Parking problem

EDITOR: On Sunday, a number of cars were parked along Bean Avenue and Highway 1. Part of the area was clearly marked "no parking," but part was not clearly marked. What causes this letter is that the reason any of that street is marked "no parking" on weekends is so cars won't block the entrance to the state park day use area at South Salmon Creek. (Parking is apparently allowed during the week without restriction on the street).

The parking area, however, is one of the many state park areas shuttered due to budget issues. A staff person who was out spending taxpayer dollars writing tickets that day could much more efficiently have spent time unlocking the day-use parking area for which the taxpayers have already paid.

To make it even worse, this shuttered parking lot is right across from the ranger station, so there are no excuses about lack of staff to unlock the parking lot.

All while the state was hiding $50 million plus. Something is really wrong here. Now, the state wants to charge even more for parking? Tone deaf does not begin to describe the situation. Shame on you.

BILL HOWLEY

Sebastopol