Proposal: Hike Vehicle Fees To Pay For State Parks

[CitaDeL]

http://cbs13.com/local/state.parks.v...2.1398480.html

Proposal: Hike Vehicle Fees To Pay For State Parks

A new plan could stop the crippling cuts to California state parks by increasing fees on vehicle licenses, but the idea will need to collect hundreds of thousands of signatures from residents to make it onto the ballot and voters will ultimately need to approve it.

The new ballot initiative proposal would tack on an $18 surcharge to the vehicle license fee and allocate the revenue to state parks. The surcharge would buy car owners an annual pass that will get them into most state parks for free all year.

The plan would create a sizeable pile of cash for the state: $500 million every year. It would save the state $200 million on the general fund budget, even though it would mean the end of $50 million each year from day-use fees.

Will voters see a new tax, or the value of a cheap pass? The first test will come when the proposal's sponsors try to gather the signatures necessary to put the issue on the 2010 ballot.

They will need 433,971 verified signatures, according to the Attorney General's office.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Wow, just wow. Just when you think that Californians are coming to a point where they must wake up to the reality of our budget crisis, they come up with a new plan to increase taxes to save something that should, by all means, be self sustaining.

Instead of charging fees to those who actually use the state parks, they will charge everyone with a car- whether or not they ever drive to or enjoy our state parks. The harsh reality is that without making some hard decisions about what parks we will fund and to what degree, we will only driving more people out of California with added taxation. It either that, or those who must stay or wish to stay will revolt.

[Ayatollahgondola]

I think big business will fight this one tooth and nail. they have large fleets, and they would see the biggest increases per payee. I believe this one is DOA

[ilbegone]

About 15% unemployment in my area - no gas money to even get to the park, much less the decision on whether to pay for groceries or rent - and people who have jobs are stuffing spare cash in the mattress, and the knuckleheads think they'll get signatures for a tax increase of any kind?

What planet do they live on?

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Another thought to ponder is that if the state parks are 'free' with the pass you can bet the only ones who will be using them won't be the ones speaking English. Right now so many of our city parks, which of course are free, are almost impossible to enjoy because they've been overtaken. Just try to enjoy a park that's even close to a highly Hispanic/Latino area. And I might add the gang element that they associate don't exactly make a fun day at the park. State parks now charge between $15 to $35 a day depending on where they are and if you plan on camping overnight. Morro Bay is $35 a night and just beautiful. But that would all change if this measure were to pass, no doubt about that.

[Patriotic Army Mom]

You sure hit the nail on the head Jean. Its a joke!