Angelenos furious over special ‘Gold Card’ for traffic tickets.
Only special people may have use of the card. Those special people include the mayor and other selected officials.
Los Angeles residents are up in arms over the existence of the “Gold Card,” a plastic parking bureau card distributed to city offices that includes a special phone number.
The obscure Gold Card Services Desk allowed the mayor and other elected officials to expedite citation reviews.
On the back, the card notes that the holder may have an “urgent need to resolve any parking citation matter which requires special attention.” It promises “you will be immediately connected to our Gold Card Specialist.”
A report released Thursday by City Controller Wendy Greuel found that about 1,000 Los Angeles city parking citations were dismissed over a two-year period — some without justification — as part of the Gold Card operation.
The program was started about 20 years ago to permit officials and their staff to expedite constituents’ appeals of parking tickets and possibly have fines reduced or eliminated.
“I wish they did let us know about it,” said Donny Legans, 55, who arrived at the city’s parking enforcement office Thursday to pay an $88 ticket. “The system is so unfair. Sometimes the meters aren’t even working and they give us tickets.”
May 22, 2011 at 9:22 am
Just more of the same, the government thinks themselves immune to the laws that they force us to follow. I am beginning to see less and less of a democracy and more and more of a monarchy in this country. We are nothing more than serfs for the kingdom. We work so the government can take our money in the form of taxes which they use to line their pockets and the pockets of their friends.
May 22, 2011 at 1:11 pm
It’s like Nom and Unc say…we are the indentured servants. They toss a bone once in awhile, but we really are at their beck and call. sigh
May 22, 2011 at 11:39 am
But remember, we’re bringing democracy to the Middle East…
May 22, 2011 at 12:05 pm
and that makes it All Better. So sacrifice, serfs!
Your money & your kids!http://rt.com/news/nato-libya-crisis-gaddafi/
May 22, 2011 at 9:56 pm
Yeah, Angelenos are furious, but come election time, nobody shows up to vote. Unfortunately, I end up suffering the consequences of that apathy.
May 23, 2011 at 5:07 am
rjjrdq, you aren’t alone. This should be one of those constant reminders to all citizens of how things can go so very wrong.
May 23, 2011 at 9:15 pm
The Los Angeles mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, also believes that illegal immigration is no big thing and last year declared a boycott against the state of AZ for daring to pass SB1070 in an effort to stop illegals from flooding the state and the country.
Los Angeles, you reap what you sow. Sorry, but the truth can be ugly. If Villaraigosa embraces and condones one form of law-breaking, why are “Gold Cards” a surprise? And what else is he doing that has not yet surfaced?
May 24, 2011 at 5:46 am
He’s the problem Classic. He panders as well as Barack does. There is no such thing as breaking the law to get into this country.