One of the easiest, most effective ways to sell a used car is to park it on the street and slap a "For Sale" sign in the window.

If Milwaukee aldermen have their way, city residents will pay $40 for that right. Making matters worse, they'll have to wait in line at a tow lot in order to purchase the permit.

As the statement put forth by aldermen notes: "The days of slapping a ‘For Sale' sign in the back window of your vehicle and parking it out on the street in Milwaukee are pretty much over."

The Common Council approved a measure that allows a person to give the city $40 and sell their car if certain criteria are met. The criteria include proving that the applicant owns the vehicle or has the permission of the owner to sell the vehicle. The vehicle's identification number cannot be altered. The permit would be valid for six months.

The city promises it will tow parked ‘For Sale' vehicles without permits.

Let's hope that deters it from towing folks whose registration has expired by a day or two.

Besides the $40, people seeking a permit can only buy them at the city's tow lot on Lincoln Avene, which is notorious for hours-long waits for towees to get their cars. No online purchase feature was offered in the plan.

The idea started in 2003 as a pilot project for Ald. Bob Donovan's South Side district. Donovan says he views the issue as a "quality of life ordinance" and that he thinks it deters people from selling stolen cars.

The council approved the move, 10-4, and it now awaits the mayor's signature.

Trusting the Truckers: Speaking of permits, the city's gamble to lower permits for oversize and overweight vehicles -- a measure officials hoped would force more trucking companies to comply with the rules -- doesn't seem to have worked.

Last year, the city lowered permit fees and lengthened their time frame from six to 12 months. According to the Department of Public Works, the city took a hit of $160,000 this year after the changes. In 2005, the permits took in $345,966. In 2006, the figure was $455,176 and in 2007 it was $419,638. After the change last year, the figure was $261,135.

DPW officials suggest the dramatic drop in revenue could be due to less trucking out of the Port of Milwaukee and because the permit structure has changed four times since 2001.

Kovac the Canoeist: Ald. Nik Kovac was ready to take a unique commute to the Brewers game earlier this week. Kovac vowed to paddle his way down the Milwaukee River from the East Side and up the Menomonee River to Miller Park for some tailgating action before the big game. Kovac's intention was to highlight an "eco-friendly" way to get to the park, although if paddlers started going to see the Brewers in droves it could create boat landing issues. And then the Brewers might start complaining about lost parking revenue.

It will be interesting to hear Kovac's comments after the commute and the wakes of trash and debris he will encounter on the Menomonee, especially as it abruptly turns south where there's historically been a sea of flotsam and jetsam. Perhaps the city will send the river skimmer to clear a path for the paddlers beforehand.

Another issue Kovac should run into is that the Menomonee River is simply too shallow when it gets to the south side of the valley along the Hank Aaron Bike Trail. Wading upstream is really the only option when you get over there. With the recent lack of rain, water is sure to be low.

Kovac was scheduled to paddle with David Coles, a founding member of the Milwaukee River chapter of Walleyes For Tomorrow, a non-profit group working to restore native species to habitats throughout Wisconsin, so it will be interesting to see of Coles will handle the portaging duties to get the boat to the tailgate.

"All in one day we'll be using eco-friendly transportation, getting great exercise, enjoying an outdoor meal with friends and fans, then stretching it all off in the seventh inning," the alderman said.

Stimulating through stimulus: It sounds like a great invite -- city residents are asked to attend a town hall meeting to express their views on what to do with the estimated $33 million in stimulus money coming our way.

The meeting is scheduled for April 20 at the Downtown library. The invite boasts that "at 6 p.m. there is free parking at the meters all around the building." When does the meeting start? That would be 5:30 p.m.

Swerving State Statutes: Here's an idea that will not likely rise above the clamor for more punitive penalties for drunk driving - go back to the way the law used to be.

It used to be that a OUI offense would stay on a driving record for 10 years (and before that it was five), but that was changed and now the law is that an OUI follows you around for 52-plus years, essentially a lifetime. Even traffic safety instructors, whom OUI offenders have to visit to get their licenses back, think that the current law is too punitive.

State Rep. Marlin Schneider (D-Wisconsin Rapids) wants the law to go back to the 10-year rule.

"It'll be tougher sledding than ever. Everybody is hellbent to get tough on drunken driving," the normally acerbic Schneider told the media.

Rep. Amy Sue Vruwink (D-Milladore) and Sen. Alan Lasee (R-De Pere) are co-sponsors.

Various more punitive bills are floating through the state Legislature.

Trash Bash on the Rivers: Speaking of river cleanup, volunteers can show up on Saturday for the Earth Day river sweep. Organizers such as the Milwaukee Riverkeepers are planning the biggest trash pickup ever, including 46 locations along the three rivers that run through our fair city. Trash bags and work gloves will be provided, but it's a bring-your-own-boat party for some of the locations.

Some of the locations and cleanup information includes:

Milwaukee River

* Brown Deer Road- 8800 N Upper River Rd. & Brown Dr. Road. Canoe needed, must pre-register for this site.

* Estabrook Park- 4400 N. Estabrook Dr. Meet at the parking lot of picnic area 6.

* Gordon Park- 1321 E. Locust St. Meet at the parking lot next to maintenance building.

* Hubbard Park- 3565 N. Morris Blvd. Meet in the circle by the flagpole.

* Kern Park- 3614 N. Humboldt Blvd. Park along the street.

* Kletzsch Park- 6560 N. Milwaukee River Pkwy. Meet at the pavilion on the east side of the parkway.

* Lincoln Park- 1301 W. Hampton Ave.

*Rowing Club - Meet at the Rowing Club boathouse on Commerce St.

* North Avenue East- Meet on the north side of North Ave. next to the old Hometown Gas station.

* Riverside Park - 1400 E. Riverside Place. Meet at playground by Riverside Park sign off Oakland Ave.

* Lincoln Creek - 5385 N. Green Bay Rd. Meet at the Eastbrook Church West parking lot.

Menomonee River

* Hart Park - 7300 W. Chestnut St., Wauwatosa. Meet at the Park Administrative Building

* Hoyt/Hansen Park - 1800 Swan Blvd. Meet at Hoyt Park Swimming Pool lot at 8 a. m.

* Jacobus Park- 6501 W. Hillside Ln. Meet behind the pavilion.

* Harley Woods- Meet at the intersection of Capitol Dr. and Menomonee River Pkwy. (off Hwy 45)

* Menomonee/Burleigh- Meet at Burleigh St. and Menomonee River Pkwy.

* Menomonee/North Ave. - Meet at the intersection of North Ave. and Menomonee River Pkwy.
Menomonee Valley and Hank Aaron Trail

* Hank Aaron State Trail Loop- Meet at the DPW parking lot east of the 25th St. traffic circle.

* Hank Aaron Trail Extension - 65th & Schlisinger Ave (between Hawley & 70th St.).

* Miller Park- Meet at Picnic Shelter #2.

* Menomonee Valley Community Park - Canal St. under the 35th St. viaduct. Meet at the chimneys.

* Lakeshore State Park- Meet at Discovery World.

Kinnickinnic River

* Jackson Park - Meet at the boathouse, 3500 W. Forest Home Ave.

* Wilson Park - Meet on the east side of S. 20th St. at the pedestrian bridge.
* St. Luke's Medical Center - 2900 W Oklahoma Ave. Meet at the picnic tables.

Volunteers will be treated to a "Trash Bash" from 12:30-3 p.m. at Hoyt Park, 1800 N. Swan Blvd. In picnic area No. 1, there will be food, drink, live music and prizes for the weirdest thing retrieved from the river.  The Web site is www.milwaukeeriverkeeper.org.