Calif. won’t pay to keep national parks open
By Paul Rogers, San Jose Mercury News
Thousand of visitors were turned away Tuesday from national parks across California as the federal government shutdown took effect.
But for parks lovers and tourist businesses hoping for a bailout from Sacramento to keep iconic sites open, the answer was no. California Gov. Jerry Brown, whose state is home to 26 national park units, from Yosemite to Death Valley to Point Reyes National Seashore, said no state money will be offered to keep the gates open.
Not only are there a lot of parks, said H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the state Department of Finance, but California’s budget is finally balanced after years of multi-billion-dollar deficits, and can’t afford the expense.
“Also, if the state were to take that action, there is no guarantee that it would be reimbursed,” Palmer said.
On Monday, the governor of South Dakota, Republican Dennis Daugaard, sent a letter to the director of the National Park Service offering state funding and employees to help keep open Mount Rushmore, the state’s top tourist attraction. Arizona’s governor used state money in 1995 in an arrangement with national parks leaders to keep Grand Canyon National Park open during the last federal shutdown. Arizona’s current Gov. Jan Brewer said Monday her cabinet considered the idea but the state won’t bail out the Grand Canyon this time.
Well, I’ve already fired off a note to my congressman, Mr. “I love god,” who seems to be more worried about his position as a “freshman” congressman than about exercising actual leadership.
Yosemite Valley, in the absence of other compelling “faiths,” has been my Cathedral for at least 60 years (yeah, I am that old).
The fact that American citizens can no longer enter that cathedral because a few screwball congressman have an agenda more like the Taliban than anything American is simply infuriating. Even worse is that there are many members of their own political party who would disagree, but are too cowardly to face the repercussions. Have we become a nation of political cowards? Or have we simply been taken over by the crazies?
Copper, crazy is a strong word.
Traitors would be more fitting. Unpatriotic Cretans bent on having their own way might work too.
Here is an interesting Story
“The National Park Service has ordered the closure of a Virginia park that sits on federal land, even though the government provides no resources for its maintenance or operation.”
http://freebeacon.com/shutdown-theater/
Very unamerican of people here to throw out phrases like Traitor and Taiban. These are extremely harsh words for people to use over a political debate over that makes america more democratic. Taliban is all about controling peoples thoughts and the way live their lives. Traitors are people who give comfort to enemies of the country.
Reloman, you just captured the true spirit of today’s GOP by your definition of those two words.
Good job! You really get it.
Hey folks, is this so bad that you’re upset over a week or a few weeks lost. This is a hiatus on visiting national parks and some other federally managed places. That’s all that will happen. Yosemite is great, but closing it for a little while is not the end of the world. I read the story and Governor Brown is correct to let it close under these circumstances. They worked hard for months to balance the California budget. To blow the state’s balanced budget so that people can visit Yosemite would be fiscally irresponsible. I applaud Jerry Brown on this, and you should too. No matter which side of this you support, you should be supporting a temporary closure now. Don’t let your anger cut off your ability to reason. Remember it’s only temporary.
Have you seen the type of tourist that typically goes to Yosemite lately? I think Yosemite can use the break from all that congestion, trampling and littering. Let it rest in peace and breathe for a week or so.
COME TO TAHOE..! We’re open!!