There's still some $AFEclear opposition
State Sen. John Whitmire is not sold on Mayor White's proposed $AFEclear changes:
"I appreciate the city going back to the drawing board, but they need to stay there," said state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston.
"There is something wrong when people don't understand the plight of people who have zero money but could safely ... repair their automobile on the freeway shoulder," Whitmire said.
He said he is concerned that drivers who can neither pay towing fees nor qualify for free tows could lose their cars to storage yards, which would resell them. And he said police should not be providing a taxi service for the stranded passengers.
[snip]
Whitmire said there is support in the Legislature for requiring approval from the Texas Transportation Commission for cities' highway towing ordinances to ensure they are "reasonable and consistent with other jurisdictions."
"A high percentage of Houston motorists are from out of town, and as they pass through the different cities and the county there are different policies," Whitmire said.
Those last two paragraphs are interesting. It doesn't mean that $AFEclear would have to be shelved, but the Legislature might require Houston to have a freeway-clearing program that is in line with what other Texas cities do.
Councilwoman Addie Wiseman has her own concerns with the $AFEclear modifications:
Councilwoman Addie Wiseman, who voted against the ordinance, was skeptical of the proposed changes. "I fear that this latest knee-jerk move will only bring us additional legal problems. I don't think anything has been resolved here," she said.
Wiseman said she wants to see the exact language White will offer and where the money will come from. "Give us the numbers," she said. "When we looked through the budget last year, I didn't see a $300,000 slush fund sitting around. I want to know what will be sacrificed for this.
"Also, if vehicles on the shoulders present a safety hazard, then why are police vehicles allowed to sit there, with the officer standing behind them checking his radar?"
And Councilwoman Carol Mims-Galloway has asked Mayor White for a moratorium on the $AFEclear program until the changes are approved by city council. The old $AFEclear rules remain in effect until city council gives its okay, as one driver discovered:
Arlene Cuellar felt caught in the middle Wednesday when her disabled vehicle was towed from the South Loop and she had to shell out the fee. Under the current plan, she had to pay $78 -- $75 for the mandatory fee and $3 for extra mileage.
"I just don't think it's fair because I'm a single mother and really can't afford it. But what choice do you have?" Cuellar said.
Under the changes Houston City Council is expected to pass next week, Cuellar would have qualified for a free tow up to one mile.
"I saw on the news last night where it said they were going to try and do it up to a mile free and then you try to get your car fixed from there. But I asked (the wrecker driver) and he said, 'No, it's in the making but they're working on it,'" Cuellar said.
The Chronicle story also says that Councilwoman Galloway has asked Mayor White to have Houston partner with Harris County in the Motorist Assistance Program. That idea, of course, is loaded with common sense, but I would guess the mayor can't do that because of all the franchise fees the towing companies paid for freeway rights. The city does not want to give back that money.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/14/05 07:03 AM | Print |
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