Plans for paid street parking unacceptable
Today, La Jolla’s free street parking is allocated first come, first served. Today, people wanting private parking are free to buy it from private garages and private valet services. As almost everyone knows, the parking in La Jolla works well enough with ample choices for everyone who wants to come here.
However, the Parking Board wants to impose fees for parking on the public streets, saying that “it is important to emphasize that the fundamental purpose of paid onstreet (sic) parking is regulatory, not fiscal.” In other words, the Parking Board wants to use the government’s police power to exclude from La Jolla those persons who are unwilling or unable to pay for parking.
This exclusionary effort strikes at the heart of La Jolla and the foundations of its eclectic culture in which most people are more interested in the gleam of one’s eyes than the glitter of one’s gold. To preserve our cultural heritage, voters need to let the San Diego City Council know that paid-street-parking is unacceptable.

John A. Berol, La Jolla

Let’s beat them now
Now that the courts have decided the fate of the seals at Children’s Pool, has anyone talked to the seals?
The State Supreme Court let stand a lower court decision to dredge Children’s Pool, restoring it to its original 1941 configuration to be a pool for children. The effect of the dredging, estimated at half a million dollars, will only be to move the beach a “tad” to the south, but there will still be a beach. And, the seals that have been coming to the beach for years will gladly swim the extra yards to get to the same, though newly dredged, beach. What then?
The beach will be smaller and will be even more crowded with seals and children. Will we then beat the seals over the head to drive them away? Why not do that now and save a half a million?
While the lawyers have been arguing the niceties of the law, the real world has been changing and the seals have moved in. It would be a wondrous sight to see the judges in their court robes explaining to the seals why they must go.
Seals, are you ready to listen?
I didn’t think so!
Art Cooley, La Jolla

My children would rather see the seals
As a resident of San Diego and a mother of two young children, I am writing to raise my voice in defense of the La Jolla seals. I go at least weekly to bring my children to see the seals. I for one would 1,000 times rather take my children to see the seals than have them swim at Children’s Pool.
There are miles of beaches in San Diego County, I gladly take my children someplace else to swim. Who cares what the sea wall was built for, the seals are home there now. Mother Nature reclaimed a tiny bit of her land for herself.
Having the seals in La Jolla is a wonderful educational experience for my children. A handful of selfish people are instigating the removal of the seals and I won’t stand for it.
Christine Rogers, University City

Unique seal harbor experience
I would like to protest the decision to re-open the La Jolla Seal Harbor to people.
The Seal Harbor must remain strictly for seals! Not only is it a unique spot in downtown La Jolla as a small wildlife preserve, but it offers a special experience to countless visitors who make a point to visit the harbor to see these animals. We humans have a number of beaches to use, so why is it so important that we reclaim this small portion of beach? The seal harbor experience has a positive effect on visitors, and is most definitely a beneficial site for the seals, as a number of pups are born there each year. It is an educational and wonderful gem in downtown La Jolla that I make a point of visiting.
I am sure that many other locals and even visitors would consider it a great loss should people be allowed to swim in this particular harbor, disturbing the seals’ natural behaviors and comfort with which these seals inhabit this portion of beach. I urge other individuals to voice their feelings as well.
Meagen McDorman, San Diego