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If it’s part of a system, I suppose that’s fine. A better alternative could be expanding the sidewalk and providing patio space for restaurants etc. But if the plan is “we paint white lines and put up parking meters and it will slow people down”, then f that. It’ll just cause accidents and reinforces the area as a driving destination.
Putin is personally immensely wealthy and, additionally he effectively controls the economy of Russia. Trump is neither - his personal assets are dwarfed by half a dozen Americans alone. Plus as @[email protected] says, he likes the attention and it doesn’t take much to stroke his ego.