amBUSHed - Jenna Bush Secret Service vehicle towed for unpaid parking tickets

Friday, 20 March 2009 12:29

By Stephen Janis

Not even the U.S. Secret Service is immune from the wrath of Baltimore parking agents.

Baltimore parking authority officials confirmed today that Jenna Bush's Secret Service vehicle was towed for several unpaid parking tickets.

The Secret Service vehicle was towed from in front of Bush's South Baltimore home, a source told Investigative Voice. Vehicles are booted and towed for three or more unpaid parking tickets.

Parking officials said they did not know how many tickets the Secret Service vehicle had.

Baltimore parking officials recently launched an aggressive effort to collect upaid tickets, using a private law firm to collect $130 million for 80,000 unpaid citations. The city issues 500,000 parking tickets per year, collecting nearly $20 million annually in fines and penalties.

The Baltimore Department of Transportation did not immediately return calls for comment, but the vehicle was towed to one of the city's impound lot yards. Parking authority offiicals said the Secret Service contacted them early Friday morning to pay the fines and release the vehicle.

Scott Peterson, spokesman for Mayor Sheila Dixon, said city parking agents were simply doing their job.

"Two undescribed vehicles were ticketed. One of the vehicles was towed for a non-moving violation in Baltimore City," Peterson said in an e-mail Friday afternoon. "The agent in charge of the protective detail is now paying the fines and arranging for the vehicle to be towed and released. Due to the nature of this protective matter of national security, no other details will be released."

Jenna Bush, a teacher, relocated last year to South Baltimore, with husband Henry Hager, who works for Constellation Energy.

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Comments (25)

You see it really dosent matter who you are the law is the law. where I work you have to have 6 or more unpaid parking citations before we tow. I have had people towed with 60 unpaid citations. I work for the state doing parking enforcement and everybody who I give citations to thinks the law applies to everybody but them.

meter maids in baltimore are treachrous they will sit around and wait for your ticket to run out. i contstantly tell people to make sure u go back and feed your meter, don't give them a half of a reason. i just saw one car # 05125 sitting outside for bout 15 minutes, just waiting....sad real sad. and on top of they sometimes they try to imitate the police...wanna-be's i guess.

Answers like "call back in 5 months cause it takes 6 months to process and it's only been one month", or "I can't give you that information, you just have to go to court". Lots of other responses that seemed like they had the power and there is nothing I can do about it. Real helpful. Wonder what their parent taught them. I find this type customer service in many places in Maryland, Virginia, and especially DC. Lots of great people but some are just in need of a kick in the butt. So anyway, I understand it is typical to remove tickets and put them on your own illegally parked vehicle to avoid getting one. Kind of confirms the fact we didn't receive any when you consider two were received within two hours.cheap watches Or maybe that's their process, I don't know.

Interesting interview indeed. I learnt some newer aspects in the trade by the interview. Thanks for the effort. Cheers

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Hostel Krakow

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If you think that's bad. Ask yourself why the city parking enforcement unit tows BALTIMORE CITY MARKED POLICE CARS. Then the police Department has to pay the parking enforcement unit, to get the vehicle out ogf impound. Wonder why they may not get to you when you call 911. Can you say a broken city. Where to start????????? So I know they wouldn't have a problem towing my personal vehicle.

Let me fist say no one is above the law, but there have been 2 times where my car has been wrongly ticketed, once when I had an half an hr left on the meter.The other was when my car was parked behind a no stoping sign and maybe 4 inches of my front bumper came passed.What has made me more angry then that was when I first moved back to South Baltimore from being away about 6 years, pior there were no parking passes so when I first moved in I made the mistak eof paying for the pass in cash downtown, the woman working told me they mail them to your house, not knowing any better I said ok.I never recieved the pass so when I went back with the reciept I found the lady was fired for stealing and they STILL REFUSED to give me a pass.The city gov't has always been irresponsable and incompetent from the mayor on down.

Received letter in Feb 2009 informing of three citations not paid since 2004 and 2005. Two citations were written at the same spot within two hours. Never received the tickets. First notification in Feb and original 27 dollar tickets are now 2500 with late fees. Called the city numerous times and just amazed at the arrogance and lack of assistance or compassion in answering questions and helping understand what happened. Answers like "call back in 5 months cause it takes 6 months to process and it's only been one month", or "I can't give you that information, you just have to go to court". Lots of other responses that seemed like they had the power and there is nothing I can do about it. Real helpful. Wonder what their parent taught them. I find this type customer service in many places in Maryland, Virginia, and especially DC. Lots of great people but some are just in need of a kick in the butt. So anyway, I understand it is typical to remove tickets and put them on your own illegally parked vehicle to avoid getting one. Kind of confirms the fact we didn't receive any when you consider two were received within two hours. Or maybe that's their process, I don't know. Don't think anyone knows. Just know that I have to spend a lot of money now to go in front of a judge and try to show my character and that I would never disregard a citation. If I don't convince him/her I will have to pay 2500 plus air fare, hotel, and car since I'm coming out of state. I am venting here. If you search parking citations in Baltimore you will see so many articles on process issues. So I'm not feeling to positive now since the SS had to pay. Glad I don't live there anymore.

It dosent matter who you are the law is the law. where I work you have to have 6 or more unpaid parking citations before we tow. I have had people towed with 60 unpaid citations. I work for the state doing parking enforcement and everybody who I give citations to thinks the law applies to everybody but them.

Gary Powell, Jenna and her husband CHOSE to live in Baltimore when W's approval rating was in the high 20s. And don't give me some BS about the need to live there since her husband works for Constellation. She's the daughter of a former president- with his connections, she can get a job anywhere. Go Cheney yourself!

Yes, you do look like Baltimorons. Sounds like some local officials are using the law to punish folks they didn't vote for. Unfortunately that seems to be a trend with a lot of folks.. complete "intolerance" for any opposing ideas. If you personally got a fraction of the hate mail that gets posted on the web about the Bushes you couldn't sleep at night on the offshoot chance that one of the crazies might come after you. Yes, Virginia, that's why Jenna gets people to protect her and her family. I guess the Baltimore police have shown just how much they respect the office of the presidency. Given that iron clad logic why should I do anything to support Barry Sortero if I didn't vote for him

She is over 16, her father is no longer the president. How much more money is being wasted? That needs to be investigated too.

Seriously, "A.F. James MacArthur", WTF is your problem with Baltimore officials enforcing the law? If you don't pay your parking tickets, your car gets booted. End of story. They do it in poor areas such as Cherry Hill and Sandtown-Winchester as well as the ritzy areas of Canton, Roland Park, and Guilford. They would tow Cal Ripken's car if he did the same thing as Jenna.

They probably made an exception since she lives in Baltimore :)

Why does Jenna Bush still have Secret Service protection? According to the secret service website "http://www.secretservice.gov/protection.shtml" protection is provided to children of former presidents until age 16.

Please read the story "Fine Frenzy" on our site. The math is correct; the city has extremely high penalties for unpaid tickets.

This is funny. But I agree, how does a detail get towed? Where were the agents?

All Presidents and their immediate family are entitled to a SS detail for life unless it is declined which can only be done once he or she is out of office.

But now, let's look at the math....$130M Min tickets for 80,000 tickets? That is $1625 per ticket. I think there may be an errant zero in there

Why does his daughter receive protection? If I'm correct has she ever served office for anything or better yet jury duty? Also what can of job was secret secret service doing outside the vehicle early in the morning.Should'nt they be posted inside the vehicle doing security and surveilience right?

Why would Jenna Bush still have secret service protection 2 months after her father is no longer president??

I would imagine the fines the Secret Service had to pay will be deducted from some funding that Sheila and Stephanie are counting on. Federal Government Vehicles are "immune" from state laws. Just like Sheila's overkill motorcade (does she need a driver and protection detail, I think not) is at taxpayer's expense. I can hardly wait for September and the trial of the Century in Baltimore.

federal tax $ going to pay baltimore parking fines?!

South Baltimore is its OWN neighborhood. It's the area South of Cross Street, West of Light Street, East of Race Street, and North of McComas Street.

Riverside is up Fort Avenue.

If you want to be picky with facts, get them straight. And the author said NEAR federal hill, as a reference.

Well that's right, lets make someone who actually believes in the community and decided to move into a house in Baltimore as unwelcome as possible. Now that is Brilliant! Southern efficiency and Northern hospitality, guess they were right.

Seriously, how can we not be the laughing stock of the entire United States? Just how dumb are we? The worse part, Baltimore City actually made the Secret Service pay, now that's ballsy.

Great story!

Long live InvestigativeVoice.com, a sensible alternative for hard hitting, deep digging news heard no where else.

Baltimore has needed this for a long, long time.

A.F. James MacArthur

Managing Editor
The Baltimore Spectator

She relocated to South Baltimore...Federal Hill is the park located within South Baltimore. Since she lives on Charles about a half mile from the park, it is considered South Baltimore or moreso part of what realtors classify as 'Riverside'