Says who? When I go to outer borough businesses, I find it easier to skip the metered streets and head straight for alternate-side areas, especially if it's not that long after street cleaning is done for the day.

IMHO, allowing residents' rental cars parking privileges is putting the camel's nose under the tent. First the rental cars, then the loaner car from your mechanic while your car's in the shop, then the loaner car from your brother, then the loaner car from your brother who lives in Pennsylvania, then the car that you own but register at your brother's Pennsylvania address to avoid paying costly NYC insurance premiums.

I'm not a big fan of RPPs generally, because I think that once people are paying for use of public space for motorcar storage, it becomes harder to take it away from motorcars, which is my goal. But if you're going to have one, you might as well use it to address the insurance fraud issue by requiring resident parkers to register their motorcars in the neighborhood.

As any suburb knows, you have it backward, at least for those working in the private sector. The businesses they work for and patronize pay extensive property, business income and sales taxes to NYC. But the suburbs pay to educate their kids and provide other public services.

The city is in reality hurt by having jobs in suburbs that exclude their low-paid workforce. The suburbs get the business ratables, but the city pays for public services and, when the worker becomes sick or unemployed, public benefits. Better for the jobs supported by city resident's own income to be in the city.

Cool, yeah, I'd happily pay a few bucks to park in my own neighborhood with a rental car if the need arises.

The stage was set for killing congestion pricing when the Council crushed Bloomberg on Sunday parking regs. I guess the council looks elsewhere for it progressive credentials, certainly not transportation policy.

http://www.billdeblasio.com/issue4.html

On the City Council Bill has been a leader on environmental issues. As Brooklyn Borough President, Bill will work to maximize recycling opportunities in schools, offices, and homes.

* Recycling Electronic Waste: Bill has sponsored multiple electronic waste (e-waste) recycling events throughout Brooklyn, giving members of the community an opportunity to dispose of toxic electronic equipment in an environmentally sound way. Bill has introduced legislation in the City Council, Intro 104, that would require manufacturers of electronic equipment, such as TV's and computers, to set up a free system to collect and recycle these goods. This would help ensure that toxic materials like lead and mercury – commonly found in computer monitors andTV's– don'tend up in our air and water.

* Say No to Styrofoam: Bill has introduced legislation, Intro 609, that would ban the use of Styrofoam in New York City. Styrofoam is the widely used term for Polystyrene foam, a substance which doesn't biodegrade and essentially has no expiration date. Bill's legislation would prohibit city agencies and city restaurants from using Styrofoam. As Borough President Bill will continue to encourage the use of green products and cut down on unnecessary waste.

In fact swipe cards could replace all placards. If you have a placard, your swipe card produces a receipt, but you don't pay (the city doesn't charge itself). Just like MTA employees have a permanent unlimited Metrocard. If your swipe card doesn't work, you have to pay or you get a ticket. It would end a lot of the guestwork by parking enforcement on who's placard is legit.

And it would leave a handy papertrail of where government employees are using their placards on "official business".

More sophisticated technology could make possible swipe cards that could allow differently priced tickets for as an example, contractors, caretakers, local employees should they be part of the plan, with the plate # printing out on the receipt. If employers have a very limited number of swipe cards to issue, they would be motivated to cancel a permit when employment ended.

If the swipe catagory was part of the vehicle's registration, scanning the parking receipt and the registration could validate the receipt, or over time with technology, the registration would incorporate the parking permit. I can't say I've got the expertise or inside scoop to say that this is a solution or even a good idea, but it might, as a concept, have some advantages.

Despite its name, the commuter tax never had anything whatsoever to do with transportation.

Proposing to tax someone who can't vote you out of office is epidemic among the dumb, lesser NYC pols - very akin to the "punish New Jersey" theme that they have cooked up in the congestion pricing debate.