The Parking Services Department at Central Michigan University is a unjust and unnecessary parking violations system that should not exist in its' current form. The 2 largest reasons for this are the artificial congestion and scarcity of parking created by the system; and the negative economic impact on students like you and I who already pay tuition, room and board, and additional expenses by the University just to be punished for parking in the "wrong" parking lot. 

I'm sure these codes and infrastructure came about in times of genuine need in order to curb parking congestion for the many students driving to and living on campus. However, times have changed. Improved univeristy transit, higher levels of online attendance, and declining enrollment have made parking lots a ghost town. In reality, these parking rules have for a long time actually been the cause of the congestion, while lots stand empty because of outdated regulations. 

Additionally, the financial toll taken on students and families because of these unjust parking enforcements is significant. Most people attending college do so on private or government loans, meaning no (necessarily significant) up front out-of-pocket costs. CMU continuing to utilize a system that incurs immediate financial consequences to students in addition to the crediting of loans on those same students is immoral at best and malicious exploitation at worst. There is no reason this system of punishment should exist today, given the circumstances of COVID-19 and the economic crash that millions are still recovering from. The defunding and reorganization of Parking Services as a service to the school should be discussed and implemented as quickly as possible under supervision of students and faculty to ensure equity and fairness in new regulations.