With all types of government bodies seeking more MONEY, we in the camping community are finding our old and treasured camping locations CLOSED, or with limits on there uses. Example, Our regular STATE camping location, now charges more money, and is providing far less services than years past. We are lucky to see the grass cut in a timely manner, and forget about the rangers evening talks, ETC, as his position has been eliminated due to $$$. issues, The list is endless, washrooms closed, no toilet paper, TRAIL CLOSED, a tree from last months storm is blocking it, thus due to budget cuts, no body will remove it, or even cut a path through it. One park is only open Friday and Saturday, everyone out of there by 3PM Sunday. Some parks have just CLOSED,,, No money for staff.
The list is endless, and with no real light in the tunnel.
Ideas?
Go elsewhere, improvise, adapt, overcome. volunteer at the park of your choice. Pay more taxes. Talk to the people at the park, see what they need. If this is something important enough to you to post about here, DO SOMETHING. Take responsibility for making your life work the way you want it to. Go out there and grab your share of the fun.
I have volunteered to help out at a local state park near me trimming tree branches that are hanging way to low over the roads for proper clearance. The employees don't have the manpower to do it, it is on their " if we had more money in the budget" list. I was turned down because of liability reasons, so now I camp elsewhere. Makes you wonder, all of the "resort type" campgrounds being built, maybe people are just tired of not having clean and usable facilities.
I like the scout group idea. There may also be civic organizations who would step up to care for a park to help keep it open. Companies around here adopt a road and keep it clean of trash, that might work with some of the parks. Put up a sign with the name of the group or company to recognize them.
Maybe chain gangs?
Might even get permission with help from the local elected officials to form a group of campers who in exchange for camping would work as a group to clean up the park. This might not work as everyone always has $ signs in their eyes.
I am waiting to see how long the state here (FL) continues to pay people to walk along the interstate and weed-eat around the guardrails. Sure would hate to hit one of them guardrails with a bunch of weeds around it.
Good luck, please post what and how you did if you get to do anything to help.
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CSpenceFLY wrote: Unfortunatly I think you will find the liability issue at every turn. Be sure to thank a lawyer for all of the things we can't do in this country.
7th Cav wrote: Sounds like another pretty inefficient use of local taxes to me. Just another cook county story.
It is a simple case of you get what you pay (taxes) for. With no new revenue sources around, governments have to find out ways to do with what they get. So campgrounds get closed, highways don't get maintained, and people wonder why.
Every year a larger percentage of your tax dollars are being spent on "social program issues" like jails, courts, and programs for the poor, etc. Thus, each year there is less money left for schools, parks, and other programs beneficial to those who pay the majority of taxes.
Dick A wrote: Every year a larger percentage of your tax dollars are being spent on "social program issues" like jails, courts, and programs for the poor, etc. Thus, each year there is less money left for schools, parks, and other programs beneficial to those who pay the majority of taxes.
Well this is nearly political, so I'll throw my 2 cents in too...(surprised to see that from a moderator). With all the tax dollars being spent on the war, and tax breaks to big business, I guess it's more invisible to John Q Public to cut "social services" to our families, such as park maintenance, road maintenance, park ranger salaries...
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