Gov. Paterson and parks Commissioner Carol Ash are planning to close dozens of parks and historic sites to help close the state’s $9.2 billion deficit. These sites include historic locations from the Revolutionary War as well as the cancellation of Fourth of July fireworks on Long Island. We continue this downward spiral across the country as we continue to spend billions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Moreover, many of these closures and cancellations will save a million dollars or less while the Obama administration is planning to pay for a short-range missile defense system for Israel of more than $200 million and increasing military aid to over $3.15 billion this year, here.
The Administration and Congress continues to gush money, including paying for the defense of foreign countries, as states are destroying their parks, educational systems, and public programs. This includes spending wildly on oil-rich countries like Iraq or affluent countries like Israel. Perhaps we can have tourists divert to Baghdad to see the olympic-sized swimming pool built at the demand of the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior (here) or to Israel to see the rocket defense system given to that country.
For the full story, click here.
Buckeye:
they are run by private foundations. they have to make a “profit” to help pay for upkeep on the properties. They are not run by the National Park Service.
Puzz,
Yeah, right … it’s all the average citizen, government worker, union member’s fault …. pure right-wing poppycock which leads to the mistaken belief that all states have to do is cut out the good-for-nothing public worker’s union and all financial problems will be solved without having to raise taxes or cut services.
The median weekly pay for public sector workers is $842 and the median weekly pay for private-sector unionized workers is $839.
The median income for “aged units” with a private pension and Social Security is $31,227. The median income for “aged units” with Social Security and a Federal pension is
$33,918 – an .8% difference. The number of public sector employees who receive affluent (100k) pensions is 1.3% of the public sector workforce.
What about all the offshore outsourcing of Federal and State jobs, wherein U.S. taxpayer dollars are funding job creation in other nations? How did that work out … big savings … right … no savings. Geez … I wonder why.
We all know why we’re in this mess … look to Wall Street … look to the big banks … look to all the elected and appointed public officials since the late 90’s … stop scapegoating the cop, the teacher, the trash collector.
can somebody please explain to me how the federal government spending any amount of money on anything affects the state of new york and its inability to balance its own budget.
Byron
Not sure what you mean. Williamsburg and Mt.Vernon are run by non-profit associations – not private for-profit companies.
I’ve been to both and no, I don’t think think private entrepreneurs care as much about history as they do about making money. Remember what they wanted to do with Gettysburg.
Let them develop around the edges, we can’t do anything about that, but don’t sell our heritage off to them. We may have to do that some day, to pay our debts, but I hope I’m gone by then.
Anyone that’s been to historic areas that weren’t protected by the government and/or foundations can see what can happen.
Puzz,
Why do you not think that the government really wants to bust up UNIONS?
Puzzling:
there is a 4th way, a top to bottom overhaul of state government privatizing what can be privatized and having fee for services on things that cant be privatized. And looking at various options that would generate revenue for the state from private companies paying user fees to use state lands or other properties.
Buckeye:
have you ever been to one of the “monuments” I mentioned. It isn’t “soylent green” by any stretch of the imagination. I have been to both Williamsburg and Mount Vernon, they are well run very positive places.
You don’t think people in the private sector care as much about our history as government employees?
Pete:
one reason for library closures could be the preponderance of inexpensive reading material available on the Internet and used book stores that sell paperbacks for $0.50. I personally think a library is a waste of time, buy a book on the Internet or down-load hundreds of volumes of out of copyright books for free.
You can download the works of Shakespeare, Aristotle, Cicero, Epicurus, Thomas Aquinas, Sun Tzu, and others for free. The University of Pennsylvania or Penn State has a website that has numerous works of fiction available.
Why do we need public libraries? Blockbuster and Net Flicks aren’t government owned and they make money. Barnes and Noble isn’t government run and they make money.
It is time to start rethinking government ownership of much more than just monuments and libraries.
Public schools, public transportation, local fire departments and police forces, local building officials, animal control services, and the post office are just some organizations that might do well with privatization. We need to lose the meme that government is able to do all things for all people. Maybe it is time to start privatizing what we can to save money.
Almost all states are completely broke. Comparing all future obligations against future tax receipts, there is simply no way that the current rates of state spending can be maintained. Massive and fundamental cuts in spending are required.
The primary driver of this imbalance is state paid wages and pension benefits demanded by public sector unions. Politicians grant massive pay and expand union jobs in order to get re-elected. In many states the largest campaign donors – by far – are public sector unions.
This ends one of three ways:
1. The federal government bails out states, using debt created by the US Treasury and “sold” to our central banking system. Also called inflation.
2. States default
3. Many state functions are federalized
Here’s 30 seconds on politicians learning the raw power of unions:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avB_iFEURY4&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
they’ve started closing libraries here in florida too. the public golf courses seem to be doing ok though.
Byron
It may come to the point we have to sell our national treasures to pay our debts, but I sincerely doubt it will be a “better experience” and I hope I’m gone long before that occurs. “Soylent Green” comes to mind.
lobbying was started informally in the Grant Administration, coincidence? I wonder if Grant knew John Wilkes Booth?
privatize them and let the “proprietors” make money and pay rent back to the state. Fee for service for this type of thing makes sense and would probably even make for a better experience. It might actually make the state some money instead of costing it money and it may even add some jobs to the local economy. Look what Dollywood did for central Tennessee. 🙂
Look at Williamsburg, Virginia which is a privately run enterprise and was repaired through funds provided by charity, same with Mount Vernon in Alexandria and with Monticello and Montpelier in Orange County, Virginia.
I cant say that this is a problem. All 4 of those places mentioned are usually packed.
I agree with our learned professor but I’d also like to thank Wall Street, the banks, and all those elected and appointed officials who, since the late 90’s, have managed to destroy our nation’s economic health. The history books will name you forever.
Gosh, I don’t think Obama’s stimulus plan is working very well.
This is going to really crimp the tea party’s style – free space and police protection – gone!
This appears to be a state budget problem, not a federal budget problem, so no matter what is spent elsewhere, it won’t affect these parks.
The worst problem is that the Federal government has threatened to cause the parks to revert to Federal control and then they can be sold to private companies.
[In a letter dated March 31, National Parks Service Northeast Regional Director Dennis Reidenbach wrote that the move would put New York in “non-compliance” with the requirements for taking funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and Federal Land for Parks Program.
“…NPS may initiate suspension and debarment procedures to have all Federal funds (e.g. Recreation, Housing, Transportation, Education etc.) withheld from the State of New York,” Reidenbach wrote. “In addition, closure of any park acquired through FLP could result in reversion of the property to Federal ownership and subsequent sale of the property.”
…..
Eileen Larrabee, a spokeswoman for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, said they don’t believe the proposed closures put the state in violation.
“We are as committed to these parks and these public spaces as anybody else. We are dealing with the current fiscal crisis, and we simply do not have the funding to open all of these parks right now,” she said. “Ultimately we believe that these closures are temporary and not permanent, and we’re not converting the land. We would assert that the funding is not jeopardized.”]
http://www.americasstateparks.com/article_46_risk-millions.html
Nice find, W=c.
WsaC
Do you think Pres. Lincoln was one of the first corporate influenced assassinations?
“We the People” are being sold out to the highest bidder, in an act of Constitutional subversion, most probably to ‘Globalization’ and the enthroned corporations. Lincoln, in a Jules Verne moment, forseaw this;
“I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . . corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.”
— U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864
(letter to Col. William F. Elkins)
Ref: The Lincoln Encyclopedia, Archer H. Shaw (Macmillan, 1950, NY)
The closing of parks is happening along the gulf coast too. We all know why.
Bring the economy home stupid.
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2010/05/most-poison-months-on-record.html
Proff, I could not agree with you more.