League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Los Angeles County, CA March 8, 2011 Election
	Measure BH-P2 Two Hours of Free Parking Initiative City of Beverly Hills Ordinance - Majority Approval Required Final Election Results Pass: 3452 / 62.0% Yes votes ...... 2112 / 38.0% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure BH-P2

Arguments Against Measure BH-P2

Over the past 5 years Beverly Hills residents, businesses, restaurants and shoppers have seen free parking at Cityowned garages change from 2 hours to 1 hour then back to 2 hours. The City's Traffic Commission recently voted to eliminate free parking at one City-owned garage, affecting over 150 local businesses. No one knows when free parking could be changed or eliminated in the future. Measure 2P provides stability and keeps our local businesses and restaurants competitive with Century City, Santa Monica and West Hollywood. Now is not the time to eliminate or reduce free parking in Beverly Hills. Measure 2P is simple. It states that all City garages operating prior to June 30, 2008 that already offer free parking must provide 2 hours free, including any garage targeted to lose all free parking. Measure 2P specifically does not change the policies that are in place for early bird parking, monthly parking, valet parking, special events parking and flat-rate evening parking. The City maintains control of all these special parking rates and policies. Is there a benefit to the City? Absolutely. 2 hours of free parking helps bring millions of dollars in additional sales to local businesses and restaurants. This provides more revenue to the City and helps offset the cost of offering 2 hours of free parking. Is there a cost to the City? Yes. According to the City's own budget documents, City-owned parking garage revenue is currently about $6.3 million dollars. Measure 2P reduces this by less than 10%. Small adjustments to long term parking rates could make this revenue neutral. City Councilmembers can also adopt smart solutions to control parking costs, including modernizing and automating the City's parking operations. Measure 2P brings certainty to public parking in Beverly Hills. Please vote Yes on Measure 2P http://www.bhfreeparking.org /s/ Marcia Caden, 48 year Beverly Hills Resident, Jewelry Store Owner /s/ Fran R. Berger, Owner, The Farm of Beverly Hills Restaurant /s/ Dan Deutsch, Owner, Optical Outlook /s/ Ruth Hasson, 22 year Beverly Hills Resident, Owner, MyBlow LA /s/ Steven Robinson, Owner, Steven & Co. Rebuttal to Arguments For Measure 2P is simply a taxpayer giveaway to developers who paid big bucks to put it on the ballot. Don't be fooled by scare tactics- vote NO on 2P! Measure 2P allows G&L Realty Corporation to benefit from a $1.3 million dollar loss to Beverly Hills. They want YOU - the taxpayer - to subsidize parking for their private customers at the expense of paramedic services, police and fire protection, education funding, library hours, senior services, street repair and maintenance. We all want free parking, which is why your City Council has proposed a separate, fiscally responsible plan for mandatory, permanent and free THREE hour parking for Beverly Hills residents that can only be revoked by a vote of the people. Contrary to false claims, no one is trying to eliminate, change or reduce free parking in Beverly Hills - the opposite is true. Fact: Measure 2P protects G&L's ability to charge $14.50 for two hours in their private parking lots, while requiring Beverly Hills taxpayers to subsidize free parking for G&L's tenants and their patients Fact: Measure 2P is a fiscally irresponsible proposal, which significantly reduces the amount of money available for our quality of life and essential city services. Fact: Measure 2P supports a developer at the expense of residents, merchants and visitors. Question: Can we really afford to subsidize a corporate developer at the expense of services to the public? Stop the developer money grab! Vote NO on 2P! /s/ Jeffrey S. Levine, Chairman, Traffic & Parking Commission /s/ Peter B. Landau, Chairman, Health & Safety Commission /s/ Robert S. Anderson, Business Owner + 60 Year Resident /s/ Michael J. Libow, Resident - Business Owner /s/ Ellyn Snowden, Beverly Hills Active Adult Club - 2nd Vice President

Before you vote, take a close look at what Measure 2P will really do. Corporate developer G&L Realty, with 265,000 feet of medical office space on Bedford and Roxbury, wants YOU, the taxpayer, to pay $1.3 million annually to provide their tenants' patients with 2-hour free parking. This is money that would otherwise support our public safety, library, seniors and street repair services! Don't be fooled - vote NO on 2P! Measure 2P is a thinly disguised scheme to use YOUR taxpayer dollars to subsidize free parking for the benefit of G&L Realty and its tenants. Stop the developer money grab - vote NO on 2P! If passed, Measure 2P would: -Cost Beverly Hills an additional $1.3 million per year. The City has already cut $27 million, including reducing library hours and police officers. A further $2 million deficit is projected for next year's budget. -Cut funding for emergency response; police officers; firefighters; library and senior services; local school funding; street and pothole repair. Vote NO on 2P! -Allow G&L to charge higher rents because their tenants' patients get 2-hour free parking at taxpayers' expense. G&L Realty charges $14.50 for 2-hours in their private lots. -Measure 2P inhibits the City from building additional parking structures by increasing the deficit. Vote NO on 2P! -Measure 2P restricts our City Council from performing the job we elect them to do - govern the City. -We strongly support free parking for Beverly Hills residents, and we have a better plan. We cannot afford Measure 2P. Vote NO on 2P! Please join us in voting NO on 2P! /s/ Jimmy Delshad, Mayor, City of Beverly Hills /s/ William W. Brien M.D., Council Member /s/ Eliot M. Finkel, City Treasurer and Chair-Citizens' Budget Review Committee /s/ Richard S. Rosenzweig, Former President of Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce /s/ Marilyn Gallup, Vice President Municipal League Rebuttal to Arguments Against There they go again. City Hall insiders threatening to reduce the city services we all treasure. Yet most of the signers of the argument against Measure 2P pay no Beverly Hills business taxes. They want residents and business owners like us to fully subsidize them. Their attack on G&L, a major sponsor of Measure 2P, is a diversion. Our residents and businesses are lucky to have a champion, willing to stand up and preserve the institution of 2 hour free parking that has helped Beverly Hills grow and thrive. The company they attack paid $433,000 in Beverly Hills taxes in 2010 - more than $2 million over the past 5 years. Two years ago, when the City Council supported a massive tax increase - including a 10% tax on all City parking - one company took the lead in fighting them and winning. Who was it? G&L. Let's be clear: The City has been running the parking operations at a deficit for years. Now, they are suddenly being financially cautious? The City just doubled our parking meter rates. What will they do next? Don't let them confuse you. Measure 2P preserves 2 hour free parking for everyone who wants to shop, dine or do business in Beverly Hills. Don't let them scare you. Revenue from parking garages and parking meters do not go to the General Fund for police and fire. Measure 2P is the only ballot measure that guarantees 2 hours free parking for everyone living in and visiting Beverly Hills. Please Vote Yes on Measure 2P. /s/ Marcia Caden, Jewelry Store Owner, 48 year Beverly Hills Resident /s/ Fran R. Berger, Owner, The Farm of Beverly Hills Restaurant /s/ Dan Deutsch, Owner, Optical Outlook /s/ Ruth Hasson, Owner, MyBlow LA, 22 year Beverly Hills Resident /s/ Steven Robinson, Owner, Steven & Co.