Boston politicos are bent out of shape over private parking fees at Fenway
Mayor Thomas “Mumbles” Menino issued a statement saying he’s going to seek a city ordinance capping how much private lots can charge for parking. One of those city councilors called the rates “criminal,” and city officials are looking at ways to punish the lot owners — such as rigorous inspections, citations, and even pulling their parking licenses.Pardon me, but when the hell did “cheap parking” become a Constitutional right? Especially “cheap parking to go see a baseball game?”
Here’s a simple test for the parking socialists: check out the lots that charge the most on game day. If they’re full, then they’re not charging too much. People who can not or will not pay that much will say “screw it” and find another way to deal with it. The lot owners are not sending armed attendants out into the street to force people to park there.
The real issue here is not that the prices are too high, but that the city isn’t getting their piece of the pie. They see some people making really good money, and are infuriated that they can’t get their hands on it. To be financially successful is a bad thing, and must be punished.
Jay Tea’s absolutely right. This is free enterprise at work. If the prices are too high, the lots will be empty. Don’t want to pay $90? Drive a little further and walk. Or find alternative transportation. It’s none of the government’s business what these private landowners charge for parking. Or what private businesses charge for anything, for that matter, absent abuse of monopoly power or price fixing. But you never go wrong in Massachusetts defending the wallets of Red Sox Nation.
