A simple parking ticket can lead to a hold on your vehicle registration and threats to intercept California tax refunds. The $73 citations, which can spiral, if unpaid, to $175 or more, are the bane of many Angelenos' existence. They brought nearly $150 million to municipal coffers last year and are acknowledged to be a necessary stream of revenue for City Hall's budget. In essence, they're just another way to tax people without saying so.

This week a state lawmaker proposed mandatory parking-ticket payment plans for cities including Los Angeles. And yesterday, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation announced its own limited payment program.

The bill, by Assemblyman Tom Lackey of Palmdale, would "require local governments to create a monthly payment plan by which low-income drivers will be able to realistically pay their parking fines," according to a fact sheet from the Republican's office.