To: Mayor Bob Filner, Mayor of San Diego and Governor Gavin Newsom
Earth Day in peril
Dear Friend of Earth Day:
On Friday, Jan 4, 2013, San Diego EarthWorks was notified by an official in office of Mayor Bob Filner that the City of San Diego will not issue a park use permit for EarthFair in Balboa Park in 2013.
I suppose we should not be surprised. In 2012, Park & Rec Department (that manages Balboa Park) initially denied our permit. Their primary stated reason was that EarthFair had "grown too big" for the Park. Now, this is simply not true: EarthFair has been large since the very first one in 1990, and, with some fluctuation from year to year, is the same size it always has been.
Ultimately, when questioned by the City Council at a public hearing, head of Park & Rec relented and said they would give us a permit. EarthFair 2012 was produced as it had been for 23 years.
On Friday, Jan 4, 2013, San Diego EarthWorks was notified by an official in office of Mayor Bob Filner that the City of San Diego will not issue a park use permit for EarthFair in Balboa Park in 2013.
I suppose we should not be surprised. In 2012, Park & Rec Department (that manages Balboa Park) initially denied our permit. Their primary stated reason was that EarthFair had "grown too big" for the Park. Now, this is simply not true: EarthFair has been large since the very first one in 1990, and, with some fluctuation from year to year, is the same size it always has been.
Ultimately, when questioned by the City Council at a public hearing, head of Park & Rec relented and said they would give us a permit. EarthFair 2012 was produced as it had been for 23 years.
Why is this important?
On Friday, Jan 4, 2013, San Diego EarthWorks was notified by an official in office of Mayor Bob Filner that the City of San Diego will not issue a park use permit for EarthFair in Balboa Park in 2013.