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State Parks Budget Update
As you may have heard, last night the Big 5 (Governor Schwarzenegger plus the Democratic and Republican leaders in the State Senate and Assembly) announced they have reached a deal on the state budget. The details are not yet in print, but several sources are confirming that $70 million of the park system's General Fund allocation will be eliminated, with $62 million backfilled by other funding sources on what appears to be a one-time basis.
This leaves the state park system with an $8 million gap, and is expected to result in park closures. At this time, there is not a list of certain closures, we do not know how many or which parks may be closed as a result of the budget deal.
Considering where we started just 8 weeks ago, this outcome is better for state parks than most people could have imagined. We are not finished – the Legislature still needs to approve the budget deal by the end of the week and more details need to come out regarding the parks that will close – but the fact that we're looking at a much more scaled-down version of park cuts than we started with is welcome news. It is certainly a testament to the Save Our State Parks Campaign, the tens of thousands of Californians – like you! – who stood up for their parks, and the efforts of all of us that we've stared down such a draconian proposal.
In terms of next steps, the deal must be agreed to by 2/3 of the Legislature, and they're expected to vote on it on Thursday or Friday. As you can imagine, there are plenty of pieces in this agreement for all sides to hate, but let's hope there is the will to at least get this passed now, to keep the state moving forward.
Thank you for your efforts to help Save Our State Parks, and we will update you once a final state budget is in place.
Traci Verardo-Torres
Vice President, Government Affairs
** photos from the SOS Weekend
Considering where we started just 8 weeks ago, this outcome is better for state parks than most people could have imagined. We are not finished – the Legislature still needs to approve the budget deal by the end of the week and more details need to come out regarding the parks that will close – but the fact that we're looking at a much more scaled-down version of park cuts than we started with is welcome news. It is certainly a testament to the Save Our State Parks Campaign, the tens of thousands of Californians – like you! – who stood up for their parks, and the efforts of all of us that we've stared down such a draconian proposal.
In terms of next steps, the deal must be agreed to by 2/3 of the Legislature, and they're expected to vote on it on Thursday or Friday. As you can imagine, there are plenty of pieces in this agreement for all sides to hate, but let's hope there is the will to at least get this passed now, to keep the state moving forward.
Thank you for your efforts to help Save Our State Parks, and we will update you once a final state budget is in place.
Traci Verardo-Torres
Vice President, Government Affairs
** photos from the SOS Weekend
For more information:
http://www.calparks.org
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What part of "California is going bankrupt" dont you understand? The state has better things to do with all that money, than pay a bunch of otherwise-out-of-work park cops and flunkee biologists who werent good enough to find jobs in the private sector. People need food and medicine and shelter, and you want to spend this money on landscape maintenance and bug-hunting?
This is all just hysterical fear-mongering. "Save" the parks from what? From growing wild? That's what Mother Nature does. Where do you think the parks came from? The government built them? No, they grew all by themselves with nothing but sun and wind and rain and soil.
This isnt about saving parks, it's about saving overpaid government salaries. We dont need you people, and we cant afford to keep throwing money at you. You've had years of a free ride off the taxpayers' backs, now it's time for you to get real jobs.
If the parks really do "return $2 for every $1 spent" in terms of local business, then local business should support these parks. Not taxes collected from people all over the state. If this is the true cost of running a park, let the park attendees pay it with higher use fees. Oh, afraid they wont? Then cut your costs down to something reasonable, instead of forcing everyone in the state to pay for cops and bird-watchers in every park in the state.
Ive got bills to pay, I need my taxes lowered so I can survive!
This is all just hysterical fear-mongering. "Save" the parks from what? From growing wild? That's what Mother Nature does. Where do you think the parks came from? The government built them? No, they grew all by themselves with nothing but sun and wind and rain and soil.
This isnt about saving parks, it's about saving overpaid government salaries. We dont need you people, and we cant afford to keep throwing money at you. You've had years of a free ride off the taxpayers' backs, now it's time for you to get real jobs.
If the parks really do "return $2 for every $1 spent" in terms of local business, then local business should support these parks. Not taxes collected from people all over the state. If this is the true cost of running a park, let the park attendees pay it with higher use fees. Oh, afraid they wont? Then cut your costs down to something reasonable, instead of forcing everyone in the state to pay for cops and bird-watchers in every park in the state.
Ive got bills to pay, I need my taxes lowered so I can survive!
Yesterday [July 28, 2009] the Governor signed a revised Fiscal Year 2009-2010 state budget, based on the package of bills sent to him by the Legislature on July 24. In using his blue-pencil veto authority the Governor exacted an additional $6.2 million cut to the state park system, bringing the total General Fund cut to $14.2 million. It is expected that this will result in the closure of more than 100 of California's 279 state parks, more than 1/3 of the state park system!
Take action now to help stop these closures!
The Department of Parks and Recreation has not yet released a list of which parks will be included on this closure list or when exactly park closures will start taking place. We will provide you with updates as details are released.
The news of park closures is not only devastating to park users, but also to local economies. Please take a moment to send a message to your legislators urging them to take action to stop these closures. Our state parks need your support now more than ever before!
Thank you for your efforts to help us Save Our State Parks!
Take action now to help stop these closures!
The Department of Parks and Recreation has not yet released a list of which parks will be included on this closure list or when exactly park closures will start taking place. We will provide you with updates as details are released.
The news of park closures is not only devastating to park users, but also to local economies. Please take a moment to send a message to your legislators urging them to take action to stop these closures. Our state parks need your support now more than ever before!
Thank you for your efforts to help us Save Our State Parks!
For more information:
http://www.calparks.org/
A Word From the President
Brother, Can you Spare $14.2 Million? After two months of intense lobbying by state park advocates and park supporters across the state, the verdict for state parks finally came down in late July: the Legislature passed a revised state budget that contained an $8 million cut to the state parks system. Days later, the Governor signed the budget but extracted an additional $6.2 million. Granted, this is better than the original proposal from late May to take $70 million from the state park system, but it will still have dramatic and severe consequences. As a result of this budget cut—plus the continuing state furloughs and other park-related budget reductions—100 state parks are estimated to close. Like many parts of this year's budget saga, however, this story may not yet be over.
Legislative leaders have questioned the Governor's authority to make reductions in the budget bill that was sent to him on July 24. Just yesterday, they received legal opinions concluding he did exceed his authority. Does this mean state parks will be saved? It's too early to tell. Even if the Governor's action were to be nullified, the $8 million cut instituted by the Legislature would stand, resulting in the closure of between 30-50 state parks. As we sort through this new twist in the budget saga, it's critical that we continue to keep the state parks closures front and center with lawmakers, who may revisit the cuts when they return from summer recess on August 17. Please make your voice heard—contact your legislators and let them know that closing state parks is penny wise and pound foolish and will create long-term damage to our proud state park legacy.
Brother, Can you Spare $14.2 Million? After two months of intense lobbying by state park advocates and park supporters across the state, the verdict for state parks finally came down in late July: the Legislature passed a revised state budget that contained an $8 million cut to the state parks system. Days later, the Governor signed the budget but extracted an additional $6.2 million. Granted, this is better than the original proposal from late May to take $70 million from the state park system, but it will still have dramatic and severe consequences. As a result of this budget cut—plus the continuing state furloughs and other park-related budget reductions—100 state parks are estimated to close. Like many parts of this year's budget saga, however, this story may not yet be over.
Legislative leaders have questioned the Governor's authority to make reductions in the budget bill that was sent to him on July 24. Just yesterday, they received legal opinions concluding he did exceed his authority. Does this mean state parks will be saved? It's too early to tell. Even if the Governor's action were to be nullified, the $8 million cut instituted by the Legislature would stand, resulting in the closure of between 30-50 state parks. As we sort through this new twist in the budget saga, it's critical that we continue to keep the state parks closures front and center with lawmakers, who may revisit the cuts when they return from summer recess on August 17. Please make your voice heard—contact your legislators and let them know that closing state parks is penny wise and pound foolish and will create long-term damage to our proud state park legacy.
For more information:
http://www.calparks.org/newsletter/2009/ca...
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