Save The Meters

To:  City of Chicago

We The People of Chicago, have been overly patient with our city, county and state government. Their inability to generate and manage revenue efficiently has led to a culture of price gouging and medieval levying. Chicago has the highest sales tax in the nation. Some of our public officials are the most highly paid in the country. While citizens of this city are struggling to pay their car note, the mayor has sold out the entire city for a short term win-fall. We stood idly by while he destroyed Meigs Field. We said nothing when they raised the sales tax without a public referendum.

We cannot afford to be silent as Mayor Daley puts us into a position where many of us would have to pay $16 a night to park in front of our own homes! On February 13, 2009, Morgan-Stanley bank will assume control of all Chicago Parking Meters. This will be yet another private corporation, controlling public property. Mayor Daley and our inept City Council approved a deal leasing every parking meter in Chicago to Morgan Stanley for 75 years in exchange for a ONE-TIME PAYMENT of $1.5 Billion. This was not only short sighted but also disrespectful and inconsiderate to all the people in Chicago who don't have their own parking space at City Hall. Not only have they given control of the meters to Morgan Stanley, but they have also given away parking enforcement privileges too.

The prices for parking on public streets are sky rocketing. We are now being policed by a private corporation. Meanwhile, there is no plan for any of this money to be used to help the people of Chicago. We have simply been sold out. There is no benefit to the people. Only a cost of living increase in a city that is becoming increasingly unaffordable. The abuse of the average citizen must stop. It is time that the officials of the City of Chicago and Cook County lives up to the fiduciary duties of their office. It is their duty not only to balance budgets, but to also do whats right for their constituents. We have every right to expect them to. We have a responsibility to force them to do so when they choose to do not to. This is not acceptable and our voices must be heard. Enough is enough.

Join us in sending a message to our Government that we love and support our home and will not be driven out of it by It's cost of living gouging. We are forced to pay for so many unnecessary things (city stickers, annual vehicle registration, the bottle water tax...) and are punished if we don't. It is time that the people of Chicago live up to the promise of America, that this is a nation of the people and for the people. Not a nation against the people. Please, sign this petition. We want to make a statement 1,000,000 voices strong. We can create change.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Save The Meters Petition to City of Chicago was created by and written by Wendell Tucker (thetheori@yahoo.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.