Nearly 200 diplomats from around the world owe a walloping 18 billion U.S. dollars in parking fines to New York City, according to a report released on Monday.
Rep. Anthony Weiner, who is a member of the House Judiciary Crime Subcommittee and unveiled the study, said that most of the debt was incurred
in 2005.
The study showed that Egypt, Kuwait and Nigeria are the top three offenders with Egypt racking up nearly 2 million U.S. dollars in parking fee debt. Both Kuwait and Nigeria owe more than 1 million dollars.
And Weiner wants to see that New York benefits.
Nearly 85 percent of the 180 countries on the list receive U.S. foreign aid. In 2001, the State Department passed a measure that withholds aid to
countries equaling the total sum they owe. But a check has never been made out to New York -- something Weiner thinks should change.
If his legislation passes, the outstanding debt would be paid directly to the city.
For example, Egypt, which racked up 17,633 tickets between 1997 and 2009 for a total of 1.9 million dollars, would forfeit 2.1 million dollars
in foreign aid from the State Department, according to local media reports.
And instead, that money would go to New York City.