Monday, January 10, 2005

Dr. Whited assembles scathing take on $afeClear

As usual, Kevin Whited shines the sunlight of accountability through the magnifying glass of hyperlocalness, incinerating the scurrying ants of overencroaching city government:
$AFEclear's mandatory towing provisions are not based on a program in New York, and indeed appear to be the most draconian of major cities in Texas, if not the country. The proponents of the plan insist it's not about the money, but now a mayoral advisor says it netted $1 million (he regards that as a trifling amount). One architect of the plan admits that the exclusive $AFEclear permit zones (miniature monopoly zones) were created with the full knowledge that companies in some areas would bid more than in others, based on the potential that citizens in some areas would be less able to afford related fees and their cars could be resold (thereby creating a profit motive for the wrecker companies). Further, said architect of the plan admits that a less draconian plan wouldn't "work for wrecker companies" (which presumably would mean smaller $AFEclear permit bids and less revenue for the city -- even though he said it's not about the money).
The whole post is a great read that sums up some of the serious problems with Hizzonner's mind-numbingly bad idea.

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