Free parking for military a needless $1.4M loss

When is enough enough? Not until councillors learn to say no to sacred cows

The best thing that can be said about city council’s new free parking program for serving military and veterans is it’s a oneyear pilot.

That holds out the prospect that in a year’s time councillors may summon the courage to reverse their pandering gesture and recoup the needless loss of up to $1.4 million in parking revenue.

As it stands now, the city already issues 350 parking permits to Hamilton vets who served in the Canadian Armed Forces during the Second World War and Korean War.

That’s a fine salute to an aging and f ading generation that stood up to fascism and drew a line against belligerent communism.

But extending the same perk to hundreds of thousands of other former service personnel plus all able-bodied current members of the armed forces and reserves seems both excessively reverent and fiscally irresponsible.

To be blunt, by supporting the new parking exemptions in a 14-1 vote, councillors have caved in to political pressure from the Hamilton Veteran’s Committee, the vets’ group that liaises with the city.

Once council ratifies the committee vote Friday, the program will be up and running in about three months. To be absolutely clear, here’s the full list of who’ll be eligible for free parking at on-street meters and municipal car lots.

Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces, including reserves, and the forces of the Commonwealth and its wartime allies.

Those who served in the Merchant Navy or Ferry Command during wartime.

Currently serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces and its reserves. Those who served with NATO and UN peacekeeping forces. Currently serving or retired members of the RCMP. Canadian citizens who served with the U.S. or its allies dur- ing the Vietnam War.

Anybody in one of those categories can apply through the Royal Canadian Legion for a provincially-issued veterans’ licence plate.

According to city staff, 270,000 Ontario residents meet the criteria. As of last year, 44,360 plates had been issued, plus 2,010 veterans’ motorcycle plates.

Staff estimate there are 11,000 such veterans in Hamilton. If half take advantage of the free parking for five hours per week, revenue losses would be in the area of $1.4 million. For a city that’s always pleading poor, that’s a heck of causal castoff.

So why have councillors latched onto free parking as a reward for military service instead of discarding other municipal user fees? Why not free bus passes, or recreation centre passes or, perhaps, museum passes?

According to Coun. Sam Merulla, who spearheaded the latest charge, free parking is what the veterans’ committee wants. Full stop.

To be fair, Merulla may be right when he says much of the projected lost parking revenue is “phantom,” meaning it won’t materialize because many of those eligible won’t apply for the necessary plates. But that doesn’t make the program any more logical. Frankly, a solid argument might be mounted to extend exemptions to all retired full-time Canadian soldiers over the age of 65 who live in Hamilton.

But why should healthy servicemen and servicewomen and part-time soldiers be absolved from paying for parking? Why them but not, say, police officers and firefighters who also may be called upon to put their lives on the line? Why RCMP officers but not OPP? And why on earth Canadians who fought for the Americans in Vietnam?

It’s not as if Hamilton taxpayers don’t already extend a helping hand to those who’ve served. The city currently covers all expenses related to road closures and policing for veterans’ events. It provides a 100 per cent tax rebate for veterans’ clubhouses and Legion halls, which cost $145,000 in 2015. And this year it’s funding the Hamilton Veterans Committee to the tune of $30,000.

When is enough enough? Not, I suspect, until either the pilot project becomes permanent or councillors learn to say no to sacred cows.

Andrew Dreschel’s commentary appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. adreschel@thespec.com 905-526-3495 @AndrewDreschel

Why should healthy servicemen and servicewomen and part-time soldiers be absolved from paying for parking? Why them but not, say, police officers and firefighters who also may be called upon to put their lives on the line?