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Plastic Straws, Politicians & Residential Parking Permits....

By
Real Estate Agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties 01238708

Parking Permits  & Visitors Passes in Los Angeles, & Plastic Straws there is  a great deal of irony here. Please stay with me, this is just observations by a Beverly Hills Realtor, not a political rant!

Thanks to  the vigilant guardians of the landfills, California decided to outlaw Plastic Straws and this momentum reached national levels. Politicians jumped on it and spent countless hours debating the evil side effects of plastic straws. Thanks to their proactive and vigilant Legislative actions, we now have paper straws,  stainless steel as well as glass straws in Restaurants. Just on a side note, I would hate to see the bacteria count, but that is another story.

Yes, the landfill’s  guardians  will now notice, that they will be filled with plastic cup covers that have attached plastic straws to them, but that is another subject for a different post as well.

Back to my  original point, Diane and I are the proud owners of two cars, that fall into the 183rd District in Los Angeles for Parking Restriction purposes. We did some grass roots campaigning to get this achieved. Most of our neighbors were thrilled with this accomplishment, until it hit home that it will cost them money to get the permits. Depending how much or how little space they have in their driveways and garages would determine how many Visitors Passes they would also need to pay for. We are not big on entertaining, hence we opted to get one Visitors Pass and two Resident Passes. Clearly, we felt that could accommodate at least five cars if we were to entertain more than the usual inviting one or two couples over for dinner.

Anyway, I stood in line for the first time to get the permits because that is “what the rules required”, the good news was, that I was assured that the renewals would be done via the US Postal Service. Once we received the permits, we noticed that they were for a relatively short period of time. We figured once we are on the regular cycle, we will be getting them annually. Well you know what they say when you presume...

When the first renewal came in the mail, we joyfully paid it. Well  the great news is, that we just received the extension for our permits. I was shocked to find out, instead of a simple sticker that could have been added to the existing Permit, we received a new one and again it is only for a limited time period.

www.endrebarath.com

(I placed the sticker  to cover the street and the block)

Well see for yourself. Hence, I can see every three months getting these new Permits and discarding the expired ones. Now I am not an expert, but how many plastic straws could have been made from these permits? Also keep in mind how many of our neighbors have more car and more visitors passes, then we do and the numbers increase astronomically.

Seriously, now we will be filling the land fills with City of Los Angeles Parking Permits, because the Politicians could not come up with the same idea as we have on cars: to put a simple annual renewal sticker on the permit. I wonder what were these same politicians thinking when they passed this regulation? With that said their right hand was eliminating Plastic Straws from the Land Fills, but their left had was helping filling the Land Fills with Plastic Parking Permits.

This of course is coming from our Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, who is busy dreaming about running for President  of the United States, instead of focusing on the local issues that affect his constituents.

www.endrebarath.com

 Now mind you, I am just a Beverly Hills Realtor who is scratching his head at the lack of thought process, the frivolous waste of materials, and the lack of common sense exercised by the local politicians. If  I handled a Real Estate transaction like they handle our taxes and our government, I would be out of clients and not be successful as a local Realtor.

 

If you are looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the Beverly Hills area who will help you achieve your Real Estate goals, please reach out to me directly!

If you are looking for a pet friendly Beverly Hills Realtor who can handle and sell the most difficult properties that no one else could, please reach out to me directly!! If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu, feel free to contact me at 310.486.1002 (m) or homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com  I contribute a portion of my commission to local animal rescue organizations.

 

 

 

Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Hannah Williams  an office full of politicians ouch, that could be the definition of Hell on Earth:))Endre

Jan 18, 2019 12:58 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Real Estate Agent, Top 1% of Lyon Agents  seems to me like one Giant Step Backwards... and all I remember about that movie was Mrs Robinson and Dustin Hoffman scene:)) now I will have to either watch it again or read up on it....Endre

Jan 18, 2019 01:00 PM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

Well there are trillions of plastic straws in our environment and how many parking stickers? LOL.


Just google "one word, plastics, the graduate" and you'll find that scene.

Jan 18, 2019 01:19 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Sheri Sperry - MCNE®  call me fighting windmills? Or just Don Quixote for short:))LOL Endre

Jan 18, 2019 01:09 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Carol Williams  yes ironic and sad at the same time, Endre

Jan 18, 2019 01:17 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Anna Banana Kruchten CRB, CRS 602-380-4886  so basically you are telling me I hurt my chances of getting you to relocate?:))LOL, Endre

Jan 18, 2019 01:19 PM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten

LOL Endre Barath, Jr. yup! I got out priced due to those darn parking permits. And you know we like to give parties!

Jan 18, 2019 01:34 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Anna Banana Kruchten CRB, CRS 602-380-4886  I knew that the Parking Passes would be a deal breaker for you. Now there are other parts of Los Angeles such as Santa Monica &  Beverly Hills where you can get as many  "day or should I say event" passes as you need:))Endre

Jan 18, 2019 02:31 PM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten

Endre Barath, Jr. I don't think the CA will work out for us for other reasons, same goes for NY.  But...with that said how about you guys moving to AZ and find a mansion of your dreams under 1M......plus you can dress up as a cowboy once or twice a year and go to the Barret- Jackson Car Auction. BTW it's going on now as there are tons of really NEAT cars on the road the last few days.

Jan 18, 2019 02:36 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Real Estate Agent, Top 1% of Lyon Agents  it all came back and clearly Mr McGuire did not know about the directions we were heading.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSxihhBzCjk  (57 second video)

Jan 18, 2019 02:35 PM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Endre you missed their whole point.  They can't make money off of plastic straws so the straws are evil.  But they can make lots of money off of the plastic permits, so they are good.  It was never about the landfill or the carbon print.  You need to get with the program my friend 

Jan 18, 2019 03:33 PM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Wow! Thanks for sharing your experience. I have a new appreciation for our neighborhood where parking permits are not required. The City does have a 48 hour limit for parking on public streets.

Jan 18, 2019 05:16 PM
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Savvy + Company (704) 491-3310 - Charlotte, NC
The RIGHT CHARLOTTE REALTOR!

I watched a news show (not my choice but, Ray's!) a few weeks ago. The interviewee stated that the data shows that 22,000 straws PER MINUTE are disposed into our OCEANS and have been for decades.

I'm sorry but, why didn't the interviewer ask if she meant per YEAR? The gal repeated herself several times and no one with common sense thought to ask where she got her BIZARRE numbers.

I do use plastic straws but, I am among, probably the 95% of straw users who know how to properly dispose of our straws - and it's not in the ocean! What a ridiculous thing to hype to get the politicians wound up about yet another topic to help them win office again...and to control US.

As for the parking passes - that is ludicrous! Even Ray's handicapped placards are now issued every 5 - 10 years (they extended it for certain disabilities). At least the government got something right! 

Jan 18, 2019 08:29 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Anna Banana Kruchten CRB, CRS 602-380-4886  I would be happy with 1800 sq ft of living space  with a great kitchen:) Endre

Jan 18, 2019 09:25 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

George Souto  I get it, you know a bit slow, since life is slower here:)Endre

Jan 18, 2019 09:26 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Roy Kelley  for non residents it is two hours in certain spots and I am grateful for it:)Endre

Jan 18, 2019 09:28 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Debe Maxwell, CRS  I could not believe my eyes when the permit arrived, I was expecting a small stamp with a new date on it or worst case scenario an annual sticker, Endre

Jan 18, 2019 09:31 PM
Debb Janes
Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA
Put My Love of Nature At Work for You

I'm with Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Real Estate Agent, Top 1% of Lyon Agents it's time to get rid of all the plastic junk clogging up our environment.  I do see the total hypocrisy of this though with the shiny plastic packing permits. Stupid. 

Jan 19, 2019 07:28 AM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 - Downingtown, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

Love your post. I understand the thinking behind the paper straws, but wonder why the politicians cannot think beyond that to making life simpler and using paper for permits etc.

 

Jan 19, 2019 12:41 PM
Lynnea Miller
Bend Premier Real Estate - Bend, OR
Premier Real Estate Service in Central Oregon

Endre - your post is so good to show the stupidity of people trying to do good and end up causing more harm. When the forests were shut off from logging to let the trees grow, they created a situation where people in the best case have to deal with terrible smoke from forest firest and in the worst case, loss of life. Common sense is not running the world anymore but rather political correctness.

Jan 20, 2019 04:44 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Debb Janes EcoBroker and Bernie Stea JD  I find the common denominator is "politicians":))Endre

Jan 20, 2019 05:20 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543  all they think is how to get elected, re-elected and who will line their pockets, Endre

Jan 20, 2019 05:21 PM
Diana Zaccaro Broker Associate
ZOOM Realty Group - Cocoa Beach, FL
"The Accidental Blogger" Cocoa Beach, Florida

Endre, Your parking passes are much different than here. Ours are issued for free parking at paid parking areas (mostly meters) around downtown and various shopping areas in the city. I had never heard of residential parking passes or visitor passes. Our passes are actually a sticker that you put either on your rear window on bumper in the proper place and are good for one year. They are valid from January 1st - December 31st annually.

In my area, the handicapped parking passes look like the one in your photo and, as far as I know, don't have an expiration date. Diana

Jan 21, 2019 12:37 PM