It's no secret that Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson has had his spats with the media, and even stopped talking for a while to one reporter.

So eyebrows were raised in some newsrooms recently when two street parking spots that had been reserved for the media on the southeast side of City Hall were converted to regular metered parking spots.

"We've given them back to the public," Anderson said. "We have serious parking needs in the downtown area. A lot of people do business at the City-County Building and we had to take a look at what we can do to provide more public parking."

The Deseret Morning News published a story recently about the free parking spots available to government officials, including Anderson, at Salt Lake City International Airport.

Anderson said that led to discussions about the equity of free parking for certain individuals when there is a shortage of public parking stalls in the city.

"It struck us as peculiar that the media always is criticizing those who have privileges not enjoyed by the public when there are two parking spaces, not always being used, reserved just for the media," he said.

"This wasn't done as punishment," the mayor added. "But why should reporters have reserved free parking when others don't enjoy the same privileges?"

Some media representatives raised a stink in the 1970s because free parking spaces for the media were taken away by officials at the City-County Building. That occurred after an advocate for low-income people had gotten hold of a Salt Lake Tribune pass and put it in his Corvette in order to park in one of the privileged spots.

"Everybody knew a Tribune reporter couldn't afford a Corvette, so the guy was found out," remembers retired Tribune reporter Jack Fenton.

Could be a first: Salt Lake City has had only one female mayor and a father and son have never served as mayors, let alone a father and daughter.

But Democratic Salt Lake County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson may try to be the first.

Wilson, the daughter of former Mayor Ted Wilson, says she has begun talking to potential political supporters about running for mayor of Utah's capital city in 2007.

"It's early and I don't know who else might be running, but I definitely will take a look at it," said Wilson.

Other names mentioned as possible candidates include Salt Lake County Councilman Joe Hatch, Salt Lake City Councilwoman Jill Remington Love and House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, all Democrats, as well as Salt Lake City Councilmen Dave Buhler and Eric Jergensen and former City Councilman Keith Christensen, all Republicans.

Incumbent Rocky Anderson has not decided whether he will seek a third term.

Unkindest cut of all: Salt Lake City rare books store owner Ken Sanders says all the brouhaha over two gay cowboys in "Brokeback Mountain" misses the point.

The characters actually are herding sheep, and "no self-respecting cowboy of any century would tolerate anything to do with herding sheep," Sanders said. "I would hazard a guess that most cowboys would rather be called [gay] than be labeled a sheepherder."

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Paul Rolly welcomes e-mail at prolly@sltrib.com.