DAVE: I'm not necessarily against increasing parking fines. But hasn't the City's problem with parking tickets always been the amount lost by those who simply don't pay the fines and are able to avoid getting booted?

BP: Many, many problems with the Parking Authority – that is definitely a big one.

DAVE: Do you happen to have a statistic on what percentage of those getting parking tickets pay them?

BP: Don't have it - would take awhile to get it. If they even respond.

DAVE: This may sound funny, but I've been watching "The Wire," having missed it the first time around on HBO. Is our city government as screwed up as they make Baltimore's look?

BP: It is being "handled" by a handful of people and it is all about money.

DAVE: I see. So, pretty much like everything else in the world.

I don't know how to deal with it.

DAVE: Sorry, Bill. I just realized that my last email read, "I don't know how to deal with it." I meant to say "I don't know how YOU deal with it." There's a big difference.

BP: I don't know how any of us deal with re-elect it and then elect a newer version.