To answer the questions that many are posing: "Why in the world would clergy need a parking permit", let me answer that question. As a clergyperson, I make a total of $400 a week. I know many of you are used to the televangelists, but my salary is the average. In addition to preaching, teaching, counseling, clothing & feeding the homeless, etc. etc, we spend countless hours visiting the sick and terminally ill in hospitals. Since this is NYC and not Memphis, parking is not free and hospital visitations alone can run up to almost half one's salary. And yes, there is a reserved parking in front of the churches, synagogues & mosques, but one will need said clergy permit in order to avail oneself of this space, even if it is in front of his/her own church where he/she pastors, or else, you will get a ticket which will be a significant portion of your pay. These permits do NOT give clergy the right to park anywhere they want. Only in designated spots for designated purposes. Next time a relative needs prayer or last rites, and the clergy/priest is out trying to find a park, perhaps you'll say a prayer for us.....

Is there going to be a grace period at the end of the five minute grace period?

Just keep saying grace and it won't matter.

Some of you have been debating whether this violates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. TKaisen's comment doesn't quite capture the law on this (though he is right that if clergy of a certain denomination alone were conferred a benefit, it would be unconstitutional). The reason clergy parking isn't unconstitutional is that churches are nonprofits (tax exempt), and nonprofit groups (as well as a number of other subgruops) are provided the same benefit as clergy. See:

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/08/01/nyregion/no-parking-no-problem-for-the-clergy.html

Thus, it could actually be a Free Exercise problem if the benefit were not extended to clergy, since that would discriminate against a certain type of nonprofit (namely, the church). Of course, many Americans believe that churches should not be permitted to take advantage of tax breaks, etc., that come with being a non-profit (or, at the very least, that if they do so, they should be obligated to obey anti-discrimination laws). Nevertheless, the Supreme Court has consistenly upheld "ancillary" benefits like non-profit status against constitutional attack.

You know the saddest part about this? I was at the Transportation Committee meeting yesterday and there wasn't a peep of discussion about any of the ramifications of these bills-- whether they were unconstitutional or illogical. The Council simply said the Mayor was wrong and voted.

They were overriding vetoes. Presumably any discussion about the merits of the bills would have taken place before the original vote. No need to discuss them again.

While you are right that the constitutional issue would likely have come up previously, there should be some discussion about why the mayor is wrong if the Council is going to take the usual step of overriding a veto. In other words, respond to Bloomberg's argument, refute his position, and then vote.

Can we just get rid of the City Council?

We have Borough Presidents and Community Boards too. At least two out of those three can be done away with.

Both of these should have been shot down. Pretty much proves that the city council is a bunch of ass kissing morons. The grace period is especially stupid. It just means that people are going to argue with traffic cops five minutes later.

Clergy parking permits already exist, but are only good for parking up to 4 hours in the no-parking zone outside a house of worship and up to 3 hours in the no-parking zone outside a hospital. And each house of worship only gets one permit and can only use it with up to three registered license plates. In other words, they're designed to make it easier for clergy to do pastoral work. They do not allow clergy to park anywhere any time they feel like it. City-issued handicapped permits allow a lot more flexbility, as do volunteer ambulance plates (which are generally what get abused on Grand St--not clergy permits).

Was this a veto of a more expansive clergy parking system? Or something else?

I just started my own church a couple of minutes ago. Can I get free parking as well?

Maybe it's Bloomie's posse. The Jewish clergy lends the badge to their family members like the two old ladies who park near Grand Street lic plate "1K R1". Shopping is not an emergency nor are you on duty.

While I was being told by a cop that I had to move my car from a commerical parking only zone I asked why the BMW behind me was still parked there. The cop said, "Because that's an MD plate- a doctor. Doctor's can park anywhere."

Uh really? So is the doctor valiantly saving the life of a choking victim in that restaurant while his food goes cold?

when city council pees in bloomie's eye, it's good news for all ny'ers.

I was an altar boy when I was eight. Do I qualify for the free parking sticker?

I can't believe we have to live with four more years of this fool.

I don't get it. You mock the expansion of permits for clergy but you express dislike for Bloomberg, who vetoed it.

Zing!

First time I ever agreed with this turd bloomberg.

Why in the name of all that is holy do clergy deserve special parking privileges?

Serve the community? Feed the homeless? Shelter the poor? What dickbags those dudes are.

So why don't people who donate to Goodwill get special parking permits? Should the director of a nonprofit which also does the same get a special parking permit? Clergy are no better than anyone else.