Parking Meters, Telephone Booths, and Mailboxes

It cost me $0.25 to park in Ridgewood for 15 minutes this morning. The Bank (HSBC) I was hoping to deposit a check at via the ATM had been moved to Ramsey. What do we do about the parking meters? Already we have a scandal in Ridgewood where someone in charge of counting the money has lost their job. If we rip them out then the local shopkeepers will park for free and the parking situation might grow worse. If we rip them out and install devices for paying on every block or so then the upfront costs might prove too daunting for the idea to pass. Folks, this is just about parking meters! The village reportedly faces projected deficits as a result of salaries, benefits, and pensions that will raise property taxes 40% over the coming years. I realize the days when teachers and policmen living in Ridgewood are long gone, but how about anyone making under $250,000 a year? The telephone booths in the village are a minor problem, these could be removed or fitted for cellular connections, if they aren't already transporting cellular data. Mailboxes have been going away for over 35 years and I understand this trend will not change. The village needs to figure out ways to raise money and not taxes. The consequences are too dire to contemplate. Peace.