Editor:

I am writing in response to the letter by Rannah McIntosh (Jan. 25-31), who was concerned that money had been spent on new signs to give information about parking, rather than on increasing salaries or reducing student fees.

I understand and share the frustration about salaries and fees, but the sign program did not contribute to these problems. Because the state does not fund campus parking in any way, the campus parking system is treated as an autonomous fiscal entity.

Those who use the parking system must bear all of its costs, including the costs of new parking structures, maintenance, policing, administration, signing and so forth. Correspondingly, parking revenues, including parking fees and citation income, are dedicated to parking and related transportation matters.

Therefore, although the funds used for the signs could have been used for other parking or transportation costs, they could not have been used to increase salaries or reduce fees.

I should also note that parking administration--which is doing a terrific job under extremely trying circumstances resulting from all the new construction--did not simply go off on its own in this matter. The parking administration meets regularly with the Academic Senate's Special Committee on Parking, which I chair, and seldom if ever adopts a new program without consulting with the committee.

That course was followed in connection with the new signing program, and in fact the new signs were very well conceived and sorely needed.

Melvin Eisenberg, Chair

Academic Senate

Special Committee on Parking