What a relief to see that our mayor, in a rare moment of decisive action, vetoed the parking ordinance recently supported unanimously by the outgoing Council. In what passed for debate, the Council failed to address the most basic questions one would expect answered before making law to burden us all.
Where is the problem happening, exactly? For how long? To what degree? How many are complaining? On the contrary, the Council made clear the ordinance was targeted only toward a few people, apparently known only to themselves and the Council, if the Council comments during debate are to be believed.
Nothing is so distinctly ugly and un-American as a law tailored to punish a select few with whom the enacting lawmakers disagree. Indeed, the very first of the relatively few curbs put on Congress in Article I of the U.S. Constitution reads, “No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.” Such laws are ready-made for selective enforcement the day they go into effect, with those targeted inevitably, aggressively and unequally pursued.
Only one thing mitigates an otherwise disturbing situation of our generally dormant mayor being the last safety catch here. And that is that this ordinance vote was the final official act for two Council members who are departing: Borek and Maher. One could imagine a more graceful exit than this failed try at distasteful and petty vigilante legislation.
John Hinsdale
Quaker Road, Princeton Junction
