Dear 49er Editor,
Greg Diaz’s recent article “Free the Parking Lots” alludes to the parking problem on campus, which has not had a credible solution in the twenty-nine years I have been teaching at CSULB. The brainpower of five university presidents in that time has only made minimal and superficial progress. Indeed, there is nothing more pitiful than to watch, not just students, but also faculty — who also pay for the hunting license to park –circling for up to an hour hoping to find that illusive parking spot. Secretly, I sometimes wish that one day, each year would be set aside when administrators would be forced to circle without their special passes so that they might feel what those lower in the pecking order experience nearly every day but Friday. Although parking officers raise money for the university with their $48 tickets, this is nothing compared to the thousands of dollars lost because potential donors are frustrated when they cannot find parking to special events and just leave campus or even worse get that ticket, which leaves not bad taste in their mouth and keeps their wallets tightly fastened. And this year, there has been a new challenge – parking for D permits, car pool and special visitation to clinics. These remove the already scarce number of available spots. Before there is a decision to add five thousand more students in the coming years, the parking problem should be addressed!
Harold Schefski, Ph.D.
Prof. of Russian
RGRLL