Editorial: State parks in trouble
Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the Feb. 15, 2015, San Diego Union Tribune.
The California parks system is a network of incredible wonderlands spread among 280 parks covering 1.6 million acres from the deserts to the mountains to the sea. But for years, the system has been plagued by bureaucratic mismanagement, badly deteriorating conditions in the parks, a $1 billion backlog in maintenance, and expenses that far surpassed revenues every year.
New leadership in Sacramento, pushed by an independent commission co-chaired by former Sen. Christine Kehoe of San Diego, seems to have a better grip on the problems and what needs to be done. But the task is monumental.
Start with the money, and with some of the state parks in our own backyard.
Yeah, we’ve all heard this before. And it turned out their management was stealing most of the money.
Sure, let’s give the State more of our hard earned money. They ALWAYS spend it so much wiser than WE would if we were permitted to keep it.
I can’t even believe the cojones these civil serpents have to come back AGAIN and say they don’t get enough money.
P.S. The complaint that Ocotillo Wells brought in less money than it cost to maintain it is BOGUS. That park is supposed to be supported by the Green Sticker program; you know, OHV registrations. Entry fees are not expected to support those kinds of parks. More deception on the part of the people who want more of your money. And of course, they also stole the money from the Green Sticker program at the same time they were stealing from the State Parks. . .
You can trust your government. . . no greed there.
Yes Dogula the stealing within the Parks system was huge and unimpeded. I called the CA A.G. years ago to report unusual behavior by management of the Sno-Park program. I had names and details that could have saved the state millions had they taken the info. It also would have put people in jail for embesselment. The state was in good shape at the time and no one could be bothered. Needless to say, why would now be any different?
Disgusting what goes on with these unionized “Serpents” (Perfect Dogula!!) These beaurocracies need to be trimmed drastically! All I see here abouts is a lot of new trucks and equipment floating around, burning up gas. There is not much work going on, but a lot of bodies collecting salaries, clocking retirement bennies and enjoying Tahoe at a heavy pricetag to the tax payers.