The Chronicle today reports that one day after holding a joint parade to honor Martin Luther King, two groups returned to squabbling:
Less than 24 hours after holding a joint parade to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the race to obtain separate permits for next year was on Tuesday with the Black Heritage Society striking first.
Ovide Duncantell, the group’s executive director, arrived at Department of Public Works and Engineering headquarters just after 9 a.m., making his the first permit application for a 2007 parade received by the city.
Afterward, he said he had no doubt Charles Stamps, president of the MLK Grande Parade Foundation, promoter of the city’s only other King parade, would seek a permit, too.
“Whoever has the permit has the parade,” Duncantell said. “I wanted to make sure I’d done everything proper.”
The city has 10 days to review the application.
Under city ordinance, another organization can apply for a parade permit during the 10-day review period. If a second application is made for the same day, both applicants must submit to — and pay for — arbitration to resolve the dispute.
Mayor White is missing a big opportunity to “run the city like a business,” as he is sometimes known to drawl to the press. Let the two groups have competing parades. And instead of forcing them to pay an arbitrator, jack up those parade fees and make sure the city profits handsomely from it!
That’s one new revenue stream that I could support.
BLOGVERSATION: TBIFOC.
