Lack of Political Will to do what’s right

The City Council of Flagstaff, AZ, has shown us what it means to be impotent. They listened to the city’s citizens argue for three hours over a proposed plan to put parking meters in downtown and then courageously agreed to put of any decision until the next council is seated in a couple of months.

The problem is this. Downtown merchants are growing (a good thing?) and their employees are taking all the choice, free spaces. The council wanted to put in paid parking to move these folks out of the prime spaces (a good thing) but the neighbors were concerned that folks would park in front of their homes during the day (when they are mostly gone) and ruin the culture and feel of the neighborhoods.

The city responded by proposing an on street permit program, but that would keep the employees out and they would have to park in the city lot "across the tracks" and we can’t have all those women in high heel shoes walking across all that gravel and pavement. Oh Good Lord…

First of all, the women will simply carry their shoes in their purses and wear trainers when they walk to work. Second, the money generated by the program should be plowed right back into those neighborhoods. And Third, my guess is that the sales tax revenue will go up in the downtown area when people find they can easily park on street.

The second issue is the one that needs to be researched. If the neighbors found that they would benefit from cars parking in front of their houses (the permits for the residents could be very inexpensive but for others could be more dear). perhaps they wouldn’t be so quick to shout "nay."

These types of programs need to be thought through, the "unintended consequences (more cars in the neighborhoods) need to be address, and solutions found BEFORE they are announced to the public. A quick study could determine how much money would be generated for the neighborhoods and the money could be earmarked for improvements.

I’ll bet the neighbors would change their tune quickly.

JVH