* Sen. Ira Silverstein, who abandoned his attempt to regulate blog comments after a national uproar ensued, also has a bill to boot your car if you owe Chicago money…
The debtor would have as few as 24 hours to pay up or the city would be allowed to sell or auction the vehicle, using the proceeds to pay off the debt.
The measure, which is being proposed as the city ramps up enforcement of its newly expanded red-light camera network, would apply to all debts and judgments, from overdue water bills to unpaid permit fees, housing court fines and other IOUs.
A spokesman for Mayor Rahm Emanuel says the city is reviewing the legislation and has taken no position on it. Mr. Silverstein says he has not spoken with the city and introduced the bill at the request of a lobbyist friend whose clients include a law firm with a large collections practice.
The bill is here.
Sheesh.
*** UPDATE *** He’s already backing off a bit…
On Tuesday, Silverstein acknowledged that the language in his booting bill is a little harsh and needs to be softened.
It would give deadbeats just 24 hours to pay up before the boot is applied. It would further empower municipalities to sell or auction the vehicle and use the proceeds to pay the debt.
“The 24-hour rule probably needs to be changed” and extended, the senator said.
And revealed the lobbyist’s name…
“This came to me from Adam Braun, a lobbyist representing some of the collection firms. Collection firms are trying to find a better avenue to collect money to help municipalities.”
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Meanwhile, according to Stateline, we’re number two in red light cams…
There are 543 communities in the United States that use red-light cameras. More than half of them are located in just four states. This list shows states with the highest number of communities using red-light cameras.
California (84)
Illinois (75)
Florida (69)
Texas (64)
Maryland (33)
Missouri (33)
Hat tip: Daily Herald.
- Small Town Liberal - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 1:22 pm:
Ira isn’t exactly on pace to win prom king this year…
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 1:24 pm:
If Ira hasn’t talked to the city, what his interest?
Ugh, municipalities are really getting ravenous about grabbing cars as a revenue stream.
Lincoln Park Towing of old seem like kindly understanding sorts compared to today.
- Skeeter - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 1:28 pm:
Sure Ira, because what we want to do is to take away cars from people struggling to pay bills.
And then we will wonder why they can’t get to a job to pay bills.
Is there something in the water in Springfield? What in the world is going on? Why do we keep electing stupid people?
- OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 1:33 pm:
Where is my money Lebowski…
Seriously, wonder who owed money to the city said something bad about him on a blog?
Half surprised he hasen’t proposed letting Chicago cops run you for city debt/fines/fees and authorize them to take your cash if they find you.
- hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 1:35 pm:
After all the screwups that IDOT had with phony EZ pass violations and the revelations about all the crony capitalism that went into the city’s red light camera contract, this bill seems like yet another awful idea from Silverstein.
- Former Downstater - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 1:36 pm:
Damn, 24 hours. Isn’t the boot enough to get the fines paid?
- Just Observing - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 1:37 pm:
Local governments are all undermining the legal system to collect unpaid debt. Like private individuals and companies, local government has many options to collect debt including collections, liens, law suits, etc. But they want it easier for them than they are unwilling to give to the private sector to collect on unpaid debt. The real danger here is that it lacks due process… the city says you owe money… and if you disagree, before you can consider your legal options, the city seizes your car and sells it.
- Teddy Salad - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 1:39 pm:
Somebody please take away his box set of Game of Thrones.
He seems to be getting confused about who serves who in the government serves public relationship.
- Snucka - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 1:39 pm:
Did I read that right? Silverstein himself SAID that he filed the bill on behalf of a friend with a collection agency? Wow.
- Rufus - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 1:39 pm:
“… introduced the bill at the request of a lobbyist friend whose clients include a law firm with a large collections practice.”
Wow, How much money is that worth to his election fund?
- OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 1:40 pm:
City has got to get paid man, don’t have time to wait for folks to pay their debt
- Raymond - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 1:41 pm:
=== introduced the bill at the request of a lobbyist friend whose clients include a law firm with a large collections practice. ===
Which lobbyist and which law firm?
Surprising that Hinz didn’t include those details in his story.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 1:43 pm:
–Damn, 24 hours. Isn’t the boot enough to get the fines paid?–
You might not have the money. You might have already paid it and there was some screwup.
It took me a year fighting the tollway to clear up wrongful tickets for blowing tolls.
The pictures even showed they weren’t my plates. Somebody keyed in the info wrong.
- wizard - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 1:46 pm:
good luck fighting the city when they wrongfully take your car.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 2:03 pm:
Some great comments here.
The lack of due process is just wrong. And in many cases, taking someone’s car is akin to throwing them out of work.
Seriously, over parking tickets? Who’s the victim, again?
- Chitownhv - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 2:10 pm:
God forbid you get the boot at one of the airports the day you go on vacation.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 2:21 pm:
Hey Ira just because a lobbyist-bro suggests something does not mean it should be a law…
Just sayin…
Almost wonder if between the Blog thing and this there is some sort of pool to see who can get Ira to propose the most wack idea..
- Just The Way It Is One - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 2:40 pm:
Of course a 24 hour-only period is unconscionable–even 30 days would be pushing it! How about a 30 day period to work out a repayment plan or propose amnesty for say, 25% of the fees owed, if paid no more than 6 months after the date of a Warning’s issuance or something? If the idea is to get people to pay up, these things can be reasonably tailored into a more amenable form so that the main objective is met! But the even close to the punitive measures put forward in the original proposal are notably extreme!
- Emily Booth - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 2:57 pm:
Senator Silverstein is harrassing the working people of Chicago.
- Spliff - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 3:03 pm:
Adam Braun former deputy legislative deirector under Gov. Quinn?
Nice
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 3:14 pm:
–“This came to me from Adam Braun, a lobbyist representing some of the collection firms. Collection firms are trying to find a better avenue to collect money to help municipalities….”–
And the collection agencies are doing that out of the goodness of their hearts.
Way to fight the power, Ira.
If you live in Oak Pa
- OneMan - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 3:19 pm:
Yeah this is all about helping municipalities, not those other entities (like law firms) that would profit from such a plan…
Seriously, does he think at all before he proposes this stuff? Also does he think anyone buys the it’s about the municipalities thing?
Who will think of Chicago if not Ira, who?
- D P Gumby - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 3:38 pm:
City of Chicago isn’t organized enough to let a person know about anything in 24 hours…even their mistakes take longer than that. This bill is a crock.
- dupage dan - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 3:40 pm:
Ira Ira pants on Fira.
- reformer - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 4:20 pm:
The Land of Lincoln has the second highest number of towns using red-light camera among the 50 states. Must make Sen. Duffy’s grind his teeth.
- Wensicia - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 4:54 pm:
I don’t think any municipality has the right to take away your property without due process.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 5:55 pm:
Ira is making his buddy Jeff Schoenberg look more like FDR every day.
To the Post, isn’t this general concept, regardless of the nominal courtesy waiting period, unconstitutional as heck?
- Shemp - Tuesday, Feb 26, 13 @ 7:31 pm:
It’s hard to believe this guy went to law school.
- ChicagoR - Wednesday, Feb 27, 13 @ 6:39 am:
“It’s hard to believe this guy went to law school.”
That’s because he didn’t; he went to John Marshall. (I kid..I kid. Just a little inter-law school humor.)