Parking meters are springing up faster than spring flowers in the “city that works”.  The Daley administration sold off the interest in parking meter revenue for the next 75 years to a private organization, (LAZ Parking, I believe it’s pronounced Lay Zee Parking). One billion something dollars we received. While I’m sure for right now, that money can go a long way towards bringing the 2016 Olympics here, (Daley’s master plan),  what does the city do 20 years from now? 50 years? 70 years?

The deal is that the city get’s all revenue from the parking tickets generated from the short times and excessive fees that the meters will be adjusted to. We as citizens and taxpayers in the city of Chicago, no longer have any power to complain about meter rates. I suppose we never really had any power anyway. The politicians never listened to us. They put up a good front around elections, but we don’t really have a choice of who we vote for in Chicago, the Daley machine decides who will get in.

So now when we complain to our appointed officials, they can shrug their shoulders and tell us that they empathize, but that they don’t control it. It is a private enterprise. Funny, I don’t remember voting on selling those rights to a private enterprise. Oh, that’s right, my vote doesn’t count anyway, how silly of me.

So now parking meters are being placed everywhere. There are no parking meter holidays and there is no Sabbath to keep holy. You must pay the meter every day! Seven days a week. 365 days a year! No exception!

So what if I don’t pay it? I mean, come on what’s a private company going to do to me? Ticket me? Well, now that’s the part that I’m confused about. The police are now meter maids for this private company. The police? I didn’t think they could work for a private company yet still be paid via tax dollars.  I guess Chicago is like Wonderland, you have to suspend all reason and go along with the Mad Hatter, (Daley).

So now with the city not bringing on additional officers, in spite of being short staffed Daley has decided to let this private company benefit from our tax dollars and use our police department as their own personal meter maids.  Ok, ok… I know they did this task before it was privatized, but now that someone else owns it, why do we, as taxpayers have to foot the bill?

I would hope that now with someone else taking this over, that our fine men and women in blue, (and the occasional 14 year old that can sneak in and play officer for a day),  would be free to actually patrol the streets and take care of criminal activities. But where is the profit in that I suppose. Gosh, living in Wonderland is confusing!

This is wrong in so many ways. Another of which is that monopolies are supposed to be illegal, (with the exception of governmental monopolies). Parking meters are now a monopoly! I don’t have a choice. If I want to park on a public street paid for by my taxes and maintained by the gas taxes reaped in the city, I have no choice but to pay what LAZ, (remember, pronounced Lay Zee), demands.

Well, I’ll show em! I’ll start to take public transportation! I’ll walk! I’ll ride my bike, (if I can find it)!  Say, maybe this isn’t so bad after all. It’s still a pretty sleazy deal, but perhaps, we  the people,  can actually make a difference by not using the meters! It’ll save on traffic congestion, gas, emissions and cause me to lose a few pounds. Now with each defiant step I take I’ll sing, I’m off to see the wizard…. oops, wrong fairy tale.

Check out The Expired Meter for more info on Chicago’s Parking Meters .