Thursday, July 28, 2005

Sunday Parking Meters

We finally have found something that the Bloomberg Administration can be passionate about: the City Council’s ban on Sunday parking meters, a measure cosponsored by Councilmen Monserrate and Gentile. The level of vitriol, however, is hard to fathom. We watched yesterday as Commissioner Weinshall got red in the face at an impromptu news conference demonizing the legislation.

Why the emotion? It can’t be the money because, after all, 12 million bucks is pocket money and the mayor has shown himself to be resourceful at creatively finding ways to reach into the tax payer’s pocket. And what’s up with the mayor’s dig about the lack of “adults” over at the Council.

Our take is that John V. Bloomberg can’t stomach any measure that limits his ability to tax already overtaxed New Yorkers. All the folks over there in the tax-and-spend brigade have a concept of paternal, benevolent government, one whose beneficence it is our obligation to unquestionably support. All of the Commissioner’s comments on traffic flow were simply a hilarious attempt to cover up the belief in the government’s inherent and unquestioned right to demand tribute.

Oh yes. If the Commissioner is truly concerned with issues of traffic flow she might find a better use for her time examining the Pulitzer Prize level fiction traffic study submitted by the Related Companies on the Gateway Mall . She might also look for ways to provide more ample parking opportunities for neighborhood shopping areas.