I try not to get political on my blog. I have an opinion on just about everything in this world, but I have always felt like this was a blog to encourage families to get out and explore the world around them and not a forum to discuss health care or tax increases. However, there are exceptions to every rule and this exception is one very close to my heart- our State Parks.
California’s State Parks are in serious jeopardy. Our state government has done an atrocious job of managing our budget and now it is forced to cut funding. As a result, many of our state parks are already on reduced hours, have higher entry fees, and a reduction in staff. Many parks are threatened with closures while others are experiencing increases in crime due to lack of security. Luckily- there is an answer to our State Park’s financial worries- Prop 21.
Under Prop 21- an $18 fee will be attached to our vehicle licensing renewal and Californians will be able to enjoy unlimited free access to their State Parks. This will not only save our State Parks; it will also encourage people to make good use of their $18 fee and explore some of the most gorgeous parts of our state. In our current economy, $18 for a year of unlimited visits to state run parks, beaches, and historical sites is an incredible bargain.
I have written about my family’s experiences at several of our State Parks throughout the years with the hopes of encouraging other families to get out and enjoy them for themselves. We have explored and shared Bothe Napa Valley State Park, San Onofre State Beach, Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, Mt Diablo State Park, the California State Tule Elk Reserve, Torrey Pines State Beach and Reserve, Huntington State Beach, Pt Mugu State Park, and Crystal Cove State Park and still have so many more State Park experiences left to share. I don’t want to get you excited about a park, only to find it has been closed due to lack of funding. And I certainly don’t want to miss out on visiting a park because there is no money in the budget to keep it open. So please, vote YES on 21 and keep our State Parks funded. Your children will thank you.
Participating in a very special Save Our State Parks edition of Trekaroo’s Spotlight Thursday. Click on the link and see who else is playing along.
5 comments:
All the above places are really worth visiting destinations to see in California.
Hey, I can't view your site properly within Opera, I actually hope you look into fixing this.
Hard to imagine life without state parks. I hope it passes--wish I could lend my vote to the cause. I agree with you, it seems like such a great bargain. I buy a pass each year here in Indiana for $35.
I'm voting "yes," but my husband says, "why? they'll just take that money and use it for something else." What can I say to convince him otherwise? P.S. Love the blog.
Hi Christina- According to the Yes on 21 website: Prop. 21 has tough fiscal and accountability safeguards to protect the voters’ investment in parks and natural resources, and the Legislature could not reallocate the Trust Fund for other uses.
Tell your husband that these were the concerns of those who put together Prop 21 as well and in order to protect our parks and their funding, the proper safeguards have been put into place to keep the money out of the grubby hands of the politicians. :)
Thank you for the compliments and I hope you husband can be convinced.
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