Yes, it is sad what has now passed for "revenue sources". I can understand the entertainment value of feeding meters, but they have even gone tech, and too many ways to steal your card data to enjoy that little drill...

As a born-and-raised North Dakotan I am endlessly - also morbidly - fascinated at the Leftwing lurches of people I once considered in touch with reality, but remain mostly helpless to change their corruption. All I can do is hope this fails - or if it should pass, that people will get so pissed off that it will be quickly overturned.

This is tangential, but if you a.) live in a city that's turned parking meters into a "revenue source" while neglecting the need to accommodate cars and b.) want to engage in a little constructive subversion: Make it a habit to carry quarters in your pockets, and feed meters that are about to run out, as you walk down the street. I do this in Pasadena, CA (a.k.a. Traffic Meter Hell,) every time I go there, and it's a lot of fun. 8^]

Make money, then give it all back for reuse by those who are better suited to spend it, just ask them....

I would say time for a complaint to the criminal division for investigation, or the the State AG (not that it will do much good, it is probably SOP now to scam anyway you can (Washington State comes to mind).

We have plenty of that going on in Fargo as well. 20+ years of collecting .005% sales tax for a hockey arena that's never been built, but somehow the tax keeps renewing, and the fund never has any money in it!

Sounds a lot like our current tax system - especially estate and death taxes...

You sound like that farmer 70 years ago....And your question has universal application. What do they do to deserve anything?

It's the American way today "Reuse and repay". New funding scheme...

You forgot "pay the gestapo meter agent" as well.

Exactly. Using something you pay for is absolutely fair. Using something to fund something else is not. Too many times, fees and taxes are levied for such BS as "for the children" or "education" and goes....somewhere...no one ever knows...

I'll be okay with parking meters as soon as they privatize the streets.

I don't mind paying a user fee for something I use as long as it dedicated for what I use. I vehemently object to collected fees that are put into a slush fund to pay for pet projects whose sole purpose is to gain votes in the next election. Sunset laws and dedicated funds are what we need but will never get.

True, but how much is enough? Between fuel taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, and other fees, why should I have to pay to park on the streets that I'm already funding? Oh, and the gestapo meter enforcement agents will be all over, salivating at the chance to ticket us for not being out to feed the meter every 30 minutes!!

so privatize all parking spaces and roads...

I've been to Minot & Beulah!
I worked on the Great Plains SynFuels Coal Gasification plant back in '83.

They only need it if parking is a scarce resource with times of surplus demand (not enough spaces for everyone who wants one).

It is Objectivist to charge USERS and not the general public for what only the users use.

Taking into account the amount of tax dollars the looters of both the Federal & State governments receive from every gallon of gas & diesel purchase, I cannot see why they should ask for more when I choose to park in downtown Fargo. What do they do to deserve that money? (PS: Yes, I live in Fargo...so I do have a horse in this fight.)

I'm a little confused on why I should have to pay yet again to use public land I'm already paying to maintain...

Uh, it IS the state you know....Honest and state government would seem to be mutually exclusive...

I was thinking of a live ongoing real time auction using wireless technology to take bids, award spaces, and collect fees. Of course, trust that the seller was honest would be essential.

That would only work based on value, wouldn't it?

Don't look now, but oregon has been trying to implement such a scheme, but it means that even if the dropped the gas tax (which will never happen, as no politician can resist an already established looting stream), you pay a fixed rate per mile, which added up (with their inflated rates) to be a 3x increase in taxes, just so they can blow it on something besides roads. Go check out Washingtons new tab scheme, where a 4 year old Hyundai that cost 14K is now worth 22K and pays a tax on that for their tabs. Talk about criminal? And all to fund 65 billion of light rail for Seattle....

Auctioning parking spaces. Interesting concept.

I think they should have electronic devices on cars that automatically negotiate a price for use of the roads and parking. There would never be a time when the roads are jammed or you couldn't find a spot. Having a fixed price means it's too high sometimes, meaning surplus supply (empty unused spaces), and other times it's too low, meaning surplus demand (can't find a spot).