I wrote about Commercial Office buildings charging their employees here. Kalwant responded and if you click on the link, you can read both.
My comments are that we spend our lives trying to be "fair." Well, I’m not certain we are smart enough to really be fair. Kalwant wants to allocate spaces to working moms, folks with disabilities, swing workers, local denizens of bars and restaurants, and workers who are "essential car users."
I understand about "essential Car Users" having first priority, however I don’t really understand the rest…
Handicapped get handicapped spaces reserved already, Swing workers have tons of parking since everyone else has gone home. ditto visitors to the night spots nearby. As for moms — I understand the issue, but as we provide for them, with special parking, nurseries, time off, and the like, which is fine. I think they may want to rethink their demand for "equal pay for equal work." But that’s for another time.
Why not simply allocate the available spaces and charge for them. Some will pay, others will ride the bus or carpool, or get a job closer to home. The market will level the playing field. Some companies will decide to move closer to workers, in other cases workers will decide to mover closer to work.
We live in a beautiful part of West Los Angeles. My wife has worked up to 90 miles away. We could have easily moved closer to her work — She elected to drive, because she likes it where she lives. However there is a point where moving would be more reasonable (cost of the commute, distance, traffic, cost and availability of parking. Then a decision would have to be made.
As for the cinemas, bars and clubs, aren’t they usually populated with folks after normal business hours? And if so, isn’t the availability of the space something that the business can simply sell to the parkers?
I’m not certain why the government needs to get involved at all, except of course, because it want to tax tax tax. Allocation isn’t difficult — Let the free market do it.
JVH
One Response
Of course the most powerful won’t play this silly “free” market game. They use what less there is of government to establish and maintain monopolies. Obvious to anyone who studies the U.S. in the late 19th century. But even if they didn’t, when everything is for sale then nothing has any value.