1. I was over at Sun Lakes a few years ago enjoying the water. We had to pay the $5, but after an hour or so, we wanted to go to another park (the area is kinda like Minnesota- land of 1000 lakes). We would have had to pay another $5 fee.

Can't you make them good for at least a day?

Posted by: swatter on February 24, 2006 10:00 AM

2. Yeah, we know Stefan. E-V-I-L.

Please keep the footnotes up - people need reminding and keep their fires stoked to retake Olympia!!!

Posted by: A Watchdog on February 24, 2006 10:14 AM

3. Swatter:

The fee is for the whole day and is good at any state park. If you pay at one and later to go another... keep your receipt. It will be good at the other park also.

Posted by: right wing wacko on February 24, 2006 10:32 AM

4. The silliness of the park fee struck me hard this weekend. The wife and I went up to the Chuckanut Mountain area for a short hike. We parked at trailhead inside Larrabee State Park, but discovered that we didn't have any cash, had left our checkbooks at home, and there was no way to pay with a credit card number.

We were going to go into town to get some cash, but on the way there came across another trailhead, just outside the state park, inside a county park. So we parked there and used the same trails we would have otherwise.

On reflection, the main problem with the park fee is the absurd "one size fits all" aspect to it. Charging a $5 to park at a popular, crowded park in the middle of June makes sense. Charging those same five dollars to park at a near-empty, ramshackle park in the middle of the winter is just silly. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone is talking about anything more complex than $5 vs. Free.

Posted by: Timothy on February 24, 2006 11:05 AM

5. No tax dies in this legislature. They have time to pass stupid election fraud bills, but tax relief...Ha!

There is no time for tax relief (except for Billionare Sonic Owners that is)

Haven't gone in to a state park since that fee started. Refuse to use them.

Posted by: GS on February 24, 2006 11:10 AM

6. $5 may not seem like much to many persons, but to a struggling family living in a small house, who needs to get the kids outdoors to just stay sane, the parking fee is a big hardship. These persons who really need some outdoors room to run are the very ones who are unable to pay for it. So what do they do? Go get doped up or run in the streets where we all know there are all types of wholesome activities.
These same persons do not have a spare $50 for the year pass on them ever.
Our government was instituted to provide the things that individuals are unable to provide for themselves. What in the world is that for if not a national defense, roads, and parks? All these worthless social programs would not be needed if kids were allowed, encouraged to go hike and explore more.

Posted by: BS on February 24, 2006 11:39 AM

7. Uhh, low income families can get an exemption to the $5 parking fee.

Posted by: Palouse on February 24, 2006 11:48 AM

8. Another great program that you have to go to the great benevolent government for and apply giving all of your earning history and every other detail of your life for? Where and what are the details on this and who in the world heard of them....certainly not the persons who could use it.

Posted by: BS on February 24, 2006 12:03 PM

9. The people who benefit the most from the parks, those who regularly use it within walking distance or own property nearby, don't pay the fee! I suggest taking away money from illegals and putting half of that money into state parks. They would have record funding!

Posted by: AP on February 24, 2006 01:18 PM

10. Why is it that we the taxpayers are always on the hook to bail out State agencies "backlog" of maintenance that was caused by "our" elected officals caused by not properly allocating money where it should go. I will be only happy to pay a small user fee only after the backlog is fully funded by the twits in office. $30 million is nothing to the State with a $1.6 BILLION surplus.

Posted by: CPR on February 24, 2006 05:02 PM

11. Apparently, Rep. Jacobsen moved the bill out of his committee today, so it's back on.

Posted by: jimg on February 24, 2006 05:07 PM

12. Does anyone really believe that the Democrats were going to pass this bill??

This is all for show! They never intended for the parks fee to be repealed....ever! Now they (the slimy Dems) are pulling this "good cop" "bad cop" crap in Olympia to give the impression that at least one of them cares!

With the corrupt Democrats - it's all about the "perception" they give the people...It's NEVER about reality!

This "livid" Democrat Lynn Kessler, vowed to revive the repeal...after Gregoire threw her support behind it.....? Puleeeease! Spare me!

A Democrat who would slay a "cash cow" like the $5.00 park fees are - for the sake of the people??
Hahahahhahahahahah!!!!!

That's a good one!

Posted by: Deborah on February 25, 2006 12:42 AM

13. Um, Deb - I am certainly no fan of the Democrats in Olympia, but they aren't completely stupid. The bill is back in play and they'll pass it with overwhelming bi-partisan support.

What we should be watching is how - or if - they're going to replace the money.

Posted by: jimg on February 25, 2006 09:37 AM

14. "He lied to me. He totally lied, [Kessler] said."

Hmmm. I hope Rep. Kessler isn't impugning the motives of a member. You'd hate to see that.

Posted by: stu on February 25, 2006 01:52 PM

15. Stu is right! If Kessler puts that kind of inflamatory language in an offical press release or document or even on the floor she should be subject to sanction by the house thought police.

Oh wait, that's just when the minority questions the majority, sorry about that.

Posted by: Roscoe on February 25, 2006 02:31 PM

16. In a strange way I'm in favor of the fee, it keeps out the riff raff.

In fact I have a better idea,let's raise the fee to 25 bucks.

-big yellow taxi

Posted by: Andy on February 25, 2006 06:44 PM

17. I'm with Stefan on this one..."The money goes to maintain and improve the parks and it's only fair that those of us who use the parks contribute a little extra to their upkeep."

It's a user fee...not a tax. Maybe that's splitting hairs for some, but it's something you don't have to pay.

I do have a hard time accepting BS' assertion "$5 may not seem like much to many persons, but to a struggling family...the parking fee is a big hardship. These persons who really need some outdoors room to run are the very ones who are unable to pay for it. So what do they do? Go get doped up"

Huh? They can't afford a parking fee but have money for drugs? Since when poor personal choices the government's fault? People have $5. Cut the ice cream, beer, cigarettes, etc. It's called priorites.

My problem is the repeal will create a hole in parks' budget; where is the money going to come from? Nobody has any idea.

I do have to agree with Andy, too. The fee does keep the crowds down, but I wouldn't go as far as riff-raff, however, I did read someplace that vandalism in the parks (which costs big $$$$) is down.

Posted by: Jon on February 25, 2006 10:13 PM

18. "My problem is the repeal will create a hole in parks' budget; where is the money going to come from? Nobody has any idea."

First of all...There should be no hole in the budget for park maintenance. We pay for that with our taxes....always have...
What nobody has any idea of..is where that tax money is going.......

This is a wonderful example of why we need performance audits! The people of this state have a right to know where our tax money is going and how it's spent! That's probably why this repeal was even put on the table.....The Dems knew people were going to start asking questions and "peformance audits" were approved by voters last November.......They thought if they were to try to end the $5.00 fee before anyone asked for an audit..they wouldn't get caught.....Now - they are playing the people with this nonsense good-cop bad-cop legislature.... Create some chaos so everyone looks "forward"....not "backwards"...where the truth is...

History is what kills the liberal Dems.... History always forces them to explain themselves in their current corrupt deeds.... They keep trying to rewrite it...or they try to withold it from public disclosure...but someone always has a copy of a history...

Posted by: Deborah on February 25, 2006 10:34 PM

19. "First of all...There should be no hole in the budget for park maintenance. We pay for that with our taxes....always have...
What nobody has any idea of..is where that tax money is going......."

Well, don't you think that if this fee was so bad or being misspent Stefan would be the first to complain?

Look, I am no fan of state government, and performance audits for the state are a great idea, but to say this fee was not properly spent, I'm sorry, I don't agree. Also, I'd rather have my taxes go for more important things like public safety than parks...so making the users pay for the parks is not bad.

Do you think the ferries or mass transit should be completely subsidized, or should the users of those services pay for at least some of it? Stadium/sport venue users? Your taxes should go for high-prioirty items. I'm sorry, Parks is not a high-priority item.

Posted by: Jon on February 25, 2006 11:07 PM

20. "Also, I'd rather have my taxes go for more important things like public safety than parks..."

Same here....But there is a huge budget in Olympia....Do you know how any of your taxes are spent in this state? One would think that public safety is a priority...but why then are our Fire Districts always asking for more funding from levies?...Where does our tax money go? In King County - we are taxed to death! Our property taxes are through the roof, our sales tax is higher than many counties, our schools are constantly asking for more funding...

Jon,
The Dems slapped a huge tax on our gas last year...They get us coming and going....Please don't act as though they are justified in $5.00 park fees..it's just naive and it only encourages them to take more!.....They are now sitting on a surplus...probably from the gas tax of last year...

I think everyone should take a close look at our state budget allocations....down to the fine details....

Posted by: Deborah on February 25, 2006 11:28 PM

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