Do we really need more parking regulations?
Ball State's parking task force thinks so. Having submitted 11 recommendations for changing the parking services program, including year-round rule enforcement, higher fines for violations and a state-of-the-art parking management system, changes are in the works.
Had it not been for SGA Senator Anita Brown bringing this information to Wednesday's SGA meeting, this information would not be public.
Not that the public would show any concern -- the last public parking forum (Oct. 22, 2002) was attended by only a handful of students and faculty, despite encouragement from this newspaper and other student organizations.
Brown assumes that students won't be happy with the changes, but judging from the forum turnout, odds are they won't be unhappy enough to show up.
Regardless of whether people care, these changes are imminent. Ten Ball State faculty, three members of the Muncie community, and two students make up the task force. Dean of Students Randy Hyman formed the committee last semester.
Why do the people that hold the most parking permits have the least amount of representation on this task force? The phrase, "No parking citations without representation" comes to mind.
If approved, students can expect parking fines to increase as soon as the fall semester begins -- but the actual amounts are still undecided.
One of the bigger complaints against parking services has been inconsistent enforcement. One of the benefits of year-round enforcement is such a consistency. Another benefit is that increased fines will fund more efficient technologies for parking service.
But consistency and technology aren't enough to justify these changes.
Parking services has not listened to student concerns, and students haven't voiced them.
Well, unless you count the perpetual pile of angry letters to the editor in the Daily News, which essentially do nothing.
Parking services must hear directly from students, and students must speak up. It is not too late to voice concerns.
Hyman emphasized that the task force only gave recommendations, they did not make policy. Give Hyman some more recommendations to think about before it's too late.
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