Worried # 2

[Mother Natures Son]

PA is in deep financial trouble as many of you might know. The incoming governor is touting a slash and burn mentality as soon as he gets sworn into office. Rumors have it that one of the departments to have deep cuts is the state park and forest service. This could whittle down services to hikers or even block access in some cases to the trail. Should we fear the future or embrace it?

[Toolshed]

I don't mind responding as long as this isn't a thinly veiled attack on our new Republican governor. If it is, then Moderators, please delete this thread....

Hikers don't need more services. PA residents (In fact all state residents) need to have governments that are leaner and aren't becoming the end all to its citizens. We need to pay fewer taxes and have leaner governments with more common sense and longer term accountbility to how taxes are spent, less nepotism and one that quits stealing from the future to increase streams of current revenue.
As a hiker, I don't need more administrators, more bathrooms, more camp stores, more regulation, more intervention, more oversight, more paved park roads. What i do need, is more left alone, more volunteers in trail clubs, more park folks that are in charge and allowed to use their common sense rather than do things the government way.

[couscous]

Well said, Toolshed.

[Lone Wolf]

embrace it

[Pedaling Fool]

Well said, Toolshed.

Yes, well said. I remember reading a study which said that when more roads are built, contrary to what you would think, traffic is not reduced, more cars get on the road. Well, when you give govt more money we don't get more benefits, we get more wasteful spending.

BTW, not partisan, both do it.

[max patch]

Good one, Toolshed. You too, John.

[Cookerhiker]

I thought we weren't supposed to discuss politics on WB anymore (whether I agree with that decision is pointless - the decision was made).

I've got opinions on this subject too but unlike the other posters - especially the OP for introducing this - I'm following the WB rules and keeping them to myself.

Moderators: Close this thread now.

[Sierra Echo]

Why do people always request a mod to close a thread they don't like?
Why don't they just not read or post in it? Or does that make too much sense? Please explain to me why. I really am curious.

[max patch]

Why do people always request a mod to close a thread they don't like?
Why don't they just not read or post in it? Or does that make too much sense? Please explain to me why. I really am curious.

Because politics are not supposed to be discussed on the site; and the initial post was just thinly veiled liberal bs.

[Razor]

I do beleive that we need to discuss how we as conservationists support our leaders. That means sometimes getting the toes wet in government.And it sometimes means supporting doing less so we have more wilderness.This is a fair discussion on this blog.We must be able to discuss how we proceed in these times and exchange our views . This family of wilderness supporters may not agree on methods but we should agree on talking how to support our trail and the land around it. If we can't agree to discuss conservation , then how can the rest of the world view us?

[HikerRanky]

The OP asked the question of should they fear the rumored changes or embrace the rumored changes. As Jimmy Buffett said in a song he wrote about Hurricane Katrina, "If a hurricane doesn't kill you, it will only make you stronger". The trail is always changing... One year it's suffering from too little water and the next it's got too much water. The trail is what it is, and it is us that must change around it's conditions.

Randy

[Wise Old Owl]

MNS - You answered your own question, and clearly you said "rumor", Governor-elect: Republican Jim Cawley hasn't taken office and yes he is going to cut government spending and waste.

State Parks are the only revenue in government that actually produce a profit from folks that come to visit Pa. So keeping the Parks open keeps the visitors spending money here in PA.


Campgrounds and other state properties were already reduced by Democratic Gov Ed Rendel 2 times while he was in office. So your information is flawed. He closed 35 parks.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009


HARRISBURG -- The closure of state parks is inevitable if lawmakers fail to reach agreement on legalizing table games at casinos to produce $250 million in tax revenue needed to close the state budget, Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell said Tuesday.
Rendell said state parks would close in the 2009-2010 fiscal year, along with layoffs of 1,000 state employees, and possible cuts in other programs, including state museums. The layoffs would begin to be processed the second week of January.
Rendell's comments were "disgraceful," said House Minority Whip Mike Turzai, R-Bradford Woods. "There's absolutely zero need to lay off Pennsylvania employees or close state parks."
Rendell denied he's holding state employees hostage to win approval of table games.

http://www.wgal.com/money/19466845/detail.html

[Cookerhiker]

Why do people always request a mod to close a thread they don't like?
Why don't they just not read or post in it? Or does that make too much sense? Please explain to me why. I really am curious.

You response shows that you neither read my post nor do you understand the agreement & rules on WB regarding politics in our threads.

The issue isn't whether "I like the thread" - the issue is the rules we agreed to after a spirited discussion on WB a few years ago on whether to continue or curtail political discussions. Everyone had their say and the admins made their decision. For the most part the WB community has stuck to this decision even though one specific WBer keeps trying to bring up climate change discussions on other threads - that's another concern.

Because politics are not supposed to be discussed on the site; and the initial post was just thinly veiled liberal bs.

And this illustrates perfectly why so many were turned off by divisive political polemics leading to the rule. Rather than a measured, explanatory response like Toolshed's, Max resorted to derogatory and disrespectful invective because he didn't agree with the OP.

So again mods - please close this. Mother Natures Son - please take note.