What did I do? Every time I read about you, the State College Borough Council, I find myself asking that question. You seven make laws that tell me where I can live, where I can park and how many people I can live with — all in the name of a democratic system.
That is a lot of power over somebody who does not count in council because I cannot vote in their elections. Because my voter registration is not local, I cannot vote for somebody who represents my opinion and my signature does not count on petitions appearing before council. Yet still almost every council decision has a direct effect on me. Can you say fascism, boys and girls?
You, the council, say these laws are not aimed at the students, come on now, who are you kidding?! Can I park anywhere near the campus for less than $30 a month? Can I try to decrease my living expenses by living with three or four friends? Can my friends and I live wherever we choose? Gee, is seems your actions might affect me just a little.
If anything is more obviously aimed at us students it is the ingenious rollback parking. The fact that there has to be a fleet of tow trucks on the roads 24 hours a day should have given you a clue that there is a parking problem. Look further and you can see the trail of cars with the blinking four-way flashers scattered throughout the streets or you can see the herd of meter maids that matches the population of my home town. Could this be an indication that there just isn’t enough affordable parking around? I know, council had better ideas –eliminate the non-student parking throughout the residential area and cut parking downtown in half. That should clear things up!
Sure, everybody has time to run all the way back, feed a meter at the McAllister parking garage every hour while they shop or whatever downtown.
I acknowledge your futile efforts to cut down traffic, and attempts to eliminate the bumper-to-bumper parking in front of people’s homes, but fact is, if there was enough affordable parking to begin with, this problem would never have existed in the first place. But, of course, if you can’t profit from it you won’t hear of it.
Fact is, because I can do nothing to help in a possible re-election, my opinion will not be heard in council. Example: Last fall you refused a petition to reopen debate on the rollback parking. The excuse was that too few of the signatures were by registered voters in the State College area. In other words, the signatures were from people who cannot help the re-election, so why in the world would you do anything so strenuous as reopen a debate for us. It doesn’t matter that most students live here nine months of the year, or that the downtown business district wouldn’t exist without the students, or even that students bring in over 100,000 people to businesses and hotels here on football weekends. This is all taken for granted, the borough needs more money so they impound student’s cars, give students tickets and charge us a fortune for parking.
Believe it or not, some people are not from State College, and do find it necessary to drive. But because of the unaffordable parking and housing in the area, I am forced to get a full-time job. How can I afford to work if I am paying more to park than I am being paid to work here?
Then at the end of the day, if the borough has not made a new housing code, I can return to my apartment. Lucky for me a couple of my five roommates are related. Still council is trying to hide behind an old housing code limiting the number of unrelated tenants in certain residential areas. Sorry guys, I had to shack up with a few friends so that I can afford to park here.
“There isn’t anyone who has more opportunity for housing than students,” said council member Ruth Lavin. “It isn’t aimed at any particular population. It’s not a student vs. non-student issue.”
Ms. Lavin, have you looked at apartment prices lately? If the council were able to promise students affordable housing, we wouldn’t have to spill into your residential area. We don’t move into residential areas because we don’t like to live with our peers or because they are close to campus, it is because we cannot afford to live elsewhere. If you look to pay less than $1,200 a month, that is when you run into the apartments you can’t tell from slums.
How can you say that the ordinance is not aimed at a particular group? Excluding students (and nuns), where else will you find more than three unrelated people living together?
Students are not health hazards; I have seen family households worse than any student abode. Despite your presumptions, we are not all fresh off the set of Animal House. Some of us are quite capable of running quiet, normal households.
I don’t believe you hate the students, but I do question if you are representing the masses, or if you are representing the people who can re-elect them.
Whether you wish to acknowledge it or not, our existence is to State College’s benefit. I don’t understand why you council members continue to bite the hand that feeds you. If the borough found students affordable quality housing you wouldn’t have to hide behind some occupancy law that somebody tripped on in the archives.
Likewise, if the borough had available parking, you wouldn’t have to worry about charging your own residents to park in front of their own homes. By the way, you could also save a bundle on the army of meter maids, but if you are still that hard up for funds you can always tax air, I hear the going rate is $2 per cubic inch.