Caption Contest: Shelly’s Lifetime Supply of Free Parking

Photo courtesy of the Daily Politics

Why is Rochester Mayor and lieutenant governor-in-waiting Robert Duffy presenting this novelty oversized parking placard to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver?

The occasion was a ribbon-cutting for a parking structure that just re-opened in downtown Rochester. Back in 2006, an exit ramp of the South Avenue Garage collapsed. Miraculously, no cars were harmed, writes the local NBC affiliate. Now, thanks to $12 million in state assistance, the structure is back at full strength performing its essential task: generating traffic.

According to the City of Rochester’s website, Assembly members David Gantt and Joseph Morelle were also indispensable in securing the needed funds, which were disbursed through Empire State Development and the New York State Dormitory Authority.

Silver flew over to Rochester last week for the ribbon-cutting, telling the assembled, “For there to be any growth in job creation, there must be a strong foundation of infrastructure that supports economic activity.” (In other news, the MTA capital plan has a $9 billion hole, and New York City transit riders are putting up with worse service thanks in part to the state’s theft of more than $100 million in dedicated transit taxes.)

Even from this oblique angle, you can tell that the speaker is absolutely delighted to receive this token of Rochester’s gratitude. But those of us who didn’t attend can only guess at the exchange that took place between Duffy and Silver at the very moment the picture was snapped.

Give us your captions in the comments.

UPDATE: I know a Marty Barfowitz victory is sort of predictable, but Barfowitz wins. (Note: The last time we did a caption contest, someone beat Barfowitz. It can be done.)