Due respect to the small businesses yelping about the effect that higher parking rates will have on their income statements. I still love you guys, and I promise to make it up to you. But we need the money, folks. It's the fault of the Democrats, it's the fault of progressivism, and it's the fault of public-sector unionism. But those dice were cast long ago. Much like the entitlement crisis that the federal government faces, the longer we wait to take our medicine, the worse it's going to taste. To complain that it's not our fault is to give ourselves over to the same immature selfishness and the same zero-sum reasoning that enabled these swollen pensions in the first place.
There are no pleasant options here, and here's why the parking lease is my masochism-of-choice:
- It preserves, and in fact enhances, the free market. In this case, the intersection of supply and demand takes us to an unfortunate place, which is to say higher parking rates. But what kind of reason is that to justify socialized parking? Who are we, Democrats?
- It provides a lump-sum infusion of cash. This is useful, because it ensures the money will be put to its intended use--especially right now, when hostility to profligacy is running so hot. Whenever you promise beaureaucrats $10 million ;er year ad inifinitum, they spend $12 million and misappropriate $3 million.
- There's no one left downtown to punish! To state that higher parking rates will adversely impact retail stores, bars and restaurants in the Golden Triangle suggests that there are retail stores, bars and restaurants in the Golden Triangle. There is no discretionary spending downtown anymore; that's the problem, remember? Anybody who's paying to park downtown right now probably has no choice but to continue to do so. And if the increased rates inspire commuters to throw a few more bucks at the Port Authority, well, that's something we need also.
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