Wrestling with a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, Arizona decided Friday to close nearly all of its state parks, including the famed Tombstone Courthouse and Yuma Territorial Prison. The State Parks Board unanimously voted to close 13 parks by June 3. Eight others had already been closed, and the decision would leave nine open -- but only if the board can raise $3 million this year. The action represents the largest closure of state parks in the nation, although several other states are considering similar moves. "It's a dark day for the Arizona state parks system," said Renee Bahl, the system's executive director. "We have 65,000 acres around the state and the majority of them are closing." The Arizona parks receive about 2.3 million visitors per year who bring about $266 million into the state, Bahl said.
Wrestling with a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, Arizona decided Friday to close nearly all of its state parks, including the famed Tombstone Courthouse and Yuma Territorial Prison.
The State Parks Board unanimously voted to close 13 parks by June 3. Eight others had already been closed, and the decision would leave nine open -- but only if the board can raise $3 million this year.
The action represents the largest closure of state parks in the nation, although several other states are considering similar moves.
"It's a dark day for the Arizona state parks system," said Renee Bahl, the system's executive director. "We have 65,000 acres around the state and the majority of them are closing."
The Arizona parks receive about 2.3 million visitors per year who bring about $266 million into the state, Bahl said.
Unlikelier still is the idea that, if elected, the candidates could accomplish their goal, critics say. "This is the triumph of hope over reality," said Garrison Nelson, a political science professor at the University of Vermont and a longtime observer of the state's political scene. "The whole movement was spawned by having George W. Bush as president. My guess is that with (Barack) Obama as president and this being Obama's second-best state, the wind has been taken out of their sails." In fact, Obama's failure to close the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has fueled some of the candidates' positions.
"This is the triumph of hope over reality," said Garrison Nelson, a political science professor at the University of Vermont and a longtime observer of the state's political scene. "The whole movement was spawned by having George W. Bush as president. My guess is that with (Barack) Obama as president and this being Obama's second-best state, the wind has been taken out of their sails."
In fact, Obama's failure to close the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has fueled some of the candidates' positions.
if they bring in 266 million dollars a year, that's not chump change is it? can it really cost that much and more to 'ranger' them?
and what will happen to that land? ring fenced for cheyney style wildlife shootouts? rockefeller safaris?
or will it be left to the wannabe indians, dopegrowers, survivalists, etc. who will probably much prefer going there without uniformed rangers telling them what to do where.
it seems insane to throw away that income, which will probably rise as more aging boomers trade in the underwater house for the winnebago sunchaser lifestyle.
can't they run them cheaper?!? all those frickin uniforms, shiny badges and the latest SUVS i bet.
why not make it part of a new deal employment policy? it would give something of great value to underprivileged city kids to do some wilderness time, especially with some training in basic ecology. might see some serious perspective changing over time.
better to give it back to the indians, who were the best ecologists the continent ever had, right CH?
well snagged ARG. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
