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Vote Tables Parking-Fine Program

Despite widespread approval of the by city administrators and civic the City Council committee on ances voted 4 to 4 yesterday not out favorably a parking that would impose a strict, scale of fines on Cambridge violators.

a three hour public hearing, the nittee heard almost unanimous that the proposed ordinance, calls for fines from two dollars offenses to ten for later, would alleviate the parking probably improve business.

against the election-year were Councilors John D. Lynch, T. Trodden, Thomas N. , and Alfred E. Vellucci. In were Mayor Edward A. Crane '35 Councilors Joseph A. DeGuglielmo Pearl K. Wise, and Cornelia B. .

as head of the retail of the Chamber of Commerce, Corcoran declared that the proposal "would help free parking spaces presently being abused." Supporting him were Harding U. Greene (Citizens Advisory Committee), Warren Dillon (Cambridge Civic Association), Fire Chief Vincent P. Galvin, and Ralph J. Dunphy, Commissioner of Public Works.

"A Lot of Malarkey"

"That business about raising fines from two to five to ten dollars is a lot of malarkey," declared Councilor Vellucci. "It'll drive business right out of the city."

Argument also centered on the revenue that would come from strict enforcement of the parking code. Although Police Chief Daniel J. Brennan, Mrs. Wheeler, and City Manager John J. Curry stressed that the stricter fines were not to bring more revenue into the city, Vellucci emphasized the economic factor.

"You might get enough revenue from parking fines to reduce the tax rate in Cambridge," he declared. "If you've got $45,000 (amount from 1960 parking fines) at one dollar apiece, how much would you take in at five dollars?"

"We'll take in a whole lot less, because the penalties will be stiffer," Curry replied. "The trend is going to go down--fewer violators."

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Mrs. Wheeler and Councilor DeGuglielmo expressed concern about enforcement itself. "I believe higher fines will work as a deterrent," Mrs. Wheeler said. "But, will you be able to enforce it?" she asked Police Chief Brennan. "It has to be strong at the beginning."

DeGuglielmo Attacks Police

"I am disputing your argument that the policeman on the street does not enforce the law," Brennan told DeGuglielmo, after the latter expressed doubts that ticketing Cambridge was not what it could be.

Vellucci attacked the Chief from the other side: "Do you think that's good business, Chief, to plant fear in the minds of the shoppers who come in--to plant fear that if they shop, they may be fined two, three, or four dollars?"

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