SAN FRANCISCO: Parking fine increase being eyed

SFGate: City Insider ^ | 9/9/11 | Rachel Gordon, Chronicle Staff Writer

[SmithL]

Parking ticket fines in San Francisco may go up $3 apiece as the perennially cash-strapped Municipal Transportation Agency scrambles to fill a funding gap.

That means, for example, the penalty to park at an expired downtown meter would go up to $68 and the fine for parking in a street-cleaning zone would jump to $58.

. . .

Part of the problem: Fewer tickets are being issued. Another? The state, with its own budget problems, decided to grab $3 from every parking ticket issued.

[SmithL]

Birds gotta fly,

fish gotta swim, and

Rats gotta TAX!

[umgud]

I have to go to SF on business periodically. It’s one of my least favorite places to go. Parking is so unavailable it’s disfunctional.

[Michael.SF.]

Why don't they just make the fine relative to the value of the car, thus they can soak the rich:

In Hunters point a '89 Cadillac the fine could be $10.00
In Presidio Heights a seven series BMW could be $2,000.00

I am being facetious, but I bet in SF they would consider something similar.

[tflabo]

SF should start collecting fees from the homeless and panhandlers. That oughta be a nice increase of revenues. They sure do sock it to us business travelers with airport auto fees and hotel taxes.

[A message]

Parking is so unavailable it’s dysfunctional.

Plus $2 an hour at a meter and one needs part of 0bama's $450 billion dollar stash to pay to park in a garage.

[AdaGray]

How else are they going to fund the GayLesbianTransGender community support centers?

[Minn]

I have to go to SF on business periodically. It’s one of my least favorite places to go. Parking is so unavailable it’s dysfunctional

Why even get a car? I recently took the family there, and decided long before arriving that, other than for a day trip elsewhere, a car was something we didn't want. Cab rides are a fun adventure.

[blueunicorn6]

$68 for a parking ticket? And the naked homosexual guys wander around advertising their services and they can’t be arrested? Work with me people....there has to be a solution to this....hmmmmmm......I’ve got it!!!Pay the naked guys $25 to sit on the parking meter. I guarantee you can sit in that restaurant for hours and no meter maid is going to ask to see whether the red flag has gone up in the meter. And you have the added benefit that you make the naked homosexual guys happy.

[paul51]

parking enforcement is code for just another way to pull money out of the taxpayers wallet

[samtheman]

jcalder

4:53 PM on September 9, 2011

Two Years ago a dime bought you 10 minutes on a Parking Meter.

Today, its $.50 for 15 minutes.

Remember free parking on Sundays.

Remember meters went off at 6pm.

Soon to be a thing of the past.

Do the math, a 250% fee increase! If your credit card increased that much, Congress would hold hearing. What the hell happened?

Well, let me tell you.

And jcalder, in a comment well worth reading, goes on to tell you, in the comment section at the end of the SFGate article.