As part of an attempt to balance the California budget, Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed closing to the public 220 State parks. The proposal would save approximately $143 million dollars. Mixed into the 220 parks proposed to be closed, are 6 parks which were transferred to California from the Federal Government.
According to NewsMax:
National Park Service Regional Director Jonathan Jarvis warned in a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that all six occupy former federal land that could revert to the U.S. government if the state fails to keep the parks open.
“Lands conveyed to the State under the Federal Lands to Parks Program must be open for public park and recreation use in perpetuity as a condition of the deed,” Jarvis warned in a June 8 letter to Schwarzenegger made public Wednesday.
The state could also lose future parks funding, Jarvis warned. California has received $286 million from the federal government since 1965 benefiting 67 parks on Schwarzenegger’s closure list, Jarvis said.
Um, yeah, so what? Is this really so hard to decide? Has Jarvis made a point that Schwarzenegger should care about at all? NO!
California’s budget problem is not a one year issue. California has created a situation that will take them many years to correct, if at all. It’s not like California is going to suddenly find a solution that will allow them to back to spending something that is about 1/3 more than they have today.
Oh, and the $286 million that Jarvis is threatening with…My math says that amounts to less than $7 million /year. Not much when you are looking at what is now, at $26 Billion dollar deficit!
I see California having two outcomes if they close the parks; either the National Park Service who has a significant funding shortfall of their own, quits rattling sabres and the parks stay with California or the National Park Service goes through with their threat and runs the parks themselves. Is this really a difficult choice? Is there some choice that causes the oceans to recede and temperatures to cool that I haven’t hit upon?
Governor Schwarzenegger ought to call the National Park Service’s bluff and tell them either “Be my guest” or maybe “Hasta la vista, baby!”
I can see Arnie offering the NPS second prize – 440 California state parks.
The problem is, neither Arnie nor the California Democrats are willing to cut spending.
I blame Scott Walker