[Oceander]

There is nothing particularly noxious in anything that was reported; then again, the details weren't reported, either. However, to say that the government receives revenue when it sells something is to state the blatantly obvious. If the government decides to auction off part of its fleet of vehicles, the proceeds from that auction are "revenues".

In terms of increasing user fees; that all depends. If the government already charges user-fees for certain services, such as entering a national park, then those fees should be adjusted to the current fair market value of the service being supplied - in precisely the same way that a private business would adjust its prices.

For example, according to the national park service's website, the entrance fees for Yellowstone are as follows:

The entrance fee is $25 for a private, noncommercial vehicle; $20 for each snowmobile or motorcycle; or $12 for each visitor 16 and older entering by foot, bike, ski, etc. This fee provides the visitor with a 7-day entrance permit for both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Remember to keep your admission receipt in order to re-enter the parks. Snowmobile operators must possess a valid motor vehicle operator's license.

$25 for a 7-day pass for my private auto to Yellowstone national park! That is a bargain by any stretch of the imagination. For a rough comparison, if you want to drive your car into the parking lot at Crab Meadow Beach in Huntington, LI, and you're not a resident of Huntington, you'll pay $15 a day just to park your car there. For seven days, that'd cost you $105. And that's just for a measly Long Island beach on the Sound.

That user fee could certainly stand to be increased, and that increase would generate additional revenues for the government.

Finally, that's not the same thing as a tax increase because (a) you're only being asked to pay fair market value for the benefit you're getting - an even swap - and (b) if you don't want to pay it, you don't have to go to the park.

That doesn't sound like such an insane idea in principle.

[chiller]

Thanks, Oceander....I'm not piling on yet-- as everyone else here is so anxious to do - until I hear details. Every pubbie I hear is firm on tax increases.(not happening) I suspect they're giving Obie a morsel, so he won't look de-pantsed when forced to submit to huge budget cuts and no tax increases.

We'll see, but hold your damn fire, everyone.

[Recovering_Democrat]

I agree. We need to wait and see the details before we start lighting torches and screaming for blood.

[HeartlandOfAmerica]

$25 for a 7-day pass for my private auto to Yellowstone national park!

Yeah, as long as we ignore that little matter of double taxation. Once to steal the property from the US taxpayer, then again to have the govt's permission to use it.

Real cool!

[bill1952]

>such as entering a national park, then those fees should be adjusted to the current fair market value of the service being supplied - in precisely the same way that a private business would adjust its prices.

Completely false.
Those “employees” are government workers paid by the taxpayers. There is nothing in your example that is NOT paid for by taxpayers & the “adjustment” is not in accordance with free market principles at all. - It is simply political theft writ large.