Comments on: Long Beach’s State Senator Lowenthal Takes on Parking Requirements

By: Joe Linton

Joe Linton — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 06:17:06 +0000

@Monica “no one will shop/do business if they can’t park” – there’s a lot economists (google Don Shoup) who’ve studied parking and who’ve found that one of the problems with parking is that when it’s underpriced (free) then people clog it up. When the user’s cost for parking more accurately reflects the market cost of that parking, then there is more turnover, and it’s actually good for business. It also reduces the number of cars driving arond looking for a parking spot. That reduced driving is also good for the environment, good for cutting down traffic congestion, good for transit, etc. Charging a market price for parking is a win-win.

Also regarding “the gas tax which is more than the gaS ITSELF!” – the gas tax is actually a whole lot less than the tax. The federal gas tax is 18.4 cents per gallon (since 1993 – see http://www.infrastructurist.com/2010/01/21/how-often-is-the-gas-tax-raised-most-americans-have-no-clue/ ) With sales taxes, etc., Californians pay about 64 cents tax on a gallon of gas which costs, what, these days? $3-$4. (see http://www.californiagasprices.com/tax_info.aspx ) so the tax is not more than the gas itself… it’s around 1/5th of the cost ($0.60/$3)

By: Monica

Monica — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:58:19 +0000

What a jerk, as if people were not having a hard enough time, no one will shop/do business if they can’t park. He can give up his luxery car, but Americans will continue driving. He is the next Democrat to get fired! That law will not pass, it will kill businesses and people being able to get to work. The government can also cool it on the gas tax which is more than the gaS ITSELF!

By: Joe Linton

Joe Linton — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:33:45 +0000

Well… SB518 apparently didn’t pass yet… but Lowenthal got a parking cash-out bill passed and signed. This from Environmental Defense Fund:

“Thanks to many of you for signing onto letters supporting SB 728, the Lowenthal parking cash-out bill co-sponsored by EDF and NRDC. The governor signed the bill, which creates the first significant improvement in California’s parking cash-out law since it was first passed in 1992. The new law allows local entities the option of enforcing parking cash-out. In the past, enforcement rested only with the California Air Resources Board, which didn’t have the capacity to actively implement and enforce the program around the state.

Thanks also for your support on AB 1186, the Blumenfield bill that would have required landlords to disclose what portion of the cost of commercial leases for companies with 50 or more employees covered parking. This would have made it easier for companies to make parking cash-out available to employees. This was a good bill that ultimately didn’t face any known opposition, thanks to Assemblymember Blumenfield’s work to satisfy concerns. Nevertheless, the governor vetoed. The bill was sponsored by Mr. Blumenfield himself, but Mr. Blumenfield’s staff got support and help from the environmental community and the City of Los Angeles on this one.”

Kathryn Phillips
Director, California Transportation and Air Initiative
Environmental Defense Fund

By: Ms.Julie Miller

Ms.Julie Miller — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:30:20 +0000

I wasn’t mistaking in re to Jeffrey not being strong enough to live…he died; on July 2nd, 2009. I hope this shows you what is the most important aspects that we must work on, together as a nation. My husband is never going to come back to me. Yet we may be able to help others just like my husband, to maintain so many different aspects of strength, as we work together in re building our nation from the ground up.

By: Julie Miller Harding

Julie Miller Harding — Sun, 17 May 2009 02:21:29 +0000

The strength of our country is based upon being abled to support the disabled and unemployed, and providing medical coverage for any citizen of this nation when medical treatment is necessary. How in the world can the disabled elderly, be neglected and forced to suffer both physically and emotionally, due to the faltering of our economy? We have enough money to maintain NASA with scientific advancement, but we cannot provide insurance for the recovery of heart failure, cardio-disorders, diabetes, orthopedic disorders and long term yet mild brain damage caused by the neglect of heart failure and mild strokes? Jeff W. Harding will die much sooner than necessary if the state continues to ignore his urgent applications for disabiliy and medi-cal. Record of this statement is now filed for use of proof and confirmation, and I will be awaiting your response.

By: Michael Perkins

Michael Perkins — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:04:23 +0000

Hey, cool! Thanks for picking up my article. I also wrote a similar post for Greater Greater Washington, here.

I only knew about this because Dr. Shoup posted it to Facebook.

Yours,
Michael