Editorial: Pay Up - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Editorial: Pay Up

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By Collin R. Gaston - bio | email

  • Editorials

  • Thursday, May 23 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-23 23:20:04 GMT
    Anyone who takes advantage of one of Alabama's most treasured assets – the elderly – should face swift and steep consequences.  Thanks to a bill passed in the final hours of most recent legislative session that
    Anyone who takes advantage of one of Alabama's most treasured assets – the elderly – should face swift and steep consequences.  Thanks to a bill passed in the final hours of most recent legislative session that

  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-21 23:20:08 GMT
    The horrific tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma this week bring back all too familiar memories for Alabamians as memories of April 27, 2011 are still fresh in many minds. When Alabamians were in need
    The horrific tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma this week bring back all too familiar memories for Alabamians as memories of April 27, 2011 are still fresh in many minds. When Alabamians were in need

  • Thursday, May 16 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-16 23:20:04 GMT
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;
    •   
MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) -

We've all had that downtown lunch meeting that ran just a little longer than expected. We finish up our good-byes and then walk briskly to our cars hoping that there's no ticket.  Sometimes we get lucky, sometimes not and in those cases a "friendly" piece of paper is waiting for us beneath our wiper blades – the beloved parking ticket.

Most people do the right thing and pay the fine because that's the law – you break it – there are consequences. There are however a number of "habitual offenders" that don't pay their parking tickets.  Some of these folks have piled up hundreds of unpaid tickets.

The City of Montgomery on March 1st will be kick-starting a boot program to get violators attention.  You will now receive a boot on your car if you have five or more unpaid parking tickets.  To get it off you will need to pay $75.00 dollars within 24 hours as well as making arrangements to pay the fine.  Interestingly, since the announcement daily payments for parking tickets have gone from $180 to $220 dollars daily to $1600 dollars per day.  I think the city got their attention.

If Mark Bullock were doing this editorial he would say "Clean Up" but he's not so I say "Pay Up!"  I'm Collin Gaston and we appreciate and encourage your feedback.

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