Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Springfield, Massachusetts Tries To Rise From Predatory Towing Issues

Flickr.com Photo

I might be one of twelve people in the world to get excited over the final paragraph of reporter Peter Goonan's recent story in "The Republican," but...

...Springfield is in the midst of defeating an "evil empire" called "The Towing Alliance," and I've blogged about this four times already, here is the previous post, click. "The Towing Alliance" is currently trying to make a last-ditch comeback but it's looking pretty grim...and thank goodness!

Goonan's recent story about how "Springfield hires (are) set to go ahead" included a single paragraph about solving the predatory towing mess, as follows:

"The Police Department is also hiring a grants and contract specialist, who will be responsible for pursuing and overseeing grants and to serve as compliance officer for towing. Those responsibilities have been handled by other personnel including officers, said Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet."

I can understand the "towing compliance officer" may need to have other duties, and I'm glad to hear those duties consist of "grant writing" because that particular task requires somebody very sharp and detail-oriented. But the whole key to reforming this broken-down towing system is access to information, not mere "oversight" by somebody with a firm hand. The best oversight is to have many eyes watching the system, to have TRANSPARENCY as public administration folks like to say. Yes, I believe it. It's my "towing utopia gospel."

Any city could find itself in the same mess as Springfield. And many do. But seldom is there such a cool name involved. THE TOWING ALLIANCE! Wow. Who shall face down the evil of "The Towing Alliance?"

In this case, it is apparently "The Council."

No comments: