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Fee-for-all: We're paying more to play in Utah's forests, parklands
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Very libertarian to pay for what you use.
Will reduce congestion as well, just like toll roads.
Since we care about the parks, we should pay more - they're expensive to maintain security for etc. (rangers, police, etc).
National Parks entrance fees are scheduled to almost all double in the next three years, and after that they will be tied to inflation, only they will never decrease, only increase when inflation rises.
Americans are too ignorant, and too wimped out to even care that the forests are being closed, under the Forest Service claim that they cannot afford to keep them open, as if it costs money for the forest to exist. In five years, all that land will be open again, under private corporate control, with rather large fees, and controlled "areas of enjoyment" One such company already in negotiations, is known as Disney corporation.
Its too late. Like so many other bad choices, Americans have dedicated their time to moaning about the left or the right, complaining 24/7 about the war, and crying long and loud that the government is not giving them enough free stuff, so that now, its like some big shock, that that same government, is taking away our land as well.
Too bad Americans. You asked for this, no learn to deal with the consequences of living in a socialist country, intstead of a free republic. Game over
Fish Lake National Forest campgrounds are little changed from fifty years ago. Even some of the "doubles" are not big enough.
It is not only a matter of price. If you look at the parks in our ajoining states you will find quite a difference in quality. While we have fantastic things to see, the quality of our picnic and camping areas are abismal and are not looking to improve. In other words, the part the state doesn't need to improve, the scenery, is fine but the part the state should be maintaining seems to be forgotten.
We once enjoyed the ranger talks up Millcreek Canyon for FREE many years back. Our children looked forward to these anxiously. They did away with these wonderful and informative talks, and instead, replaced them with a "ranger" whose only job was to collect fees. The canyon was converted to a profit center.
Our property taxes have increased at the rate or 41% per year, each year, for the past 12 years. NOW, fees are escalating out of sight also. Too much is too much. Anyone who can sit passively and find anything good in these fee increases better know the past better.
Such horrid fees slam the door in the face of the poor and middle class, leaving these parks open only to the rich and wealthy.
I commend Boise, for example. We visited their Albertson's Park and another associated park all alive with wildlife. It had no fences, was open, FREE, and was a shining jewel for the area. You felt nature with every breath because there was no fence to hold "all ohers out" and make you feel like a prisoner that had no public rights.
For example, if the Liberty Park Aviary were made free, that would improve that facility 1,000% Our past visits noticed a terrible decline in numbers visiting this aviary.
A family of 5 will drop $50 to go to a 2 hour movie, but $10 for a full day use of a park is outrageous?
We should look at the conservative point of view. We have the Internet. Everyone knows about Ebay. We should let the free market work. There are so many spots to camp or deer hunting licenses. Let people bid on them. If camping is important to you on Labor day weekend, you can get that spot. You bid for it.
The same with hunting. Bid for tags.
I think an audit of the finances of the National and States park system should be done.
As for paying for tables and clean beaches? What about people who use the land, to hike the back country, and spend an hour sitting on the bank of a cool stream on a hot day. Going about dissin people because for some reason, you figure $50 for a movie is anything close to using the outdoors, ignores the fact that WE OWN the land, and we pay to go to the movies, because someone else owns the theatre.
The ignorance of the citizen is frightening.
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Currents/Content?oid=78663
Time for people to kiss their country goodbye. You all sat on your butts and watched it go away because you had Walmarts, cell phones, and HDTV. Soon, you will pay the price for that attitude. Gen-X? Ha. You gave it away.
Comments about someone being off their meds, belong in usenet, not on a forum like this. Grow up.
The same is true for Zion. Charging more attacks more successful people.
Quit whine about prices. Go get a better job!
(I am not wealthy, I don't go to movies ever! It costs too much!- In answer to the arguement listed above) Charging $20 or more is outrageous. Why do we continue to raise fees for everything?
Case in point, when I was in high school you could go night skiing for under $10. Now it is only a rich man's sport. I spoke to a ski instructor in park city a few years back, when my children got to participate in a free lesson. The ski instructor told me he rarely met Utah natives on the slopes. *It's because it is too darn expensive for most of us.
If we start making fees too much for the average family to afford, Utah natives will be unable to enjoy our own backyard.
WOW - Where do we send our comment, I don't agree with that any more than I would agree with a couple of loaves of bread going from $5 to $75
I guess I am not on the mailing list that asks for comments so I only have the news article but it seems so extreme could it be that the Deseret Morning News has messed up the figures?
Here in Washington State we had a day use fee for our state parks which was was pulled after just a few years. http://homepage.mac.com/aleko/WashingtonStateParksFees.html If you go camping in state parks here, look out for "extra vehicle fees". Even if your extra vehicle fits on the pad (no hook-ups) where an RV would go, you have not paid for your site for the weekend with a basic fee, until you have paid a $10 per night extra vehicle fee. No extra vehicle fee is charged for an RV towing a car. I sent a note to our state parks asking about this and was told extra vehicle fees are not designed to raise extra funds, but are designed to discourage extra vehicles in the parks.
We have several state, local and federal jurisdictions here that charge a day use fee to park on public lands. Keeping track of the different jurisdictions and paying each fee for a day's outing can be overwhelming to the average person.
Alex
Port Hadlock, WA
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