Expired Meter: Alderman Beale Feels Parking Ticket Fine Increases Excessive

There were some stories last week about a proposed budget by Mayor Emanuel there are some proposed taxes such as an increase in cigarette taxes. Then, we have to be careful to be sure we follow the city's parking regulations. There's going to be increases in parking tickets and fees with that as well.

In fact 9th Ward Ald. Beale is speaking out about that:

South Side Alderman Anthony Beale (9th) isn’t taking kindly to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposal to increase fines on some parking violations and fees for impounded cars.

Beale believes these increases will disproportionately affect residents of lesser means according to DNA Info.

“I understand that we have to get creative to plug this hole but it seems like our creativity is coming off the backs of the poor and middle class,” Beale said. “Increasing rush-hour parking violations to $100 from $60 or storage fees for impounded cars to $20 from $10 is excessive.”

Earlier in the week, before the mayor’s budget address on Wednesday, City Hall said the mayor was proposing increasing the cost of some parking violations and by bumping up the cost of storage fees at city owned auto pounds according to the city. The city estimated these increases would bring in an additional $10 million a year in revenue.

This would include raising the fines for street cleaning, parking in a handicapped parking space, parking in front of a fire hydrant, rush hour parking and illegally parking a truck, RV, bus or taxi on a residential street.

Now, I'm not sure if Ald. Beale has voted against anything that the Mayor has proposed, and it's great to see that he's speaking up on this issue. The question is when it comes time to vote on the budget and its various items would Beale step forward and vote against it.

Get your city stick @the 6th Ward Office TOMORROW (Tuesday July13)

Just a reminder of this city sticker post from 2 weeks ago.

On July 13, 2010 the Ald. Lyle's service office @ 406 East 75th Street will conduct vehicle sticker and parking permit sales from 10 AM to 6 PM.

The deadline for having the stickers is now July 30, but don't wait -- put it on as soon as you get it! Otherwise, the Department of Revenue will live up to its name! (Unless of course, you enjoy "donating" $120 to the city).

Mayor asks CTA, CPS, & other agencies to hold line on fares, fees, & taxes

Sun-Times:

The mayor used his annual State of the City address to tackle the issues that have touched a nerve with Chicagoans. They range from higher taxes, youth violence and government corruption to video poker, the Olympics and Chicago parking meters.

“People are upset about a lot of things. They’re worried that they might lose their jobs — or they’ve lost their job or their home or their health insurance. They won’t be able to pay off the student loans or even take a vacation,” Daley said.

“The want to know we can get all we can from every tax dollar and manage government prudently, transparently. They want to know their streets are safe.”

To keep his hand out of taxpayer pockets, Daley urged the Chicago Public Schools, City Colleges, the CTA, CHA and Park District to hold the line on taxes, fees and fare hikes this year and to order their top level executives to join the furlough frenzy.

On the $1.15 billion privatization of Chicago parking meters tied to a steep schedule of rate hikes, Daley said he has instructed his staff to review the 75-year lease to “determine how we can make it work better for the people of Chicago.”

Turning to the controversy surrounding his pledge to make Chicago taxpayers the final back-stop against Olympic losses, Daley said the “low risk to taxpayers” makes it worth the gamble.

One way to insure that CTA won't raise fares in the near future.

State fee hikes and other budget items

AP:

Gov. Pat Quinn is asking Illinois drivers to pay higher fees for renewing their driver's license and vehicle stickers.

He says the increases will help fix crumbling roads and bridges.

Quinn wants a $26 billion construction program, supporting 340,000 jobs.

State officials have argued for years over how to pay for such a construction plan.

Quinn's answer is to raise the cost of license plate stickers by $20, bringing their cost to $99. A driver's license that now costs $10 would climb to $20.

Neither of those fees have changed in at least a decade.

Of course in addition to this in light of the financial condition of the state...

Paying More to Work In Illinois - MSNBC

Quinn to call for sales tax holiday - The Southern

Higher taxes, fees in plan to balance state budget - RRStar

Big Tax Increases Could Be On The Way From The State - mystateline.com

Illinois Governor Gives More Details on Budget - CPR

Illinois Politicians Disagree on Tax Hike Option - CPR

Daley Refuses to Weigh-in On Tax Hike - CPR

House Speaker Madigan Open to Tax Hike - CPR

Former Governors Offer Quinn Budget Advice - CPR

State employee furloughs part of Quinn budget plan - sj-r.com

Share the wealth and spread the pain - Illinoize