's office and tell him what you think!

[Jimmy]

Moving right along to Socialized Medicine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRdLpem-AAs

as for parking?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXOIRLPVLcs

[Hudson]

All I know is I have always had quite a knack for thinking outside the box and always seem to find free and convenient parking anywhere I go much to my husband's dismay.I just hate to waste my hard earned money on parking. It does appear to me this gentlemen neds a large dose of reality with his viewpoint on parking!!!

[Denny]

De-centralize the government, put it back into the hands of the locals who know their needs and let them charge their own taxes. People at the state or federal level don't know your needs, but they want the power!

[George Roach]

Yes, by all means, lets take back our power. Yes, yes, lets de-centralize. All, please, please write in and lay out your road-maps (plans) for getting that done! DOGgone it, what will we think of next. I now, I know, lets try drinking the water in about 50 years. <<-- nothing to do with the discussion, but a way to insert DOGgone it.

[Lindsay]

Oh man ...

At least it's entertaining.

Well, except that it isn't a joke!