I read several reports from other cities that similar issues with a decreasing tax base and they realized that there was a correlation between the rising price of parking – and of making it more difficult – to the decreasing tax base. When some cities like Denver, Long Beach, and San Diego reduced parking fees (as well as changing to credit card machines) they saw an increase in the tax base. What they did do was increase the days of the week to include Saturdays, and in some areas even Sunday. They also increased the hours monitored to 9pm instead of the normal 6pm. They had staggered work shifts so that there was better coverage throughout the day.

The pay & go machines that are now found across Oakland had been in storage for almost TWO years before being implemented. And honestly, there are ways to short circuit them, which I won’t name here and which apparently happens A Lot. They also give a hefty cut to the credit card processor. I’m not against that, I’m just saying.

We had a parking enforcement officer on the Parking Task Force and it was enlightening! And after reading about all these other cities with parking issues across the country, let me just say that we’re not alone. We are, however, one of the highest in the country in terms of per minute cost and our parking tickets have gone up since that research was done.

Another thing we discussed at the task force in regards to parking tickets and revenue for the City was the amount of uncollected revenue and how we send things to collection agencies – who typically get half – way too soon, again in my humble opinion. I was in credit and collections for years and I think the City makes zero effort and throws a lot of revenue out the door. Add to that the fact that people have to resolve parking tickets before selling or renewing their car registration and hmmm, wouldn’t it be easy to collect at that point? Or repo the car? Okay, and then there’s the issue that many of those that get tickets plead hardship to get their tickets reduced or waived. What about offering up community service instead for the lower income folks? Turnover of parking spaces is key, so I’m not against hefty fines. But I do think reducing the meter rates and finding better ways to collect those meter fees and parking ticket monies would be an easy gain for the City. To what dollar figure, I don’t know.

Crime is the issue in Oakland, and not just downtown. People from out of Oakland don’t want to come here. Whenever you tell people that you live in Oakland, the first thing they ask about is the crime. This is preaching to the Choir here, I know, but it is true. Parking is an issue too, but in my opinion, not that close to the crime issue. When deciding where and when to shop, my family thinks about safety, never parking.

The Green Zone.

But look how that money is being spent. Just of the half that is the General Fund (I suspect there is a ton of waste in the other half, but it is hidden), are the following share of the pie:

12% “Non-departmental”
1% Mayor
2% City Administrator
6% Finance & Management

How hard would it be to find plenty of things to cut that will not affect real services to the public? How about cutting Mayor Sleepy’s salary to what JB got ($50,000 saved)? Another $50,000 by cutting out his expense account used to pay for limousines, expensive hotels and retaurants? Cut the Mayor’s staff from 25 to 5 like JB had ($1 Million saved), recover the $340,000 given for the nonexistent grocery store in W.Oakland (Mandela Food Coop), $50,000 for a silly Food Policy Council, and I am sure 10 to 50 times as much for things we are not aware of yet.

And how can we trust the city with out money if they continue to employ a Finance Director who personally offered a cash bribe to the whistle blower Controller who was fired by Little Miss Debbie for her 2 kids’ falsified time sheets… who are also still employed! And, of course a nephew who was hired as a felon (for ASSAULT weapons no less) who was subsequently found in possession of yet another weapon–which makes it another felony.

The abusive level of taxation and fees (like the highest business tax rates in the state, ridiculous parking rates) plus city policies that are antagonistic to businesses are responsible for the loss of business and customers to Oakland. There is a lot of common sense in these comments about how demoralizing it is to operate a business in this town, and how unfriendly it is to visitors willing to shop here. The purpose of parking regulations is to ensure turnover so that new visitors can find a place to park, not to be a revenue source. But does anyone believe that? Add on top of that the city’s crime rate is the highest west of the Mississippi.

Our city government is an addict with an insatiable need for money. And it is killing the city.

Paying it forward is a courtesy. The new meters collect more than the old ones, and inconvenience people in a number of ways. You can’t pay for 10 minutes with a credit card. You can’t add time, you can only go back at exactly the moment of expiration and buy another ticket.

Many of the spaces built in the past 5 years have retail on the ground level and then office or residential above. Unfortunately, the retail spaces weren’t built properly. My store was used as the poster child for just how wrong retail was done in the set of three buildings my store belongs to. Of the 15 spaces, there is:
leasing office
space used for office services (fax/computer) for tenants only
locksmith
catering company (not open to the public)
cafe
mortgage/real estate broker
dry cleaners
pack & ship store (mine)
7 empty spaces, of which 2 have never been rented – the others were rented as office space

This building was completed in 2002. The study on ground floor was done by an intern, Peris with the help of Margot Lederer-Prado. If I can find the study, I’ll send it to V.

Along with crime, this is a big problem for more retail.

Macy’s, Nordstrom, Crate & Barrel and others have supposedly said that they would not come to Oakland. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know. But I do know that Gap pulled out of their downtown store with very close timing to JB no longer being Mayor. It was a losing proposition.

I just looked at my expenses for 2007 and see that I spent just over $4,000 at Berkeley Bowl, Albertsons (in Alameda), and the Alameda Marketplace. I spent another $2700 in online purchases (sad, most was at Amazon). That’s just on the card I track!

Back to parking for a minute – Max, your idea is great, but ultimately it hurts the City in terms of revenue. Which only makes them look elsewhere for money. And as for charging cars registered in Piedmont triple, I have to ask if you have a thing against people in Piedmont? Not all are as rich as you imagine. I know several folks that are on fixed incomes that have lived there for 30-40 Years (one has family that has lived there since the early 1900’s) and the ones I know are struggling. Some moved heaven on earth to buy a place there for the schools, but can’t afford anything else. I’m just saying be careful with that stereotyping.