Seattle Cars and Leftist Contradictions
May 21, 2023
by William P. Meyers

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Justice v. green values, or hypocrisy?

Lately an increasing number of cars have been 'parked' in my neighborhood that are damaged and have expired plates. Many have been in the same spaces for weeks. Even in my relatively low-density neighborhood there is always a shortage of parking spaces. If someone visits in a car, or does not have their own assigned space, they may need to park a block or two away.

This is a real-life outcome of two contradictory progressive Democrat or leftist policies for Seattle. On the one hand new apartments (and condominiums) are now built, on purpose, with far less than one parking space per unit. On the other hand progressives have determined that police pulling over cars with expired tabs is racist, so police are now prohibited from pulling over cars with expired tabs or even small defects that make the cars unsafe, like broken lights.

Progressive environmentalists think that limiting the number of cars in the city, and forcing people onto public transportation, is the goal. Getting old cars off the streets, or at least into the hands of people who can afford them and keep them up, should be part of that goal. But what is doled out as just punishment for those who work and save and buy a condominium, or even just pay to rent, is out of the question to impose on, well, anyone who does not want to follow the law.

Not renewing auto license tags has another effect. License tag fees are one of the main ways we pay for public transportation, including roads as well as the rail and bus systems. What happens if everyone decides they no longer need to renew them?

I say if you have enough money to pay for gas, or buy an old car, you should have enough to pay to keep your car licensed and safe to drive. My guess is that many if not most of these scofflaws also do not buy auto insurance. When they do mow down a pedestrian or crash into another vehicle, they are unable to pay for the damages.

For that matter, do the drivers of these vehicles even have licenses to drive?

Get these vehicles off the street. Find other ways to practice social justice.