This is odd because most libertarians support fee-based services, or at least say they are the least bad form and fairest form of government. The alternative is to charge everyone for maintenance of the parking spaces, by higher taxes.
Exactly. It’s basically a sales/use tax v. a mandatory tax. Not only that, but it boosts the turnover rate so that people there to actually buy things get decent parking spots to patronize local shops, helping their business revenue.
Win-win for everyone.
How much more money does it take to maintain parking spaces on the street than it does to maintain the street itself? I'm guessing it's a number around zero.
I've watched the Keen situation off and on over the past year or so. One of the points the Robin hooders have made is that the city spends far more to employ the meter maids than what is brought in in meter fees. So the town is really doing this for busy work to maintain some bureaucrat's head count. Reinforcing the "do as you're told!" mindset is of course a bonus for the bureaucrats.