As news continues to spread about Senate Bill 518, Senator Alan Lowenthal's legislation that passed the State Senate last week and would encourage municipalities to curb their addiction to free parking or lose out on state planning and transit grants; the reaction from the press has been almost uniformly bad. And it's not just the conservative outlets such as Fox News that are piling on. As we detailed yesterday, the Times is almost gleefully promoting the most inflammatory comments from their article. Yesterday, the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Lowenthal's local paper, took an editorial stand against the legislation.
Under fire for sensible legislation. Photo: API like to think that Streetsblog is more than just a place for the choir to preach to itself, or a place to discuss the court cases and laws regarding cycling. I think it's also a place to try and effect some change, so to that end, let's get out there and take up for Lowenthal's parking reform legislation. You can read a summary of what the legislation does here, and read more about the press' take on it in yesterday' article on S.B. 518.
After the jump will be a series of links and quotes to help you find the outlets discussing the legislation and the best way to either comment or send a letter to the editor. Note how many of the articles and opinions complain about the quest to "get rid of free parking." Of course, nobody is proposing any such thing.
Long Beach Press-Telegram: Less Parking Isn't Better
How to Comment: You can comment at the end of the article, or send a letter to the editor to speakout@presstelegram.com
The bill says that excessive parking demandsby local government sometimes stymie development projects, andemployers worsen traffic congestion when they give employees freeparking. Maybe so, but it's hard to imagine how shifting therule-making to Sacramento will make anything better.
The bill already has been approved by theDemocrat-dominated Senate. It is opposed by Republicans, who rightlytake the position that parking decisions should be local decisions.
Long Beach Press-Teletram: Alan Lowenthal Says Bill Doesn't Ban Free Parking (The article itself isn't bad, but the comments section is crazed)
How to Comment: You can comment at the end of the article, or send a letter to the editor to speakout@presstelegram.com
State Sen. Alan Lowenthal said Monday that abill he wrote to encourage cities, counties and businesses to reduceparking, traffic congestion and greenhouse gases has been taken out ofcontext.
Talk radio hosts, bloggers and editorial pages took aim atthe Long Beach Democrat, arguing that his Senate Bill 518 seeks to banfree parking in California.
Not true, the senator said.
Los Angeles Times: State Lawmakers Take Aim at Free Parking
How to Comment: You can comment at the end of the article, or send a letter to the editor at this link
Reporting from Sacramento -
State lawmakers are taking aim at what some of them see as a menace to California's environment: free parking.
Los Angeles Times: Letters to the Editor (Will refresh tomorrow):
How to Comment: Send a letter to the editor at this link
Congratulations, state Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), you are thenew poster child for our remarkably dysfunctional Legislature.
Whyare you wasting your time and the taxpayers' money worrying about localparking lots instead of fixing the problems of the state government andthe Legislature, which is your job?
LA Now: Free Parking? Not if One California Lawmaker Gets His Way
How to Comment: You can comment at the end of the article, or send a letter to the editor at this link
stopthem wrote:Lowenthal!!! why don't you do something good for CA residence and stopworrying about your friends who want to make money of parking. Peopleof Long Beach when its time to vote again, please put someone in officewho actually cares for people not someone who is just there to servetheir own interests. We are struggling financially and our legislatorsdon't care, all they want is more rules, regulations and laws so theycan tell us "you did wrong, now pay up" I really think it is about timethat WE THE PEOPLE of California put a stop to these useless andtyranic legislators with all the ridiculous ideas and rules.
Fox News.com: Taking Aim at Free Parking
How to Comment: You can comment at the end of the article.
But in California, environmentalists sayall that free parking comes at too high a cost- in greenhouse gasemissions. Environmentalists say if people drove less, there would bean environmental benefit.
With the support of green groups, the statesenate passed a plan offering cities and counties financial incentivesto slash the number of free parking spaces on the street and ingovernment-owned lots, and to reduce the number of free spacesbusinesses are required to provide.
Town Hall: Californians Lose Their Parking Privileges
How to Comment: Right there at the end of the article
Just when you thought environmental extremists couldn’t go any further,they surprise you with yet another ploy in their never-ending quest toturn back modernity. With the public push-back on the cap-and-tradescheme and creating man-made droughts to save a 2-inch fish,environmentalists have become craftier in their efforts. Always thevanguard of the latest environmental regulation, California has a newidea for getting polluters out of their cars: get rid of free parking.
