Taxpayers Being Charged Twice for State Parking Garages

RECEIVED Thu., Aug. 14, 2003

I urge residents of Austin and outlying areas to boycott state parking garages on nights and weekends.
    Legislation passed during the last session allows private companies to profit at the taxpayers' expense by charging a fee to park in state-owned parking garages outside of business hours. This move adversely affects Austin consumers' pocketbooks and its Central Business District's economy. The new legislation does not affect any other cities in Texas. It allows private companies to profit by charging taxpayers to use parking garages in the downtown area, in which there is already inadequate free parking space, that they already paid for once in construction costs.
    I urge diners, partygoers, and music lovers to boycott the use of these garages and write their state representatives to have this change nullified.
William O. Pate II
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