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Michael Flaherty hasn't gotten this much social-media attention since he and his KitchenAid mixer announced a run for mayor
By adamg on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 9:47am
After his comments yesterday about his family's five cars and how T bus stops take up too much damn space, Michael Flaherty now has his own hashtag: #fivecarflaherty. Also, shhh, nobody say a word, but somebody updated his Wikipedia page.
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Comments
Lace curtain or two-toilet?
In either case, he's representing the 20th century quite well.
Could someone please send this man a calendar?
Complete lack of self-awareness
Can we just end this handout and properly manage our public assets in a way thats equitable and recognizes the enormous value of land that we set aside for parking and the system behind it that manages said assets? Cool its been free for years, doesn't mean that was right and look no further to how its being abused by #fivecarflaherty
Here I'll give the city $1 a year for the privilege of biking in Boston if it'll shut that deflection down. Some will say thats not enough while complaining about $25 for a year of parking but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I don't understand it, either
I pay $40/year in Somerville and I still think that's a steal.
Even better
I'd gladly pay $25 to put a shed for my bikes in the same space as a car. Or perhaps I'll keep the bikes inside and put the shed on AirBNB. The guests can use the bathroom at Dunkins.
Law of Induced Demand
Has anybody explained to him how adding parking spaces from MBTA bus stops would likely make parking options worse?
The Wiki page revision has
The Wiki page revision has been undone, but here's a link to the version that had it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_F._Flaherty&oldid=893...
They should rename it The
They should rename it The Boston City Clowncil.
Payoso?
Is that you??
Of course he’s getting attention.
You tweeted “Flaherty has 5 cars.” Not that there a 5 people who use the 5 cars. People believe he has 5 vehicles for himself. As far as bus stops; didn't the MBTA do a study and the results showed there are underutilized bus stops that could be eliminated? Sensationalism
Maybe there are a few too many stops
The outrageous part is to make this claim:
Yeah
And what the fuck is up with "Fire Hydrants" too? Most hydrants go YEARS without being used. That's a valuable car parking space. And if there is a fire, that great too! Raze the lot and make it a parking lot.
/S
Nah not really
Factually, people now know that his family has 5 cars that would need 5 permits, costing $0 currently.
Something something sensationalism, amirite?
This is Adam’s tweet I am
This is Adam’s tweet I am referring to
“Flaherty has five cars, says permit fees would just encourage people to get fraudulent handicap permits. Make the T abandon all those bus stops; that would free up spaces.”
Something something sorry Michelle got shut down
How'd she get shutdown?
Flaherty made no compelling argument against her proposal.
You can watch the video, it’s
You can watch the video, it’s over an hour.
Nah
I want you to use your own words. :)
Liking your own comments now?
Liking your own comments now?
Deflecting again because you don't have a point?
Come on, use your adult words, I know you can do it bb
Don’t have a point? I made my
Don’t have a point? I made my point, you tried to prove it wrong and failed. You don’t need to reply to my comments. You can watch the city council meeting and draw your own conclusions. I’m done feeding the troll for the day. It’s too gorgeous out! Have a blessed day.
Classic line from someone totally not owned
You prove this where? I corrected you and said we know for a fact that his family has 5 cars.
You know what would help
If the stenographic minutes of the City Council were posted online.
(Sorry. Couldn't help myself.)
Not everyone believes he has
Not everyone believes he has 5 vehicles for himself. I read it and took it as his family has 5 cars which is a ridiculous number of cars for one family. He and his family are part of the problem as are others like him.
Yes, his family has five cars
Not him personally.
My neighbor
consummate Yuppie, unmarried bachelor, works his ass off has 3 vehicles none older than 2 years old. I’m pretty sure they’re not leased or company vehicles. He has resident parking stickers on them and in season needs to play musical chairs with them because of streetsweeping. Who gives a shit? Apparently those here who don’t own a vehicle and are downright jealous of this, and those who have to hop a bus or Uber to go to HomeDrpot for a sale.
Nah not jealous
He can have his cars, good for him. He should just have to pay market rate to park them on public property or he can use a private garage.
Why should he get a handout?
Not sure I get point behind
Not sure I get point behind your comment. Because this guy works and can afford to purchase three cars he should get to park all three on public property for free? All those cars while a working class family that needs their one car for their livelihood (and that definitely can't afford a private garage) has to fight with this guy for limited parking.
I'm not jealous of this guy who chooses to spend his hard-earned money on three cars. My family of four has one car and I would be happy to pay our fair share to park it on the street, especially if that money could go towards improving public transit to the point that we could give up that one car altogether.
$25/car?!
Do you seriously think there will be anything left after administrative costs for the new permitting system? $25/car per year is a waste of everyone's time. Either increase it to something meaningful and earmark the leftover money for public transportation (will never happen) or stop wasting everyone's time.
Or the people here who own
Or the people here who own cars actually wanna be able to find a spot once in a while instead of clowns like Flaherty or your neighbor hogging them all. Either way.
I have my own car, Ace.
And I'll happily pay the $25 fee. It ain't about jealousy. You never really made a point with that little anecdote about your neighbor. Why does he have three cars, and how does that prove this proposal is a bad idea?
I've got a neighbor who works really hard to buy the booze upon which he gets hammered, ergo you jealous creeps need to back off with your whole "booze should be regulated" nonsense!!!
What do you think will be done with the $25/car
Nothing. It will be used to pay a new employee's salary and that's it. Anyone that has a car will not give it up because they're being charged $25/year now for a permit. If you want to dissuade people from owning a car in the city, raise the permit fee to something meaningful and use the surplus to fund public transportation.
Easy enough number to calculate
Metered oarking in most of downtown is $1.25/hour, at least until the next set of hikes in the Seaport and a few other over-developed neighborhoods,. Figure your average on-street parker leaves his car in a city-owned space for 12 hours a night while he's at home, then drives to work and parks on-street for another 8 hours., Average white-collar job has you at work 250 days a year, and let's be totally charitable and assume our anonymous driver is out of town every on of those 115 days. 250 * (1.25 * 20) = $6250/year. So that's where we'll start the bidding for an unlimited onstreet parking permit: $6250 per car per year. Do I hear $6400?
Your comment makes no sense.
Your comment makes no sense. I have a car and am not jealous of anyone that has 2 cars or 10 cars. I still don't think that I , or anyone else, should expect free parking for the rest of my life.
I hope that line bites him at election time.
Completely tone deaf.
How is a Greenline Trolley not like Michael Flaherty?
It doesn't go to South Boston and it only has two cars!
And also, the Green Line isn't a Hack.
#fivecarflaherty
Yes, of course somebody set up a Five Car Flaherty Twitter feed
Five cars in every garage!
2 consecutive Terms Limit for Boston City Council !
2 consecutive Terms Limit for Boston City Council !
Term limits are dumb
and they just hand power to unelected lobbyists and other power players who maintain access and expertise.
Flaherty is actually a great counter-example - he was re-elected after leaving his seat. I think he's underwhelming but the voters have had lots of alternatives and chosen him repeatedly.
Re: 2 consecutive Terms Limit for Boston City Council !
How does it work?... a Boston City Council example please. Please note "consecutive".
Journalists ingratiated to City Councilors while covering City Council news?... Years ago WBZ broadcaster Dan Rea had been a reporter covering the City Council?
The question man strikes again
You always have questions, never any answers or interest in adding to the conversation.
Here's a summary I found in 2 seconds on Google:
https://www.vox.com/polyarchy/2016/10/18/13323842/trump-term-limits
"Term limits also strengthen the power of lobbyists and interest groups for the same reason. In term-limited states, lawmakers and their staff have less time to build up expertise, since they are there for a limited time. But like the executive agencies of the state government, lobbyists and interest groups are also there year after year. They are the true repeat players building long-term relationships and the true keepers of the institutional knowledge. This gives them power."
and another:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/03/21/are-term-limi...
I will not help you define street boundaries of districts or a list of candidates for dog catcher in Hyannis however. You're on your own there.
are you bad at math
So you've added consecutive and? If someone serves for 4 years, then leaves and was good at their job (like Wu, Michelle), that only serves to limit the choices of the people to return a good politician and representative to office. Meanwhile, the BRA or BTU or Suffolk Construction or the liquor lobby, whatever entity which you chose to focus on, keeps their legislative agenda team in tact, not being forced to rebuild at a maximum of every 4 years.
The city council doesn't really have institutional knowledge so if you increase the churn rate, chances are you're decreasing their ability to meaningfully act within the city government to represent their district. The city council is too powerless IMO but still they are the only actual representation we have that is elected in the city outside of the mayor.