Santa (Mayor Chavez, that is) Bags Nob Hill Meters Until Christmas

NOB HILL--If you have been following this blog for a while you might remember in a previous post I urged the removal of parking meters from the Nob Hill area. I e-mailed the post to every city councilor and the mayor. Nothing. I did run into our own Martin Heinrich later and he told me that the merchants want the meters because they need the "turnover" that parking meters produce. I doubted it...but what could I say.

Now it seems, in order to stimulate business, the meters are being bagged until after Christmas.

Please forgive me for repeating 5 reasons to ban the parking meters altogether.

1. It is a tax on Nob Hill residents that no other neighborhood has to pay. You have to pay to park and shop here locally, but not at shopping centers or even strip malls.
2. Everyone is a scoflaw when it comes to parking meters. Is this a good thing to encourage? You should see denizens of the Flying Star run out with coins in their hands when the meter enforcer comes down the street.
3. Meters lead to people parking on side streets in front of residences. This adds to congestion and vehicular confusion where we want it least: at our homes.
4. The money collected in the Nob Hill meters doesn't even stay here. Who knows where it goes.
5. We don't need the meters to control parking. This neighborhood works just fine evenings, Saturdays (When everyone disregards the meters because nobody checks them), and Sundays.