Something that seems to have eluded Blair, Benedetti and even John Gonder (who didn't really explain his no vote) is that the council was being asked to consider only one specific factor with this ordinance:
Are such collections safe, or not?
Well, John now explains his vote. I appreciate that he took the time to do so, but at the same time, permit me to suggest that all these various layered reasonings about streets and safety are becoming far too convoluted, and a healthy bit of Occam's Razor is needed.
The street grid needs to be changed to make it responsive to people, and not just cars. John knows it, and ordinance sponsor Greg Phipps knows. Quite a few of us know it. Let's not allow the ancillary issue of mid-street charity collections to obscure the central point. Rather, let's begin focusing on the central point: Complete streets in our time.
These symptom-abatement Band-Aids are getting tiresome, indeed.
Driver, Can You Spare a Dime?
Last night the City Council voted 5 to 3 to uphold Councilman Phipps's ordinance against in-street collections for charities or other causes. I voted no and thought I'd explain why.
1 comment:
This is again one of those areas, born of practical application, that might well be addressed should our council ever, ever, ever, ever, begin a legislative/funding year or term with the development of some cleared-eyed priorities rather than reactionary meanderings.
A boy can dream, just not in the street.
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