Chicago Tonight Weighs In On Chicago Parking Meters’ $13.5 Million Bill For Free Disabled Parking
WTTW’s Paris Schutz puts together a nice nuts and bolts synopsis of Chicago Parking Meter, LLC’s recent $13.5 million bill for an overabundance of motorists utilizing handicap license plates and disabled placards to park for free in metered spots.
Wow – if the city shuts down a street with meters for any reason – festival, art fair, even construction – the city (i.e. taxpayers) has to pay for that.
It even has stipulations on where parking garages can be and how much they can charge.
I have to say, the company put in the some pretty smart things for themselves, and the city let a lot go by that they shouldn’t have. Did they even read the contract? Or did they just think no one would ever notice these things?
They had to sign it before they could read it! Sound familiar Nancy?
There MUST be something that can be done about this. Heard there’s a guy in our neighborhood selling fake handicap stickers for $100. Knowing Chicago, they’re probably everywhere. Only way to stop is only making it free for actual handicap plates which are much harder to get. I cannot remember the last time I’ve seen someone emerging from a car with a rear view tag that actually had ANY apparent handicap.
I am so sickened by the whole meter deal. We are talking 10′s of BILLIONS thrown away by the city. Overall, my son had a brilliant suggestion on one possible way to get out of parking meter deal. Monitor enforcement and placement of meter boxes. I think a racial profiling pattern may very well emerge with these figures. Bring in the feds.
I think it is terrible that our reps have misused our money, and now we have to pay again for them not being fiscally responsible like us taxpayers!!! Like my son who graduated from a state college finally finding job, miles away from home, and earning just a little more then minimum wage is now having to pay $60.00 a month to ride a rode our family helped pay to build. I hope we all remember this come election time!!