A new bill soon to land on Governor Paterson's desk would allow drivers who've blown off their parking fines to park in city streets without fear of being towed. It's sponsored by none other than State Senator and Manhattan Attorney General hopeful Eric Schneiderman, who has been criticized himself for being a lousy backseat driver.
According to the Daily News, the bill in question is meant to "protect people in bankruptcy or financial crisis from losing their last dollar to creditors, putting items out of creditors' reach like homes worth less than $150,000 and wedding rings worth less than $1,000." Cars worth less than $4000 after outstanding loans would be protected, so owners of heavily-financed sports cars like Lamborghinis could one day have a double-parking parade without fear of towing.
Mayor Bloomberg says the bill will cost city taxpayers $50 million a year, and blasted it in a Q&A with reporters this morning. "I can't imagine a bad, a worse bill,” he said. “This is a bill that will kill people... If nobody follows the parking restrictions because they know their car's not going to get towed away, they'll start parking in front of fire hydrants. Firefighters can't get the water they need... they'll be parking at intersections. This is just a terrible piece of legislation, and I can only, the only possible rationale for it is as a campaign thing, and it's a disgrace." That's right, he said "disgrace," which means it's time to do a shot if you're playing along with the Bloomberg drinking game!
