TAKING BACK THE PARKS

Regarding Nicole Yorkin’s fine article, “Taking Back the Parks” (May 28): It is good to know there is hope for dead parks, which exist in many California cities other than Los Angeles. I believe that a decade of inadequate funding for facility maintenance, recreation programs and the hiring of staff to do this work are the major factors that made so many parks vulnerable to gang activity and drug dealing. During this period, propositions 13 and 4 (the Gann initiative) have squeezed city and county budgets very hard. In almost every jurisdiction, the park and recreation departments have been hit harder than any of the other agencies competing for financial support.

Our data shows that, on a statewide basis, local government park and recreation agencies have accumulated a total backlog of more than a half billion dollars’ worth of needed work in facility rehabilitation and restoration. Until these deteriorated facilities are brought up to standard and staffed with people who will generate public use and protect the parks and recreation facilities, the fight to bring dead parks back to life will be against very heavy odds.

BRUCE KENNEDY

MANAGER, STATEWIDE PLANNING UNIT

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

Sacramento