WA* State Parks -budget might force shut down by friday

[louiskathy]

Oregon State Parks face possible shutdown affecting 4th of July campers

*edit-- got the state wrong in the title... corrected from Oregon to WA-my bad)
More than a million people who plan to visit Washington State Parks would have to scramble for a Fourth of July “Plan B” if the state government goes into a partial shutdown.

“No body would be allowed to enter the parks Friday, June 30,” said Virginia Painter, spokeswoman for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. “Campers who were in there the night before, they’d have to pack up and leave in the morning so staff can clean up. … Then the gates would be swung.”

Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday that an agreement had been reached in principle on a two-year spending plan, but details were not released and approval is not assured.

If the Legislature doesn’t approve a budget before the end of the state’s fiscal year Friday, a partial shutdown would occur starting Saturday — but state parks employees would use the day before to clean up and mothball sites before they are laid off.

The weekend of the Fourth of July is the busiest camping of the year for Washington State Parks, which includes more than 100 developed sites.

Painter said roughly 11,000 reservation holders as well as an estimated 1.4 million campers and day-use visitors could be blocked from entering the state parks between June 30 and July 8, which would cost the Parks Commission roughly $2 million in revenue.

[jplante4]

I caught some flack for a comment I made in this thread that was far less bothersome than some of the latest. I subsequently deleted that comment. And now I get to say...

CLOSED

[2oldman]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

Funny how for MANY years the parks and public access areas were free. Never a word about being broke. They then started putting a mandatory $5 parks fee on EVERY license renewal. I say mandatory because of the slimy way they do business as in making you UNCHECK a box or you will be charged.

And the SHEEPLE will keep on paying!!!

I remember a guy named Tim Eyman who decided the auto license fees were too high, so he got those reduced to almost nothing. Well, what happened? The good those fees did is gone, but I guess a lot of people thought they were just getting ripped off by the greedy government. It's a very common tale.

I'm a sheeple and will keep on paying. I will gladly pay for a vanity plate, donate the $5, and donate more if I feel like it. They really need it or they wouldn't be asking for it. It's not a conspiracy.

[TurnThePage]

This topic comes up once in while, and lots of opinions are thrown around. A little research reveals that Washington St is NOT near the top of the per capita tax rate, especially if you view it as a percentage of income. Maybe King County and surrounding area are high, but not so much the state as a whole. As a state employee, I'm not at all impressed with the games played in Olympia.

[Cummins12V98]

nohurry wrote:
I buy their Discovery pass every year, and I donate $5 extra dollars when I renew tabs on all my vehicles. I also pay to camp in WA state parks many times a year. So yes, I put my money where my mouth is. I love our state parks. I just wish they would allocate more of the budget to them for upgrades, and upkeep. Surely, as one of the highest per capita taxed states in the union, we can afford to maintain our treasures. Without a parking/discovery pass you can't even drive to a state park and enjoy it for a day for free.

Even with all that you I and others have paid, supposedly they are still BROKE!!! HMMMMM

Funny how for MANY years the parks and public access areas were free. Never a word about being broke. They then started putting a mandatory $5 parks fee on EVERY license renewal. I say mandatory because of the slimy way they do business as in making you UNCHECK a box or you will be charged.

And the SHEEPLE will keep on paying!!!

[pigman1]

2oldman wrote:
Donate once in a while. Then maybe they wouldn't have these problems. If you use the parks, don't be cheap.

And you think that'll solve this. Politicians will always find ways to spend more than they have, and if they don't they'll create another social program to take up the slack and overspend there.

[Lwiddis]

Grit dog, letters, telephone calls, and emails to your elected representatives. Ask for specific reason they oppose passing budget. Same methods to other representatives (not reping you) but with a milder message unless they are seeking statewide office. I believe you would be surprised at how many keep track of communications. Personal visits might work but leave something with your name, contact information and issue position. Be specific...not just "pass a budget." No, I have never been a resident of Illinois. Lastly, "I want to go camping" probably won't sway anyone. Talk about serious safety and health issues going unmet.

[spoon059]

WTP-GC wrote:
If a budget crisis exists, I advocate for closing the departments that handle refilling the EBT cards. That'll never happen...

I'd vote for that...

[nohurry]

I buy their Discovery pass every year, and I donate $5 extra dollars when I renew tabs on all my vehicles. I also pay to camp in WA state parks many times a year. So yes, I put my money where my mouth is. I love our state parks. I just wish they would allocate more of the budget to them for upgrades, and upkeep. Surely, as one of the highest per capita taxed states in the union, we can afford to maintain our treasures. Without a parking/discovery pass you can't even drive to a state park and enjoy it for a day for free.

[DanNJanice]

troubledwaters wrote:
I think WRVPO is right. I would take it one step further, shut down affects everyone. No one gets paid, no one works, no back pay, no essential services, no social security, no air traffic controllers, nothing. There won't ever be a shut down again if that was the way it worked.

There would be a lot more negotiating and compromising going on, and no last minute BS.

Bingo! Best answer yet.
The fact that politicians and the public know that essential services will still be maintained, allows budget fights to get going.

[2oldman]

Donate once in a while. Then maybe they wouldn't have these problems. If you use the parks, don't be cheap.

[Cummins12V98]

ol' yeller wrote:
It is interesting that here in WA you can "voluntarily donate" $5 on top of your vehicle license fee to fund state parks and pay $35 (? can't remember the exact amount) for a pass to go to the state parks but none of that is considered when politicians decide to punish us and the legislature by shutting down everything. Guess I'll have to reconsider those voluntary donations in the future.

The truly PATHETIC part is you have to "uncheck" the box or you will be charged the $5.

[troubledwaters]

WTP-GC
You think it would create the largest shutdown ever.
I think there would never be another shutdown ever.
Guess we'll never know who is right.

[jarata1]

NCWriter wrote:
Oregon or Washington? Puzzled.

He corrected it in his op

[WTP-GC]

troubledwaters wrote:
I think WRVPO is right. I would take it one step further, shut down affects everyone. No one gets paid, no one works, no back pay, no essential services, no social security, no air traffic controllers, nothing. There won't ever be a shut down again if that was the way it worked.

There would be a lot more negotiating and compromising going on, and no last minute BS.

Your scenario would create the largest ever government shutdown, and arguably one that we may not be able to recover from. Your suggestion is the perfect recipe for total and complete anarchy. And since you've shutdown all "essential services", no one will be calling the National Guard to stop the cities from burning to the ground. But you justify your action to teach a lesson to those small handful of people sitting in the Capitol who have a petty disagreement because they have an "R" next to their name and the other people have a "D" next to their name.