Re “Facing public outrage, San Diego scales back plan to charge for parking in Balboa Park” (Oct. 13): I can’t think of anything the mayor and City Council could do to harm our quality of life faster than to impose parking fees in Balboa Park. The park is there to get away from the hustle and bustle of city living. To force the people of San Diego to pull out their wallets and pay to breathe the air and enjoy the scenery of our classic park defeats the whole purpose of a park.
— William Franklin, Mission Hills
There’s a picture hanging on my wall of my grandfather standing next to his streetcar advertising the new San Diego Zoo. I am elderly. My family has lived in the city, out of the city, but always in San Diego County for five generations and counting. I feel disenfranchised that since we now live outside of the city, we are going to be charged twice as much for parking as a newcomer. I feel especially sorry and sad for the children of middle- and low-income families who might have very limited experiences that we older generations were always able to enjoy.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
— Jill Buchanan Morgan, Poway