binhereawhile

When I started this post I had expected to get someone that might like or see the benifits of free parking in downtown Galveston. But perhaps I should explain more fully what's going on down here. The old and often broken meters downtown got Iked and the city is planning on installing a new computerized model. This meter will accept cash or credit card. The fee will be $1.25/hour. The fines will remain at $17/a ticket for now but will probably increase. One feature of the enhanced meters is that they will automaticly alert a mobile meter maid electronicly whenever a meter is overdue. So they can waste no time getting to the offender and issuing a ticket. The ticket revenue is the real money maker for the city. The meter money itself goes mostly to the meter company, Ampco. Before Ike, locals had been avoiding going downtown during the day because of the meter fees and fines. 3 tickets and you get the 'boot' , a trip to the impound yard and a municipal court date. Most tourists tear up their tickets and vow never to return. So the burden is mostly on the locals. Before the meters weren't enforced till 10 am, giving locals a chance to hang out in the coffee houses and breakfest joints in the morning. That won't be the case with the new meters. Also the meters were not enforced on Sundays and the locals mostly took that oppurtunity to go downtown in the afternoon.

Wow! It's hard to believe that you guys like the idea of paying to park in Galveston's downtown. My favorite areas of Houston are parking meter free.

Greg Roof who stopped the city from putting up parking meters on the Seawall a few years back has now started a petition to make street parking free through out the island. Brillant idea I think. What do my happy friends from Houston think about Galveston becoming Meter Free?

Yes, she is a 'Drama Queen'. And she loves the national lime light. After geting a taste of it after hurricane Rita she convinced her very pliable council back then to hire her her own PR firm [owned by her very close friend] That is 25K/yr of public money to promote her highness. That's the troble with our matronly Mayor. Too much pride, not enough 'noblesse oblige'.

Yeah, we thought we were getting an Ann Richards but got a Barbara Bush instead.

UNLV Can you tell me where you got this pic. I've never seen it before. And do you know where in Galveston it is?