A parking lot budget

(November 04) - What would you prefer? Two hours of free parking downtown, or two and a half new police constables patrolling downtown?

Over the course of a year, both options cost you about the same amount of money. Fortunately, they are not mutually exclusive, and you'll probably get both free parking and more policing. The comparison gives an idea of the juggling city councillors have to do at this time of year.

They have to weigh apples against oranges. The final budget has to balance the good of the community against the ability of citizens to pay for it.

Last week, the council committees took a look at the budget submissions coming from the various boards, commissions and agencies and anyone else who lives on the municipal purse. In another month, at the beginning of December, council will meet on two consecutive nights and adopt the budget for 2009.

Requests range from an extra police officer to fight child pornography to an extra library worker to program children's activities. Both are needed.

It's safe to predict downtown shoppers will keep their free parking. It breathed too much new life into the downtown. It is nearly impossible to put a dollar value to that, but I expect it would measure up favourably against the lost parking revenue.

This is not the only way in which parking is dominating the budget. A huge sack of money is being set aside to build a parking garage on Wilson Street. Another bundle is going towards the redevelopment of the Baker Street parking lot. Some consultants even want to carve out a new street from Wyndham to Baker.

In many ways it's a parking lot budget.

How strangely counterintuitive that the greenest council we've ever had must devote so much attention to making room for cars downtown. Why not put the parked cars in the lots and turn Wyndham Street into a pedestrian mall? It would be a lot more pleasant, but would still come with a price tag.

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Speaking of cars, only a complete idiot would pull out a cellphone and send a text message while driving. The very thought of it makes me shiver. Just try it and see the result. You'll either rear-end the car in front of you or, even worse, make so many spelling mistakes the message will be incomprehensible. It is about to be outlawed.

As is often said, they can outlaw the act but not the stupidity that causes it.

It will also become an offense to talk on a cellphone while driving. Some people even wanted to ban the use of hands-free phones, but enforcement would be too difficult.

They say talking on the phone is too distracting. What about talking to your spouse while driving? Can't that take your attention away from the road? What about pre-pubescent kids in the back seat? Did you ever hear the noise they can make?

Instead of you driving them to Granny's, they drive you to distraction. Am I the only person who ever pulled onto the soft shoulder and yelled at them to stop their nonsense or get out and walk? Compared to this, talking on a cellphone can be relaxing.

No one wants to ban driving with family. Or while listening to the radio. Or while conversing with a passenger. Everyone wants to ban driving while conversing on the phone.

In the words of a song I recall from half a century ago: keep your mind on your driving, keep your hands on the wheel and keep your filthy eyes on the road ahead (I'm having fun, sitting in the back seat, kissing and a-hugging with Fred).

There's a story about two priests who argued about smoking and praying. They agreed to ask the bishop to resolve it. One asked if he could smoke while he prayed and was told no. When praying, you must give it your full attention. The other asked if he could pray while he smoked and was told yes. It's always good to say a prayer.

It's getting to be the same with driving. Should we drive while we think? Can we think while we drive?

Or should we just take the easy way out and move closer to a complete ban on thinking and driving.