Wednesday’s major meter malfunction has some very angry people down at City Hall.
First, Mayor Daley expressed his displeasure Thursday. In what he described as “a computer glitch,” and the way that the new lessee has handled the parking meter transition, he squarely placed the blame for all the problems on the shoulders of Chicago Parking Meters, LLC.
This most recent problem has also given alderman more ammunition to try to re-write history, and cancel the parking meter lease deal.
This list of aldermen includes 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore who says, “this is probably the worst vote I’ve cast in my18 years as alderman,” in an interview with CBS 2’s Vince Gerasole.
Ald. Moore and others, believes these performance issues are possibly a breach of the contract, and may give the city the wiggle room to get out of this deal.
Unfortunately, none of the aldermen can answer how the $1.15 billion paid to the city for the 75 year lease deal, could be repaid.
Other citizens are wondering if the new lessee is going to cut as check to the city for all the last parking ticket revenue that was lost during the meter malfunction.
Local blogger, The Angry Chicagoan, wrote an open e-mail to aldermen:
Alderman,
Most of the Loop was without parking meters therefore the city could not issue any tickets all day. I assume that LAZ will be reimbursing the City of Chicago for the lost revenue in the same manner that the City must reimburse LAZ for lost revenue if meters are removed – something like 5 times the actual lost revenue.
Additionally, the fallout from this fiasco has Dept. of Revenue employees checking Pay & Display units around the city.
Parking enforcement aides (PEA’s), were instructed to check every pay box they came across in their ticket writing excursions throughout the city.
“In light of yesterday’s problems, we were given maps of meter locations and instructed to check out each and every meter and report all problems right away,” explained PEA Ticketmaster. “Needless to say, some of our ticket counts dropped like a rock today, and may even continue tomorrow. I guess that is good news for the citizens. My own personal opinion, the city should just stop writing meter tickets for 30 days, give LAZ that much time to fix the bugs.”
While a moratorium on writing meter tickets for 30 days might be the logical thing to do, in light of all these issues, my guess would be this cash starved city would NEVER do that.
A girl can dream though, can’t I?
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The mayor says they need to do better, OR WHAT?
The mayor says we all know how many computer glitches there are. So we are to expect/accept this as a regular occurrence?
The folly of this entire debacle is the self-imposed impotency of the city council, and the resulting righteous indignation that rings hollow.
We expect Daley to act in a certain manner – selfishly. He cares only about snagging the Olympics and securing his legacy. He refuses to make any tough decisions, instead handing out overreaching union contracts, sweetheart development deals, undeserved tax breaks, and inflated no-bid contracts to clouted contractors. He pays for it with a litany of punishing taxes and fees, chasing after every last penny like a rabid animal.
But now he’s found an even better way – unloading city assets for pennies on the dollar. These are revenue generating assets that simply vanish so Daley can once again avoid governing in difficult times while claiming the budget has been balance with no layoffs or tax hikes. It’s a red herring, and one that the local media refuses to address sufficiently. They pounce on Todd Stroger, and deservedly so. Daley is responsible many times over for Chicago’s current state of disrepair – crumbling infrastructure, poor schools, high crime rate, and a dwindling tax base due to regressive taxation policies. Not to mention a myriad of investigations swirling around his administration. All of these things cost millions of additional dollars paid out for restitution, lawsuits, and layers of oversight.
So I don’t fault the mayor for ramming through a poorly constructed and defined piece of legislation like the parking meter privatization bill. It’s the cowardice of the city council that allowed this boondoggle to occur. Almost without exception, they acquiesce to the desires of Daley, and rubber stamp his initiatives without any consideration or forethought. You represent us, aldermen, not the whims of a power-hungry, corrupt, self-sytled monarch. Instead of seeking to lay the blame elsewhere, admit your mistake, and do everything possible to amend it – rescind this bill now.
Well said DL. Many middle class families left Chicago in years passed and there will another migration unless taxation without representation stops.
This is the last stand. Daley needs to go and take all the alderdummies with him…do not forget this one, vote out any and all incumbents, their friends , families, pet goldfish. Chicago needs to clean house.