Should unions have a say in Albany parking permit process?


PEF against downtown Albany parking permits

  1. Laurie L says:

    Unions should have a say since an Executive order by former Governor Pataki was the reason state offices were moved downtown. Previously state offices were happily located in the suburbs of Colonie, outskirts of Albany, or other worker friendly locales that wanted them there. Since the workers had no say in office locations, they should at least get say in accomodations at those locations. Otherwise, lobby the next Governor to allow movement of offices out of the downtown area to allow happiness for all.

  2. lathamguy says:

    Yes, invite the unions to participate in the planning process.

  3. Bob says:

    State agencies need to continue moving out of downtown Albany. It’s clear the city cannot adequately handle the current number of commuters, and it’s just as clear most employees aren’t attracted to Albany as a place to live and won’t be moving there. The use of state employees to prop up the city of Albany is inappropriate.

  4. Carl4teapartypower says:



    The permits are for residents, and residents should steer the process.

    If the unions want to have a say in parking, they should negotiate a plan with the state that would allow their members to use the many state parking lots around the area, or work to develop new state parking facilities for their members. In fact, if I were a member of a state employee union, I would DEMAND my union work with the state to find me parking in a state facility. And if my union can’t deliver, I would work to elect a union leadership that will find me parking in a state parking facility.

    I am in no way anti-union, but my god, do the unions have to call the shots on EVERYTHING in this town? I know they generously fund the campaigns of our elected officials, and god bless them for it. But some things are simply outside the union’s influence, and resident parking permits are the best possible example of that.

  6. me says:

    The last thing anyone should do is offer to give the unions a say in anything that they dont currently have power over, they only drag things out and play little kid games

  7. Albany Resident says:

    NO! Give those bloodsuckers an inch and they take a mile.

  8. XDOH says:

    No. They don’t run the show. A permit system passed and they tried to stop it, they could have supported a plan (more to their liking) but they didn’t, the moment for their input has passed.

  9. Poppy says:

    Seeing as the unions and their politically connected friends at the Capitol steamrolled Downtown Albany residents for 20+ years–perhaps they should be left out of the process!

  10. maverick100 says:

    As the union members almost singlehadedly keep downtowns economy going by spending money there, and also paying sales taxes, etc, I’d say the answer is yes.

    While those against state employees will continue to say “no”, most of these people don’t live nor work there, so they have no vested interest other than their general hatred of state workers. Amazingly, they all seem to overlook the posts of those who DO live there, who tend to complain the parking issue is at it’s worst AFTER business hours, so the permit system fixes nothing anyway. But lets just ignore the people this is supposed to be set up to help – the residents.

  11. Some of the people in the committee are members of unions. It is already done.

  12. Carl4teapartypower says:

    My work is done here: )

  13. Whiner NickleSnout says:

    The unions should take the money they spend on t-shirts, commericals, coffee mugs, bumper stickers and the like and build a parking lot for their members if they feel the need to get involved. No, the union should stay out of the City of Albany’s business. CSEA should dissolve.

  14. urbanboho says:

    Love the way everyone makes this a city resident vs. state worker thing. I happen to own a house in the area covered by the permits and to work in the area (E.S.P.) and I am an active member of PEF. Love the way Bob writes: “employees aren’t attracted to Albany as a place to live ” and I beg to differ. I bought in the city because I wanted the convenience of walking to work and I loved the historic beauty of center square/Hudson-Park and the things to do and see in easy walking distance: the Spectrum Theater, the Lincoln Park pool, Washington Park, the Albany Public Library, the bars and eateries on Lark Street, the Egg and the Pepsie Arena — and don’t even get me started on the way the YMCA was stolen from us! That said, I’m tired of the whining about parking. How bad is it really? I can always find parking within two blocks of my house. Which I could be so lucky when I visit Manhattan, Boston or Toronto. I think the permits are going to be more of a headache than hunting for a spot was. What happens when I have out-of-town guests? Does the permit cover a rental car when I’m packing for vacation or when my own is in the shop? How much will the fees be? Can I afford them? What about my grad student or senior citizen neighbors, will they be able to afford them? Do I have to permanantly affix something to my vehicle? What if I buy a new car during the year? How many vehicles per household? What about motorcycles and scooters?

  15. Deborah says:

    The union can have a say if they pay my property taxes.

  16. Carl4teapartypower says:

    September 14, 2010, 1:25 PM


    You and me both sister!

  17. Albany Resident says:

    That Deborah says it ALL!

  18. Laurie L says:

    So Deborah, you never shop outside downtown Albany? If you do, perhaps Colonie or Guilderland should send you a tax bill.

  19. ResidentX says:

    Deborah… they already do. If it wasnt for the Union work force… your taxes would be even greater. The unions had no say in the forced move downtown. They now have no say in parking. The continued r@ping of the public work force is comical. Your taxes (70 cents of every dollar) go to pay for medicaid and welfare for those unable and of course a vast amount of those willing to game the system.

    The workforce was moved down there to inject some sort of life into an otherwise dead city. Im all for every single public employee banking every cent they would normally spend downtown. Wait until you “residents” see your taxes after that. For all you public employees… take your money and spend it your OWN communities. This will help YOU in the long run.

  20. Bob says:

    urbanboho, if you look at what I wrote, it was “most employees aren’t attracted to Albany as a place to live….” Your comment responded as if I wrote “all.” Whether you believe it or not, most state employees choose to live elsewhere than the city of Albany.

  21. carl says:

    The big difference here is that you city dwellers CHOSE to live in Albany and were well aware of all the positives and negatives that came with that decision. Parking being one of them . State Employees are FORCED to work at the ESP. Many of them started their careers at the Harriman Campus and other locations outside the downtown Albany area. The politicians (including the Albany Mayor) made backroom deals to move thousands of jobs to the ESP in order to prop up the downtown businesses. You all want the money from the state employees. You think state employees are thrilled with having to work down there ? Every stinking one of those state jobs could be done somewhere else and most likely done with happier employees that didn’t have to park six blocks away everyday and walk though some of the area’s most dangerous neighborhoods to get to work.

  22. Albany Resident says:

    The “public work force” is in general a bunch of whineing, ungrateful elitest suburbanites, that look down on people whom have choosen to live in an environmentally friendly way, the urbanite. The people whom live in cities make a much smaller carbon footprint than do suburbanites. Many urbanites don’t even own automobiles and chose to walk to work. You Cliftonites, Guildies, Niskies, Connies,gonna do that? I can solve the parking permit plan with one thing and reduce the carbon footprint you suburban elists say you are worried about. Make it mandatory that you use Park and Ride busing. That will keep your air polluting car out of my city!


    NO !!

  24. XDOH says:

    Harriman Campus has a lot of empty parking spaces and buildings, move workers back there. Isn’t that still Albany? What’s the difference if workers are downtown or uptown? Or build additional parking downtown.

  25. edgar says:

    “If it wasnt for the Union work force… your taxes would be even greater.” ResidentX

    Prove it.

  26. Poppy says:

    What ever happened to State employees (like I was at one time) parking at the State Campus and taking a shuttle bus downtown? Does that service still exist? If it does, you probably do not need to park downtown in the first place.

  27. New York State of Mind says:

    Has the Times Union reported that there are plenty of spaces at both peripheral lots at McCarty Ave in Albany or 100 Broadway in Menands with only a short shuttle bus drive right into the plaza? Maybe it’s not as convenient as parking right downtown, but seriously, who would want the stress each morning of searching for a parking spot on the street.

  28. Traver says:

    Why don’t the residents just put chairs and sorted items of furnature in the street to hold their spot, you know, like Troy.

  29. maverick100 says:


    Prove it.”

    Conversely, can you prove otherwise edgar? That’s what I thought…

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