Basic math would help parking

Gene Hauck
dm senior staff columnist

Here's the deal, uncut and uncensored. Can't park? Know why? I do.

The University of Mississippi has a long standing tradition of excellence, prosperity and parking problems. During the last 30 years, parking issues have plagued both the minds and actions of many students and faculty. It is no less than a recurring menace to all those who drive a car on this campus.

Does it ever feel like the University Police Department just doesn't like cars? That is precisely what the administration wants you to think. UPD, much like soldiers under a higher authority, must do what they are told. Cobra security, much like someone who works in a department store, is simply doing what he or she is told.

Perfect setup, perfect business, rolling in over $870,000 a year! Congratulations, folks, on the continuation of excellence in the realm of business.

I will not speak on the ticket issue without first looking at the facts.

Fact: Ticket revenue produces $875,000 each year.

Fact: $437,500 goes in the huge scholarship fund and is not specified for any particular scholarship.

Fact: The Physical Plant receives over $157,500 ticket revenue to "fix our parking problem."

Simple question, what has the Physical Plant done to satisfy the need for more parking in key areas?

Next up is the infamous $280,000 going to UPD.

It turns out that this money does in fact go to UPD, but that those monies are pre-specified in funding the ticketing process. Parking tickets pay Cobra Security, ticket book costs, processing costs, appeals court costs and the workers that sell us our decals.

What has been done to fix the problem? The word from the administration is that there is a parking place for every car on campus. This is a true statement, but what is really going to bother you is where these parking places are.

Spanning all the way from the center of campus to Highway 6 is Ole Miss parking. The Tad Smith Coliseum parking lot is campus parking, so thus, every other remote area that isn't filled up by a facility on this campus is parking in this frame of mind.

So the administrative higher ups in the situation naturally say, "What problem?"

Just one bright example... Commuter-parking places are ample in some areas, but try to find a commuter parking lot north of Rebel Drive. Can you? There is a small parking lot by the law center classified as commuter parking and the sides of a couple of streets are specifically for commuter parking. The problem with these places is that the distance from any commuter parking to northern buildings on campus can often span over a quarter of a mile.

In a recent study done by the University of Mississippi's Engineering Department, the number of parking spaces for commuters is 1,665. The number of commuter stickers given out is 2,844. The number of faculty tags given out is 1,353, with the number of faculty parking spaces at 1,977. This is simple information that, with a little basic math, illustrates a very simple point about supply and demand.

One of the most amazingly obvious facets of this problem is where most of the students are compared to where most of the available parking is located. Over the span of nine highly occupied buildings, the total number of students enrolled per parking space was interesting.

With 2,939 students, the powers that be have given us 1,086 parking spaces.

Is there a solution? We need money to fix the problem. How about parking tickets? We have received grants that would make your head spin. Why not take the money that is coming from parking tickets, fix the problem, and replace the money going to scholarships with the grants?

Simple... Yes. But will this work? Only if the administration has a desire to fix the problem. If the parking issue can be solved and the scholarship money is kept, this is considered a success. And I think at this point not fixing the problem- or even actively seeking a solution- is irresponsible and obviously neglectful.

Gene Hauck a junior pre-med/ chemical engineering major from Sumrall, Miss.