The Rag’s own Kate Callen had a letter to the editor published in today’s San Diego Union-Tribune. We publish it below.
Wealthy zoo deciding to charge for parking is wrong
Re “Zoo makes parking fees permanent for nonresidents” (Oct 31):
The San Diego Zoo insists it needs $3 million from parking revenue for park upgrades. Let’s look at its financials. According to ProPublica, the zoo’s 2024 total assets were $1.05 billion, its revenue was $438 million, and its expenses were $391 million. President/CEO Paul Baribault was paid $1.99 million; COO Shawn Dixon earned $820,184; CFO David Franco made $757,377.
The zoo receives a yearly windfall from a 1934 voter-approved property tax earmark in the City Charter. The estimated annual yield is $20 million. City residents will be exempt from parking fees. But we must pay the full daily zoo admission of $78 for adults (12 and older) and $68 for children.
The charter was changed because the 18-year-old zoo needed support. Nearly a century later, public subsidies for a financially robust attraction in a cash-poor city are indefensible. We changed the charter once; we can change it again. After all, it’s not like the zoo can threaten to move to Los Angeles.
— Kate Callen, North Park
The San Diego Zoo corporation is out of control. It no longer functions as a City Zoo for residents. It appears to be the most expensive tourism Zoo on the planet and out of reach of the families that are taxed to support it
The out of control Zoo corporation has impacts on the City Budget, Stormwater Bay pollution, Solid Waste over production, and is aa climate change global warming disaster.
The private Zoo corporation does not reimburse the City for Police, Fire, and Emergency services, like SEAWORLD does. The private Zoo does not pay for maintenance of the frontage streets that lead to the Zoo entrance. It does not contribute to replacing the trolley line that once brought visitors to the Zoo park.
The private Zoo does not pay rent on the park lands it occupies
The subject parking lot is one of the top stormwater runoff polluters of San Diego Bay.
The amount of excess solid waste from some 5 million visitors by $20 popcorn buckets and related taxes the land fill
%million visitors and car trips from tourist who largely jet fly in is a significant contributor to fossil fuel global warming. The some 3,500 private employees of the Zoo commute in and park their car in a private specially built parking structure, behind the Old Globe. No reports show how many of these employees are City or even County residents.