Pools aren't expected to pay for themselves

Would you rather have kids hang out on street corners, than have a community pool to spend their summers learning how to swim?

Where is it written that every public facility has to cover its costs with users fees? Ever hear of people moving to communities for its amenities?

Jake Griffin's report on swimming pools talks about funding "gaps," as if they are a surprise and automatically a negative, but in this case, you are so far off base as to suggest that you are completely disconnected from the concept of "community."

No park district expects user fees to cover all the costs of operating public outdoor swimming pools. And, park pools you reported as having a profit actually didn't, because they didn't report all the maintenance costs associated with running a pool, leaving your article leaking credibility.

Maybe for your next piece you'll investigate the costs of maintaining, at a loss, parks as playgrounds and areas for passive pleasure to walk, get out in the sun and fresh air, because your take on things, is starting to stink!

And, who pointed you to the World Waterpark Association? You should have contacted the National Park and Recreation Association, which represents park districts and parks departments of cities, not privately owned water parks.

Robert Scott Steinberg

Hoffman Estates