Love California Parks? It's a shame there's talk of closures.

[tsbt]

Saw this article: theatln.tc/NWyGwY

[Turkus]

There were talk of closures back in '09 when the ch1t hit the fan......some closed and some were highly "restricted"

The "excuses" are the same every year.......time to nuke Sacramental and start over

[wmax351]

Yeah. Kind of a constant fight. We have nice things, but a vocal minority will not negotiate, and holds up any funding to keep them. Our gas tax is lower than almost every other state, so the roads are paid for with normal tax revenue, that could go to the parks.

Nuke Sacramento: not the worst idea. Although un-jerrymandering the districts (prevent the extremists from dominating both parties), replace prop 13 with something sane (IE: protection for individuals from excessive property tax through increase in valuation, without gutting all forms of fair taxation (meaning we will not have to rely on "fees")), would do a lot to help.

[frankenduck]

Our gas tax is lower than almost every other state, so the roads are paid for with normal tax revenue, that could go to the parks.

WTF?  :eek2:  CA has the second highest gas taxes in the country!

http://taxfoundation.org/article/state-gasoline-tax-rates-january-1-2012

[wmax351]

Our gas tax is lower than almost every other state, so the roads are paid for with normal tax revenue, that could go to the parks.

WTF?  :eek2:  CA has the second highest gas taxes in the country!

http://taxfoundation.org/article/state-gasoline-tax-rates-january-1-2012

Interesting. Looks like we raised it (basically doubled it) last year. Used to be low. Its silly not to make it inflation adjusted or percentage of gas cost.

It works out well for us bikers: 3.50-4 bucks a gallon isn't too bad at 45 mpg.


 

[argent brick]

Last year family was planning on camping at state park in nor cal.  Park has 117 camp sites but only 19 sites  were open because of budget cuts.  The state does not have the funds to run the parks but they just passed a bill for a new bullet train the state can't afford and that no one will use.  IDIOTS.

THOSE JERKS IN SACRAMENTO REALLY PISS ME OFF!

[Rick G]

There you go again trying to bring rationalle and logic into politics. I tell ya it just don't fit.
Now our job is to work our ass of and pay our taxes and their job is to sit on their fat ass and spend them and you have the audacity to try and prevent those blood sucking dumb ass shit for brains good for nothin mother f^&%#g assholes from doing their job
Shame on you.
There are two very important things to remember when dealing with politicians.
1 the porpose of a government is to stay in government and the purpose of an opposition is to get into government. Anything else that happens is purely co-incidental.
2 Never ever ever get between a politician and a bucket of money.

[latunabernie]

I live in Los Angeles and have a fixer upper near Yosemite.
The National Parks are safe.
The Feds realize that tourists bring money.
The State started closing some State parks about 2 years ago.
They have had alot of vandalism in the parks that they closed.
I read a report the damage that was done far exceded any savings from keeping the parks open.
I voted for the High Speed train.
What I voted for and what it has become are two different things.
They have already spent millions on it.
Haven't laid one piece of track and they don't even know where it is going to go.
The Politicians did a Bait And Switch
If you did this in the private sector you would be in jail.

Bernie
 

[Rick G]

This sort of thing is just so typical of most governments be it left or right.
If the same rules applies for a state government as does for businesses then the state I live in and most others in Australis would be put through bankruptsy and the politicians charged with trading while insolvent.
The previous mob (left) got into debtto the tune of 40bil, the state is only 4million people, and now the new government wants to get rid of the debt in 3 years which will cause more problems than the debt.  of course the new idiots are saying "we had no idea it was so bad".  I could write the bloody script.

[argent brick]

Times are hard, you would think more people are using the California Park System instead of more costly vacation and recreation because of it. Seems like the parks could make money for the state if they were run properly. It would be interesting to find out which state parks are in the black and which ones are not. We have a park here in Napa County that is gov. owned but operated by private industry. It makes money.

It is weird how gov. laws and programs start out with a certain goal or intent and the system twist them around into something they were never meant to be. Seems like they never achieve what the original intent was and they do more harm than good. 

I can think only of one gov. program that works the way it should. The California Motorcyclist Safety Program.
But, really it is the MSF program with a different name and the California Highway Patrol just oversees it.
The day to day workings of it are done by private sector companies.

[wmax351]

Times are hard, you would think more people are using the California Park System instead of more costly vacation and recreation because of it. Seems like the parks could make money for the state if they were run properly. It would be interesting to find out which state parks are in the black and which ones are not. We have a park here in Napa County that is gov. owned but operated by private industry. It makes money.

It is weird how gov. laws and programs start out with a certain goal or intent and the system twist them around into something they were never meant to be. Seems like they never achieve what the original intent was and they do more harm than good. 

I can think only of one gov. program that works the way it should. The California Motorcyclist Safety Program.
But, really it is the MSF program with a different name and the California Highway Patrol just oversees it.
The day to day workings of it are done by private sector companies.

Yeah. I usually hate privatizing things, but you do have to admit that they can do a good job on some stuff. Although they do a terrible job on other things. (Remember the billions in cash that "Disappeared" in iraq, and the showers that electrocuted our GI's? Those were all privatized.) 

Wish the gov't could learn a few things from the private sector, as I much prefer that The People keep their tax money (either for other projects, or refunded), rather than it going to an individual.

[argent brick]

In some ways I agree with you. If it is a good honest bussieness, i don't ahve problem with it.
If the private sector can do it better, let them do it.  Cheaper does not mean better.

Bottom line is the question, "Is there a true need and does the government really need to be involved?"

[tsbt]

Here's how to act if anyone is inclined:

Inspiration

Send legislation a letter if you're in or out of state here

[argent brick]

Thanks. I can do that.

[mystic red]

ywal...

they found some of their stash...

j o

I find that appalling.

[argent brick]

If you read the article you will find that they have the option of taking the money from the parks department and put it somewhere else. I have heartburn with that.

WHAT REALLY FROST MY ASS IS THAT THE STATE WANTS TO RAISE MY TAXES WHEN THEY HAVE NOT DONE THEIR HOUSE CLEANING YET. HOW MANY MORE POCKETS OF SURPLUS MONEY IS THERE IN THE STATE COFFERS?