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An annual $15 vehicle fee proposed by a state budget committee yesterday could save 80% of state parks currently threatened to be closed amidst the budget crisis. The Ventura County Star explains:
Under the plan, all motorists would pay a $15 surcharge on the license fees they pay each year to register their vehicles. The surcharge would yield about $220 million — enough to keep parks open, allow anyone with a California license to enter and park for free at state parks and leave enough left over to make some debt payments on outstanding park bonds.The action by conference committee, however, made clear that if the license fee surcharge is not approved there will be no money in the state general fund to support parks and they would be forced to close.
For all of this to happen, two-thirds of the legislature needs to approve it, but with Republicans and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger not too keen on new taxes, the fate of state parks is still anyone's guess.
For those of you on Facebook, the California State Park Foundation has set up a fan page for their Save Our State Parks campaign.
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wow, this is a great idea! Already paying $30 for an annual pass so this is a discount.
Fifteen bucks? What a bargain!
Why don't they just f*cking around and raise the damn income tax rate already?
Honestly...I'm getting tired of this stuff always getting dumped onto vehicle registrations.
Just because I own car doesn't mean I should always bear the cost burden.
As Obama would say, spread the wealth.
this *is* a good idea.
$15 is a freaking bargain for parks.
the reason these kind of piecemeal
fees abound is due *directly* to
Howard Jarvis and (Prop 13),
posterchild for those
lacking the capacity for rational analysis.
IE: *scores* of old, rich californians
are sitting on *multi-million dollar houses*
and paying merely a grand or two in property taxes,
because they thought it awesome to pass the tax burden to
*future* Californians, most of whom will never be able to
afford an over-inflated property.
Although the parks already make money, bring in money to our local communities, and pay for themselves.
I would definitely pay $15.00 if it meant to tell the governator: We will keep all our state parks open. Thank you.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/save-california-state-parks-from-closure
Governor Schwarzenegger - Save our parks.
Visited a state park just yesterday! What I can't believe is all the people who park just outside to save paying the parking fee. It's a small price to pay to help keep the parks running.