LA’s Tough Towing Tactics: Hauling In Money More Efficiently
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It's easy to applaud the Los Angeles Bureau of Parking Enforcement’s aggressive new towing tactics -- until you start questioning the city's true motivation behind them, and start wondering why the same zeal for efficiency is not applied elsewhere in local government.
But by responding to rush-hour renegades with a tow-away tornado, is the city motivated by a sincere desire to keep motorists moving? Or is it motivated by a revenue-hungry effort to expropriate even more parking fines and impound fees from citizens?
As the tide of tow-away tumult sweeps the streets of Los Angeles in the coming weeks, the answer to this question will be sought by hundreds, then thousands of very miffed motorists.
The Times' Becerra quotes Jay Handal, president of the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce: "'Either tow them or let them park … But don't disguise your revenue-generating source by calling it a movement to move traffic because you're not moving traffic if you don't tow.'"
Indeed, it remains unclear just why this new tow-away initiative is suddenly under way. Is it in response to public outcry from drivers fed up by delays? Is it merely a genuine and well-intentioned attempt by the bureau to improve its enforcement practices? Or could it be that the failure of Measure A on the November 2 ballot is already encouraging a new drive for police revenue from other sources -- such as parking, towing and impound fines and fees?
Whatever the impetus behind the city’s renewed interest in towing, there is apparently tremendous flexibility built in to city's parking code and significant discretion permitted in its enforcement. Notably, enough leeway is allowed that this new towing blitz seems to be taking place without even any new parking-related legislation in the city council to spur it on.
The severe degree of arbitrary power that the bureau yields is striking and we can only hope that it is not left unchecked to cause otherwise innocent motorists a <a href=http://www.aslet.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=516>haulaway headache.
Besides a possible money motivation behind the new towing tactics, the aggressive enforcement begs the question of why similar efforts at efficiency are not being made throughout local government overall. For example, when was the last time the City of Los Angeles tried with the same determination to streamline the business tax code? Or exerted the same energy to fill some potholes? Or lifted a finger to remove some <a href=http://lavoice.org/article74.html>blighted bedding?
Becerra writes: "By early next year, the city is also expected to contract with a software company to devise ways to cut the time it takes to complete impound paperwork."
But once again, it remains unclear here on whose behalf the impound red tape is being cut -- the city, before it tows the car? Or the motorist, who faces fines, fees and paperwork to retrieve the vehicle?
One thing is certain: the city may be removing cars, but is also raising questions over its own money motivations. Meanwhile, the same effort toward efficiency the city is applying with its tough towing tactics could surely be applied elsewhere in local government for the betterment of us all.
[The opinions expressed here by Mr. Salvatierra are his own and are written in a non-professional capacity. They are not intended to reflect or reject the official stance of his employer on this issue.]
Posted by: Marc_Salvatierra on Sunday, November 07, 2004 - 02:26 PM
