The Indianapolis Tea Party wanted the city to waive $450 in fees for bagging parking meters during an event. The Indianapolis Board of Public Works said no:
Typically, the city has waived bagging fees only for nonprofit groups' events. The local tea party group is a nonprofit, but public works board member Dennis Rosebrough said granting it a waiver would set a precedent for letting other political groups avoid meter-closing fees.
Somebody has to explain this to me. If there is a value in encouraging groups to gather and rally by waiving the bagged-meter fees, how is it more important to encourage, say, a motorcycle club or a gardening society than a political group? Political speech is what brought about the First Amendment and the great American experiment in free and unfettered speech. Just grant the waiver to all political groups -- or to no nonprofits at all.
