January 10, 2008
Public Park Closures Needed, Says the Gov
Nature lovers will be peeved.
Under the budget proposed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today - dear God, just how did we get here? starting off a sentence like that? - nine local state parks would face a temporary shutdown until California learns how to balance its checkbook, pay its bills on time, stops disrespecting their mommas on Maury, or something like that.
Statewide, the Gov is considering closing 48 state parks. Among those close to home are Henry W. Coe State Park, Candlestick Point State Recreation Area, Austin Creek State Recreation Area, Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve, Tomales Bay State Park in Inverness, Petaluma-Adobe State Historic Park, Portola-Redwood State Park, Benicia Capitol State Historic Park, and Benicia State Recreation Area. They all face temporary closure if and when the Gov and the Legislature compromise on a spending plan later this year. And overall, that's one out of five state parks, folks. Egads.
One more thing, according to the Gate, "money will be spent for patrols to keep people out of the closed parks." How very creepy.
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The Benicia State park has a beautiful walking trail that is five miles long with water views. It's a meeting place for folks to walk, bike, run, and enjoy being outside. There are birds and other nature-riffic stuff to take in, as well. We walk it whenever we visit my folks. I'm sad to hear it will be closed!
Maybe folks can organize around the park they love and learn if they can form a non-profit that acts as a trust and a stewardship for the park. As an aside, I think we're going to find ourselves with the responsibility to take on more and more duties ourselves... and maybe that isn't all bad. ??
Helpful hint: when you keep on voting for more and more bonds for things like the Stem Cell Con Job Institute and zillions more in bonds every election cycle, you are adding to the state's budget problems.
All of that debt has to be repaid, PLUS interest. This is having a real impact on the state budget.
Next time you hear some plea to "vote for money for [insert worthy sounding cause here]" think carefully if you want to pile on more credit card debt and f*ck up the state even more.
First of all, the governor is a cock-gobbling nazi who couldn't manage a tapioca drink franchise in a subsidized Japantown kiosk. Secondly, there is no secondly.
Just got my ballot tonight ... No on all the propositions except the Park Bond is my inclination.
Rather than massive cuts in education and closing state parks, how about figuring out a way to increase the state's revenue? David Lazarus (remember him, used to write for the Chron?) has a nice piece in the LA Times which makes a great point:
"We can't afford Prop 13 anymore."
It is high time that Californians take a good look at reforming this misguided piece of legislation.
rzu, if I was a nail, you'd have hit my head.
Uh-huh. The old "closing the Washington Monument" trick. When the govt wants more cash, they very ostentatiously put popular items on the chopping block, knowing there will be an uproar, instead of cutting bureaucracy or perks or dumb programs nobody cares about.
And lookie here - there's a *parks bond* on the ballot! What a coincidence!
i think rzu is right. it could be the solution to the lack of housing supply in the city as well, when all the old folks are forced to sell and retire somewhere else outside of california.
So what happens if we go into the parks anyway? Tasers?
AJ is right. This is all about the park bond in Feb.
It makes me want to vote no.
Don't confuse the City's park bond proposition A with this Governor talk of closing State parks ... two different thangs.
Killing Prop. 13 - now that would shake things up. I'd definitely demand the sales tax be immediately cut to 4%.