State lawmakers take aim at free parking

I have to wonder if I've reached an unfortunate point in my awakening, and I say unfortunately because I don't know if this is healthy or not, that I have a hard time getting mad at some of the more outrageous malfeasance perpetrated by government; I often find myself laughing at them. Maybe I'm having a hard time viewing this from the point of view of the average citizen, since I'm becoming far removed from that level of understanding. I don't know. Should I laugh at Phoenix taxing its citizens' food in order to save their police and fire departments? Should I laugh that California ludicrously says it wants to do away with free parking - you know, for the environment. For the children? Do I take for granted that this is such obvious dishonesty and crookedness to me, but isn't exactly obvious to most other people?

And don't get me wrong - I don't think I'm aware. My goodness no. Awareness, like life, is a journey, not a destination, and I have miles to go before I sleep. I guess rather than going off on the above tangent I simply could have asked: is it wrong to find this amusing? Because I honestly laughed when I read this. Read the article and let me know if you, too, laughed.

There is too much of it, they say, and it encourages people to drive instead of taking the bus, walking or bicycling. A Senate proposal would prompt cities and businesses to reduce its availability.

Los Angeles Times -

State lawmakers are taking aim at what some of them see as a menace to California's environment: free parking.

There is too much of it, the legislators say, and it encourages people to drive instead of taking the bus, walking or riding a bike. All that motoring is contributing to traffic jams and pollution, according to state Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), and on Thursday he won Senate approval of a proposal he hopes will prompt cities and businesses 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."

Republicans opposed the measure, saying the Legislature should not be meddling in how much people pay to park.

"If local governments want to entice people to shop or do business in a particular area, that is entirely their business. Not the state's," said Sen. Tom Harman (R-Huntington Beach).

The bill, supported by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Sierra Club, provides financial incentives for cities and counties to stop providing free parking on the street and at government offices and to reduce the amount they require businesses to provide.

Cities that take such action could get more state money for parking garages and transit programs and bonus points in competing for state grants.

When a store provides free parking, the cost to maintain, clean, insure, secure and light the parking lot is passed on to shoppers in higher prices for goods, said Justin Horner, an analyst with the NRDC. Free street parking is paid for by the entire community in the form of higher taxes, he said.

Lowenthal said that when businesses pay for their employees' parking, more of them drive to work.

"It's nice that we've been treated to this luxury," Lowenthal said. "The problem with free parking is it's not free."