The City of Harrisburg is BROKE.
So broke, in fact, that City Hall has stopped stocking paper towels in the public restrooms and has reverted to only the hand blowers blowing all kinds of germs around the room. (What are us OCD folks supposed to use to open the restroom doors when we leave now?!)
Ireland wrote earlier this week about ways the city can make some extra dough- but hers were sarcastic-
Here’s my nickel’s worth of free advice on how the city can save and/or make a few bucks.
Ban Driving while Talking on a Cellphone-
This will be FAR easier to enforce than the noise violations or diesel trucks idling in residential neighborhoods.
Have you ever noticed how many people are yapping away on their phones while traversing the streets of Harrisburg? Take a minute and sit on Front Street anywhere close to Forster between 4:30 and 5:30PM any non-state-holiday Monday through Friday.
Ban it- make a $75 fine and sit there collecting your money, Harrisburg.
Install a city-wide WIFI network and charge five bucks a day to use it.
Philly just did it. So can we. I mean, really- it’s only 2007…and I’ll bet you dollars to donuts this’ll be far more profitable than that stupid incinerator that’s about to bankrupt us.
Put the meter-maids in electric scooters.
How fuel-efficient can those beat up old Chevy-Blazers possibly be? Besides, those meter-maids can use some humbling. Many major cities have energy efficient civil servant vehicles- can’t we get with the times?
Cancel the fireworks.
How many fireworks displays do we really need? Close to fifty grand apiece- I’d say that’s a police officers salary.
Kiosks for Promoters
I’d pay a monthly fee to be able to post event posters on city-owned promotional kiosks. Or sell ad space on them and let the promoters plaster whatever we’d like all over them.
Make the Harvey Taylor and Market Street bridges toll-roads.
Start low- a quarter a car. Sure, it’ll take some logistic finagling- but with most cars having EZ Pass these days, it could be an easy several-thousand bucks a day. Plus, it’ll create a few jobs.
Those are just a few ideas. I don’t wanna give away the farm all at once- but I’ve got LOTS of ideas like this.
I’m sure all of you do too-
I brought up making Harvey Taylor and the market Street bridges toll roads when I first started writing…and you would have thought I’d said HBG should assassinate the Pope. But I do like the idea of the meter maids in electric scooters…only most of their asses probably wouldn’t fit, or the union has some clasue in the contract that makes it illegal. I like the nightly fireworks, they make me feel like I live at Disneyland.
Oh, and I was serious about the John Harris Corectional Facility.
Or … put the meter maids on Segways (http://www.segway.com/) … and encourage them to ticket double-parkers on Market, Walnut and Second. Tons of revenue there.
Hellyeah! for the cell-phone ban idea!! As someone who rides a motorcycle to work all year long (well… 95% of the time,) my biggest hassle by far come from those inattentive, self-important cell-yakkers who just pull out in front of anyone, whenever they like, without bothering to look.
Love the toll road idea – but just during the day for the bureaucrats who have to come here anyway.
And wireless internet – fabulous idea. But free for residents
Screw the toll! I drive the HT at least 4 times a day sometimes. I like my money and I hate taxes.
Maybe they should put the prison on McCormick Island, kinda like a mini Alcatraz. Better watch out for the poison ivy!
Also, the fireworks are usually covered by a corporate sponsor. No fireworks? How un-American of you!
When is your stand opening?
Unfortunately, municipal wifi is not currently an option. Very shortly after Philly began implementation (a few years ago) the PA general assembly passed a law that prohibits the setting up of municipal wifi without getting approval from the private operators in the area. The private operators claimed that they would be disadvantaged if taxes subsidized a wifi network that was cheaper than their offering.
Anyone want to guess how likely it is that comcast and verizon would go for it?
Quit your whining, republocrat- EVERY major city has some sort of toll bridge or tunnel-
I say TAX the TAXMAN! I like Annikens idea of making it a toll road during normal business hours.
Fireworks? Bah. I’d rather see a band.
No stand for me this year- I lost it in the breakup with the girl I did it with last summer…(the fireworks stand, that is
)
That is the liberals answer to everything, tax, tax, tax…
ps, we’re not a major city.
We’re not even a “kinda major” city-
But how’s that old saying go?
“Act as if.”
I forgot about the comcast/verizon protection bill. Guess that’s why our service is so lousy. So much for free enterprise and a shot at getiting cities into the 21st century. Just think what low cost internet access could do for education . . .
Put the meter maids and cops on Electric scooters from falconEV.com
That will save a ton of gas
we need to save more, not ticket more