On the Evils of Paid Parking
By Jonathan Bluestein

 

"The road is a symbol of individual freedom. Cars aren't simply contemporary or modern, they represent Democracy itself. The technology to cross and to communicate long distance facilitates: air, light and freedom of movement". - Frank Lloyd Wright

Where and when did we begin to lose our freedoms, in the so-called 'Democratic' nations? One could argue, that it all started with paid parking, really. Think about it. When and where was the first time the bureaucracy REALLY got into your life in a bad way?

Speeding tickets weren't an issue until modern cameras, and even not it is still not everywhere. Taxes... many people are innovative in dealing with these. Construction restrictions? You battle that out maybe once or twice in your life. Masks and social distancing? That's brand new.

Parking it is, folks. Think about it. That idea... That original lie, that on top of the taxes you already pay, you should be paying extra for your right to freedom of travel. The lie that such theft matters, as if the municipality or the state will take that money and use it for your benefit. Or that co-lie that it would somehow reduce traffic jams or condensation. Or that other co-lie about how disorderly parking interferes with other people's lives, which it usually does not. Or the outrageous lie that it make sense that you would pay for it also in public hospitals, schools and other facilities your tax money is already paying for.

Paid parking has never yielded positive results for the citizenry. Paid parking is the original sin of taxation. It is the ultimate theft, essentially no different that those medieval warlords and bullies who collected passage fees. It is that little lie, which ate away at our freedoms for many decades, getting worse by the year, until it has become the norm among the sheep, and prevalent everywhere. The father of all sneaky alternate and hidden taxes, which together form the financial chains which guarantee that most of the people would not have real chance at social mobility.

Pay it if you must. But at least, be honest about it. And please, make it a political issue we need to deal with.

In the picture below - Frank Lloyd Wright, with his car.

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