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State may close park gates, but it won't keep me out
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 8/23/9 | Tom Stienstra

Posted on 08/24/2009 12:46:24 PM PDT by SmithL

Logic gives you what you need. Passion gives you what you crave. In the end, it's passion that feeds your dreams or part of you dies.

When it comes to logic, it makes financial sense to keep all state parks open. Last year, state parks had 79.6 user visits that generated $2.6 billion in spending during those trips. For every dollar the state put into parks, it generated $2.35 in tax revenue.

Yet in his last-minute line-item budget cuts, Gov. Schwarzenegger slashed general fund money to state parks. ...., yet could close 100 parks starting in September.

When it comes to passion, I'll tell you this: Nobody is going to keep me out of the state parks. A lot of people feel exactly the same. We share one thing in common. We have spots in parks where we know "The Power of Place," where we are free of all cares. These spots make us whole.

One of these places for me is in the interior of Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains, at the brink of Silver Falls in Berry Creek Canyon. You can touch the water as it flows past and watch it sail over the cliff, then turn to your right and take in the lower cascade of Golden Falls, flowing like a giant golden water slide.

Big Basin Redwoods is one of the parks that probably will be on the list of park closures because loses money on offseason weekdays. But when the waterfalls flow in Berry Creek Canyon, I'm going. They can close Big Basin headquarters, gate the road and parking lots, put up no parking signs and have helicopter surveillance, but I'll go. I know the woods better than they do, and I defy them to catch me.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: goldenstate; poaching; stateparks; yourtaxdollarsatwork
He's smarter than the av-er-age bear!
1 posted on 08/24/2009 12:46:25 PM PDT by SmithL
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To: SmithL

Perhaps if government was run as a for profit business they wouldn’t be living paycheck to paycheck.


2 posted on 08/24/2009 12:49:55 PM PDT by LauraJean (sometimes I win sometimes I donate to the equine benevolent society)
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To: SmithL
For every dollar the state put into parks, it generated $2.35 in tax revenue.

135% ROI?

No business manager would turn this project down in the private sector...

Makes you wonder how in the world did Arnold make so much money?

3 posted on 08/24/2009 12:54:11 PM PDT by John123 (My Definition of Liberals - Folks who validates their existence by calling someone a racist.)
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To: SmithL

“For every dollar the state put into parks, it generated $2.35 in tax revenue.”

Close everything that makes money and keep spending on things that waste money.

That’s government way.


4 posted on 08/24/2009 12:57:04 PM PDT by ryan71 (What the hell's up with spell check?)
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To: SmithL

Why doesn’t the State just put up a ‘Use at Your Own Risk’ sign, close any facilities, and leave the parks open? That’s the way they were 100 years ago. Closing them seems punitive.


5 posted on 08/24/2009 1:00:11 PM PDT by Old North State
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To: John123

This is done to P.O. the tax payer and make him more amenable to tax increases.


6 posted on 08/24/2009 1:02:32 PM PDT by Lurkina.n.Learnin
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To: SmithL
They recently raised the entry rate for Seacliff State Beach and now no one parks down there, they avoid the new fee by parking for free up on the the cliffs. So, by raising the fees they succeeded in losing more revenue.

It's a nation of Pinheads, sez Zippy.

7 posted on 08/24/2009 1:06:19 PM PDT by EggsAckley (There's an Ethiopian in the fuel supply. W.C. Fields)
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To: Lurkina.n.Learnin

Exactly.

- release prisoners from Jail? Yes
- Close profitable State Parks? Yes
- Slaughter zoo animals and serve them to homeless people? Yes.

- Cut 100K a year pensions? No
- Cut off fund to illegals? No


8 posted on 08/24/2009 1:08:19 PM PDT by MNDude (The Republican Congress Economy--1995-2007)
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To: ryan71
Close everything that makes money and keep spending on things that waste money.

Close things that people enjoy and maybe they'll pony up the cash come next election. It's just like when a school bond fails to pass and the first thing that gets cut are the bus routes. "Don't want to give us more money? Drive your own kids to school!" is the mentality.

Same thing going on here.

9 posted on 08/24/2009 1:21:42 PM PDT by Drew68
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To: SmithL

When Arnie first proposed closing nearly all state parks, I became curious and looked at the state budget to see how much revenue is produced by park and beach fees, verses the proposed $70 million budget reduction. If I read the two budget schedules correctly, the park and beach fees produce $85 million in revenue annually for the general fund. So, Arnie reduces the general fund allocation to Parks and Recreation by $70 million, but gives up $85 million in revenue.


10 posted on 08/24/2009 2:02:25 PM PDT by RLM
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To: Lurkina.n.Learnin

I agree... :)


11 posted on 08/24/2009 2:18:30 PM PDT by John123 (My Definition of Liberals - Folks who validates their existence by calling someone a racist.)
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To: SmithL

Parks are the only item that taxpayers receive benefit from.
Every other dime - except for police, fire and roads- are going to the welfare and illegal losers.
Now they want to take our parks away.
I think civil disobediance is great.
I would sneak in the parks also.
If you are in good physical shape, the police will not go after you. It would be too difficult for them to hike on a trail to catch you.


12 posted on 08/24/2009 3:07:26 PM PDT by kaila
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To: SmithL

Went to China Camp State Park on July 4th. It was a 400-700ft ascent (depending on which reference you read) — but it was so gradual that you didn’t even notice. I got eaten alive by the bugs (wah!) and my bites lasted over a month — my friend, no bites at all. Closing the parks is really stupid. Thanks, Schwartzy! < :P


13 posted on 08/24/2009 4:10:52 PM PDT by my_pointy_head_is_sharp
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To: SmithL

Every department claims to make money for their upstream enablers...I would take those claims lightly at best.


14 posted on 08/24/2009 5:54:47 PM PDT by BobL
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To: SmithL

That will keep the state parks free of intrusions of the Mexican Marijuana growing plantations. Note, that’s ILLEGAL ALIENS growing pot in the CA parks.


15 posted on 08/24/2009 9:34:35 PM PDT by Eagles2003
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To: SmithL

Well, I agree with this guy, for sure, but...
He writes for the San Fransicko Chronicle? That’s a red flag right there.


16 posted on 08/24/2009 9:41:35 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: Lurkina.n.Learnin
This is done to P.O. the tax payer and make him more amenable to tax increases.

Precisely. You broke the code.

17 posted on 08/24/2009 9:42:41 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: kaila
A California Democrat Speaks the Truth! (May 30, 2009)

Nearly all of the billions of dollars in cuts the administration has proposed would affect programs for poor Californians...

“Government doesn’t provide services to rich people,” Mike Genest, the state’s finance director, said on a conference call with reporters on Friday. “It doesn’t even really provide services to the middle class.” He added: “You have to cut where the money is.”

18 posted on 08/24/2009 9:44:46 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: Lancey Howard

State and local gov’t has been doing this every since prop 13.


19 posted on 08/24/2009 9:50:35 PM PDT by Lurkina.n.Learnin
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