Fixing the Budget Crisis $37 at a Time.

So I attended the University of Arizona day lunch at the Hyatt and I arrived right at noon and I knew that the event ended at 1:00 and the parking garage would be a disaster, so I parked at a one-hour max meter in front.  

We sat and sat and sat and then Mayor Gordon comes on stage 15 minutes late to introduce UA President Robert Shelton...so the meeting doesn't end until 1:15 and naturally, I have a $37 parking ticket on my windshield.  My guess is that the Meter Cops get Phil's schedule in advance and wait outside. 

Well, I'm not worried about it.  I'm sure that the City of Phoenix will spend the money on a good cause...there's probably a Chicago based developer who grosses a billion dollars a year and needs help building a shopping mall. 

PS:  I'm sure that my friend Phil will take this in the tongue-in-cheek tone that it is intended.  But they rest of you may need reasurance that, yes, I do indeed know that I'm responsible for my own parking tickets.  As for Phil being late.  I have no idea if he was really late, but I do know that his opening words were "sorry I'm late."

Comments

[Simon says:]

And since the meter rates went up by a billion percent or something it is hard to carry enough change to feed the things. No worries though. I noticed that the new meters take credit cards.

[Ken]

The increase in meter rates and expansion of hours apparently is Phoenix' way of encouraging folks to visit the downtown and spend their money there.

What really gets me is that the older meters don't take dollar coins (didn't anyone plan ahead?) and that there is still a time limit on Saturdays, even Saturday evenings. Of course, ASU's parking policies and practices are worse. And it was my tax dollars that built those parking places.

[Simon says:]

You're right on Ken. I forgot about the expansion of hours. I went to a Jr high basketball tournament thingy at the arena last week and the friends that met me there did not read the details on the meter. They were lucky they did not get cited. It has always been a given that after business hours you're cool. Someone at the city should have proposed an effort to communicate this change to the public. Or at least to those who park downtown.

[ron]

As a resident of the fair city of Phoenix, thank you for your voluntary donation :))

[nick]

I would donate $37.00 to remove the
thingy at Central and Vaness!

[jmb27]

Predatory Lending is a major contributor to the economic turmoil we are currently experiencing.

Here is an example of what I am talking about:
Scott Veerkamp / Predatory Lending (Franklin Township School Board Member.)

Please review this information from U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley regarding deceptive lending practices:
"Steering payments were made to brokers who enticed unsuspecting homeowners into deceptive and expensive mortgages. These secret bonus payments, often called Yield Spread Premiums, turned home mortgages into a SCAM."

The Center for Responsible Lending says YSP "steals equity from struggling families."
1. Scott collected nearly $10,000 on two separate mortgages using YSP and junk fees. 2. This is an average of $5,000 per loan. 3. The median value of the properties was $135,000. 4. Clearly, this type of lending represents a major ripoff for consumers.

http://merkley.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=A09C6A80-537A-4EB1-83C5-31925F046B6F