Close most state parks after Labor Day? Is the governor serious? As part of his post-special-election-fiasco forecast of financial Armageddon for California, last week Schwarzenegger announced he is considering closing all but 59 of the 279 state parks. His plan would close all 19 of Santa Cruz County’s state parks, which include 10 state beaches, after Labor Day.
Aside from the utter madness of shuttering one of the few state enterprises that actually produces some revenue, doesn’t this seem wildly impractical? For one thing, what would keep people out of the parks, especially if there are no rangers or other state employees collecting money from visitors? Sure, water and electricity would be cut off and bathrooms would be locked, but they’re often unavailable anyway.
Then there’s the question of maintenance. If the state ever gets its budget under control, and money would ostensibly be available again for state parks, wouldn’t it take a pretty massive outlay to clean up the mess after a winter or season of neglect?
Two points: Saving $70 million in salaries for parks employees wouldn’t on the surface seem to make much a difference in a $25 billion state deficit. But, then again, Schwarzenegger is proposing to cut another $143 million in parks’ funding in the next budget (2010-11). However — parks not only generate user fees, but also generate another $2.5 billion or so in ancillary spending, as the 80 million visitors pump money into local economies, which in turn, are a river of cash pouring into the state’s sea of spending.
Second, will there be any more discussion of former Assemblyman John Laird’s proposal to hike vehicle license fees to raise money for parks? Laird’s proposal last year to add $10 to the cost of registering a vehicle would have made parks free for state residents, but could be resurrected again to keep them open. Couldn’t it?
