BYE, BYE, AMERICAN PARKS
Once upon a time Americans could frolic in the nation's 390 parks, monuments, seashore and recreation areas run by the Park Service. They were places where a two-week vacation seemed to stretch into eternity. It was cheap enough, too, for a salaried worker to bring along his kids and grandma.
Families who spent the other 50 weeks cramped together in city apartments surrounded by concrete sidewalks could breathe unpolluted air, see waterfalls cascading down rocky slopes and gaze in awe at the majestic horizon. They could touch the redwood, aspen or pine trees, smell the flowers and grass and catch a glimpse of wildlife from butterfly to bear. This was our precious heritage that stretches back to President Theodore Roosevelt (a Republican, but how different from today's lot that claims the name).
Now restrooms are closed in Acadia National Park, Maine, educational programs at Grand Canyon have been cut by a third, one of six visitor centers at Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, has been shut down. And don't get thirsty in Glacier National Park, Montana. The campgrounds' faucets with drinkable water have been turned off. You won't see very many of those friendly park rangers in the Smokey-the-Bear hats, either. They're on the endangered list, to be replaced by "volunteers."
According to a new report by the federal Government Accountability Office there's not enough money in the parks budget to maintain service levels. And the Bush admininistration is calling for a $100 million CUT for next year from last year's $1.7 billion allocation. Besides that, the parks agency has a $5 billion hole in its maintenance budget. So there you have it, folks. Service is disappearing at the parks. And whatever structures that foresighted earlier administrations put in place: bridges, roads, buildings are all going to fall into ruins. Soon our national parks will be suitable for archaeological digs.
Isn't it wonderful that there's enough money in our national budget to give generous tax cuts to wealthy individuals, but not enough to fund the national parks which give so much delight to so many ordinary Americans?
Once upon a time Americans could frolic in the nation's 390 parks, monuments, seashore and recreation areas run by the Park Service. They were places where a two-week vacation seemed to stretch into eternity. It was cheap enough, too, for a salaried worker to bring along his kids and grandma.
Families who spent the other 50 weeks cramped together in city apartments surrounded by concrete sidewalks could breathe unpolluted air, see waterfalls cascading down rocky slopes and gaze in awe at the majestic horizon. They could touch the redwood, aspen or pine trees, smell the flowers and grass and catch a glimpse of wildlife from butterfly to bear. This was our precious heritage that stretches back to President Theodore Roosevelt (a Republican, but how different from today's lot that claims the name).
Now restrooms are closed in Acadia National Park, Maine, educational programs at Grand Canyon have been cut by a third, one of six visitor centers at Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, has been shut down. And don't get thirsty in Glacier National Park, Montana. The campgrounds' faucets with drinkable water have been turned off. You won't see very many of those friendly park rangers in the Smokey-the-Bear hats, either. They're on the endangered list, to be replaced by "volunteers."
According to a new report by the federal Government Accountability Office there's not enough money in the parks budget to maintain service levels. And the Bush admininistration is calling for a $100 million CUT for next year from last year's $1.7 billion allocation. Besides that, the parks agency has a $5 billion hole in its maintenance budget. So there you have it, folks. Service is disappearing at the parks. And whatever structures that foresighted earlier administrations put in place: bridges, roads, buildings are all going to fall into ruins. Soon our national parks will be suitable for archaeological digs.
Isn't it wonderful that there's enough money in our national budget to give generous tax cuts to wealthy individuals, but not enough to fund the national parks which give so much delight to so many ordinary Americans?
posted by cassandra | 11:35 AM
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