Park Fee No Thanks

042110
No Thanks Park Fee

The California State Parks and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund Act of 2010 will add an additional $18.00 per vehicle per year to save the State Parks.

In exchange, California vehicles could get in to state parks free. For us, that would be Plumas-Eureka or Malakoff Diggins.

A car is a necessity for people who have to work, particularly poor and rural people. Gas already costs three prices; tires have extra taxes and burdens on them; you have to have insurance. You can end up owning a wreck but paying nearly the same as everyone else for those fees. This fee is just more of that.

We here at the prospect love our state parks as much as anyone, but no, no thanks.

The Sierra Club supports the parks act. According to a Sierra Club publication, their members average about $80,000 a year income. Most of us make less than that, and an additional eighteen bucks a year for parks we support in general but never visit is too much.

Here’s a suggestion for the Sierra Club: pass a fee per dollar value of the vehicle. If it is a ten year old minivan it isn’t worth much, don’t apply any fee. However, a three year old BMW, sure, charge them. Humvees? Oh, get those guys for sure.

Who supports the fee:

Here; 

Here; 

Here.