I am very pleased to have a new blog by a long time resident.

The blog is: MrXNbpt.wordpress.com.

One of the reasons that I am so please, is that there is now a voice on the Newburyport blogosphere that expresses what so many of the residents of Newburyport, MA would feel. And I think it would be very helpful for those in political office, in helping them to understand all of their constituents.

When the issue of “paid parking” came up, inwardly, I rolled my eyes. It may make fiscal sense, but if there is not the political will (and there certainly has been major opposition to the idea in the past), it could be a good idea for our local politicians, whether it would be the mayor or the Newburyport City Council, to take that viewpoint into consideration.

I remember when the issue of paid parking came up before. Someone from the community called me up and asked me what I thought. As I recall, my response was something like, “Honey, not in a million years are ‘they’ are going to go for that one. You can try, but dollars to donuts, it ain’t going to happen.”

It didn’t back then. And it would be my guess, that the concept of paid parking downtown, would have major opposition now, and my reply would be exactly the same.

However, as a “by the way,” the last time paid parking was addressed, the Newburyport Planning Office came up with an incredibly thoughtful and intelligent approach. And Geordie Vining of the Newburyport Planning Office, who could be involved in this present endeavor, to come up with a plan for paid parking, in my mind, is one of the people that I most trust in all of Newburyport, MA. We as a city, are incredibly lucky to have Geordie Vining, in the Newburyport Office of Planning and Development.

Mary Eaton, Newburyport