Charging Children Fees to Visit the L.A. Zoo

In a society where everything is becoming “privatized” and thus available only to those with the funds to pay, can’t somethings be kept truly public?

Now it’s our city-operated zoo which has a new fee structure. The purpose is to help with the zoo’s deficit. The result is to turn away the people most likely to utilize and enjoy the zoo--our children.

As of July 1, the zoo no longer allows groups of children to enter free. The only exception will be groups coming from an L.A. school on a docent-guided tour. This leaves out the many groups which have traditionally come to the zoo: day-care center kids, camp kids, after-school program kids.

In our neighborhood, the public day-care center for low-income children is a miraculous opportunity for poor children to get quality day care and a weekly outing to the zoo, the beach or the mountains. But on their last trip to the zoo, 15 preschools were turned away and had to be told, “No more zoo trips. It costs money now.”

These children’s parents may never be able to take them on a Sunday outing to the zoo. The day-care center zoo trip was a very special event.

If the city’s budget is so tight we have to balance it on the backs of our children, why can’t our esteemed City Council members quit playing musical offices after every election. It costs thousands to move the council members around and to redecorate their offices. With that money, we can allow our children back into the zoo!

A free zoo should be the birthright of all the children of Los Angeles.

MONA FIELD

Coordinator, Echo Park

Renters and Homeowners

Los Angeles