Even a presidential candidate can’t catch a break when it comes to parking in Burlington.
A car registered to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was ticketed and nearly towed from outside his New North End home on April 24, the night the city kicked off its annual street-sweeping effort.
Sanders happened to be campaigning for president in Texas, with a rally in Houston on that day and another in Fort Worth the next.
“I don’t think I will be able to help you on this one,” Sanders’ Senate office spokesperson Dan McLean replied to a Seven Days request for comment. Members of Sanders’ presidential communications team did not respond to an email.
The senator’s car was one of 503 ticketed during Burlington’s seven-night Operation Clean Sweep. The city towed 394 vehicles. Sanders’ red Chevrolet Aveo LT was picked up and dropped off at the same place, which generally means the tow-truck driver hooked up the vehicle before someone came out and claimed it, according to Burlington parking enforcement manager John King.
That maneuver still results in a $35 fee, plus a $75 ticket for violating the parking prohibition during street sweeping.
Cars have to be removed from designated city streets between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. on the nights they get swept. Free parking is available in three city-owned garages for those without off-street spots. Sanders’ home has a driveway and a two-car garage.
The Berniemobile was parked in his driveway earlier this week. On the bumper of the four-door hatchback was a sticker once common in these parts: “Re-elect Bernie for U.S. Senate 2012.”
So was this the first time the city has nearly towed a presidential candidate? King had a response worthy of a politician: “No comment.”
The original print version of this article was headlined “Berned by Burlington”
This article appears in Jun 12-18, 2019.
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Great scoop!
Bernie’s car was towed!
Once the hooker is latched on, it’s a tow – whether the car is transported.
The percentage of cars hooked but not dragged is 1 percent.
So, with a driveway and two car garage, he left his car on the street to go shmooze voters in other states for months on end? Yeah, that sounds like Bernie and Lady Jane.
The clean sweep is a waste of taxpayers money! The sweeper pushes dirt around and makes the streets appear to be cleaner for just a few days.. It is also just a money getter for the towing company and the police department!
Street sweeping is a racket but it is not a waste of money. I’d say the 503 tickets and 394 towed vehicles made this very profitable. No wonder cities like Boston run this racket weekly in neighborhoods.
“one of 503 ticketed during Burlington’s seven-night Operation Clean Sweep. The city towed 394 vehicles.”
394 [vehicles] towed @ roughly $150.- per scam to reclaim your stolen property = $59,000.00 extorted from the public.
503 tickets passed out at what, $75.- each (?) = $37,725.00
All told a lucrative $96,725.- Revenue Extortion Scam perpetrated on the people by the city officials who are sworn to uphold their constitutional rights. And that’s just one event.
But no, really, it’s about keeping the streets clean… No, really, it is.
The city has no right whatsoever to be seizing people private property without a warrant. The ordinance [not law] they’ll claim gives them the authority, I guarentee you has language somewhere stating something to the effect of, “any part of this {bill, act, ordinance} being contrary to the constitution, is automatically null & void. It is a violation of the constitution to seize anyone’s property without a lawful warrant.