Albany Residential Parking Permits Review Website Time Union Editorial-Published 6/14/01 Times Union
Each Senator mentioned in this editorial has an email link attached to his/her name to help you quickly send an email directly to them to ask for thier support of the bill. S. 3176 .
A Double Standard
State lawmakers have allowed several localities to have permit parking; why not Albany?
There ought to be a new sign greeting all those residents of downtown searching for a place to put their cars. It could say, "No Parking. Double Standard". An it would fit in nicely with all those signs making clear that parking is off limits because of bus stops, delivery zones, construction zones, street cleaning and the rest.
If the state Senate has its way again this year, Albany will continue to be a victim of a system that protects residential access to parking elsewhere in New York, but not here. Ten cities and towns have what's known as permit parking in certain congested neighborhoods. So do the capitals of the other Northeastern states. In Albany, it's the commuters - state workers, mostly - who rule. Residents of Center Square and other neighborhoods near downtown and the to settle for what relative parking is left.
How can the senators who represent those other places justify or otherwise explain the fact that the state will let local governments back in their districts implement permit parking but Albany can't?
Part of the reason, certainly, is that the usual special interests aren't about to get involved in the parking wars, such as they even exist, in other cities and towns. The state worker unions are a fbrce to be feared only in and around Albany.
Sen. Nicholas Spano, R-Yonkers, for instance, represents three constituencies - Yonkers, Tarrytown and Tuckahoe - with permit parkin On what basis, besides such hardball tactics by the opposition, could he deny Albany's entitlement to pass and enforce the same sort of law? Shouldn't he be using his influence with the Republican majority to see that Albany gets fair and equal treatment?
Same for Guy Velella, R-Bronx, who also represents Pelham. And Stephen Saland, R Poughkeepsie, who also represents Beacon. And Michael Nozzolio, R-Seneca Falls, who also represents Auburn. And Sen. James Seward, R-Oneonta, who also represents Ithaca.
And what about the Democrats in the same situation? The' members of the minority party in the Senate often can be counted upon to call the majority Republicans on their hypocritical ways. So where's their insistence that Albany be extended the same homerule as their constituencies?
That means Sen. Richard Dollinger, whose home city of Rochester has Permit parking. And Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer of Port Chester, who represents Harrison and Rye. The very limited influence they have isn't an excuse for not speaking out. Instead it's all the more reason to do so. If these senators won't rail against the figurative "Double Standard" signs, who will?
It's time the Senate stops being party to a legislative charade.
Published 6/14/01 Times Union
