In a conflict between churches and the state of affairs with the city’s new parking meters, a group of black ministers is circulating petitions designed to end the ticketing of parked cars during church events.
The movement started after people leaving a recent community meeting at Israel Methodist Community Church on the South Side found their car windshields littered with tickets.
“It’s unbelievable — churches getting tickets,” said the Rev. St. John Chisum, an Englewood pastor who attended the meeting.
Webb Evans, president of an economic empowerment group that started the petition drive, said people should not have to pay to park for church services, funerals, choir rehearsals and the like.
“The new privatizing of the Chicago parking meters are causing much suffering, confusion and anger among churches in the black community,” Mr. Evans said.
City parking regulations call for equal enforcement, regardless of whether a motorist is attending religious events, according to the Department of Revenue.
It is so awful when I rceived a parking ticket at Lakeview Presbyterian c hurch along with all of the others, that I told myself,
Mayor Richard Daley is up again for another re-election in 2011, in one year’s time.
I will not vote for Daley again for Mayor of Chicago since these tickets have popped up when
never before, 1941 to 2010 – 70 years that I have lived in the city I have never garnered a parking ticket. Take that Mayor.