Monday, September 21, 2009
News Council member CT Martin wants free parking
Posted by Scott Henry @ScottTheHenry on Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 8:16 PM
Over the years, local politicians have gotten their hands slapped or at least suffered embarrassment over seeking certain freebies.
You may recall mini-scandals over Emma Darnell and her fellow Fulton commissioners using county police cruisers as their personal car service; or Atlanta officials who have been known to use their clout to treat themselves to pricey sports tickets — sometimes re-selling the seats and pocketing the cash.
Well, this time the freebie being sought is free parking and the freebie-seeker is longtime Councilman CT Martin. He's proposed an ordinance to give Council members access cards allowing them to park for free at "city-owned or city-affiliated parking facilities."
His reasoning is that "from time to time, members of the city Council are called upon to attend meetings and events at facilities which are owned or leased by the city or by an entity affiliated with the city."
Now, if a Council member goes somewhere on official city business or simply representing his or her district — say, to a Buckhead Business Association breakfast or even a neighborhood fundraising event — I would expect his Council expense account to cover parking, admission fees and reasonably priced meals.
So why would Martin also need an all-access pass to "city-affiliated parking facilities?" That's pretty broad language. For starters, it would include Turner Field, Philips Arena and the Civic Center. But what about the parking deck at Emory Crawford Long Hospital, where the city recently opened a police mini-precinct — does that count as "city-affiliated?"
OK, parking isn't typically as valuable a commodity as a World Series tickets, but if I were a city Council member, I'd think twice about voting to give myself anything that even resembles a new perk so close to elections.
For the record, Martin has no opponent.
Comments (3)
Showing 1-3 of 3
He might be able get free parking at the Atlanta Botanical Garden parking garage, at least when an "important" event is not going on. No one uses that garage (and no one likes it).
like
dislike
Latest in Fresh Loaf
-
Vernon Jones wants to return to the Gold Dome and other interesting qualification tidbits
Qualifying period ends, dust settles, campaigns begin
-
Suspects in Pittsburgh gay bashing slated to go to trial Tuesday
The men accused of beating Brandon White in Southwest Atlanta already headed to court
-
Film Clips: Men In Black 3
Men in black are back, Chernobyl's tourism industry is booming, and music festival romance all this weekend 'at the movies.'
- More »
More by Author
-
Got gas? Buckhead millionaires will pay you handsomely 2
If you build it, they will pay you $10K
-
Atlanta Daily World building is latest Auburn Avenue historical site at risk 23
Atlanta Daily World building is historic -- and threatened
- More »
