[sarbar]

Actually, I have seen mumerous articles in many papers and online pubs in the last month covering this issue. You cannot blame the P-I for being biased (if you feel they are being biased, that is. I don't!) They are helping open the eyes of the locals to what could and most likely will happen to them. I feel generaly the P-I does a good job of covering news fairly. Sorry, I'm with the P-I on this one 100%. It isn't their fault that Bush's adminstration makes it so easy to write articles about

[Brain]

I apologize, I must have missed the part of the article that gave supporters of the change a chance to make their case.

[sarbar]

Apperantley there isn't too many of them around.......

[MtnGoat]

[sarbar]

Read the article! You aren't getting the point here: they are paying $18 an hour (and trust me, somebody in the private sector would want a LOT more to do toilet patrol!) and getting a toilet guy, a search and rescue guy, plant nerd, etc.... What that one ranger is capable of doing and DOES would be 3 or more seperate jobs in the private sector! The Gov't is getting a true bargain in this particular employee.

[MtnGoat]

[sarbar]

Ummm....what does your rant o' the day have to do with the topic? I am cluless......

[MtnGoat]

[Allison]

Yes, Bush is Satan. Wondering if anyone has heard scuttlebutt as to the real reason Christie Todd Whitman is scurrying out of her job as EPA admin. The official line is that she misses her husband, but hers is a pretty big job to be leaving based on homesickness.

[polarbear-]

My guess is there isn't a job in the parks that can't be contracted out or won't be if the trend continues. Is the park system as a whole better served by a unified group of public servants or local job shops that will eventually be bought out and merged in the name of efficiency until there is one large corporation in charge of the parks and we are back to square one I say let the government run it. At least they are more accountable to the voters.

[Malachai Constant]

In my opinion parks are one of those things like courts, police, and national defense that is better run by the government.

[Slugman]

Cutting lawns or emptying toilets are jobs, being a park ranger is a career. There is more value to the individual, and to society, in a career than in a job.

[hikermike]

As to campaign promises, maybe this thread should be connected to the one on "impeachable offenses". It'd never happen. The Park service fusses about its rules but if left to the employees and not the career diplomates things would probably be fine. Look at how much of the Trail user fees collected by ONP went into the backcountry and this displays why some of us are wary. (85% of the fees went to the "front", i.e. repairing visitor centers and upgrading the facilities for RV's etc.) This is why I will not support the proposed "Cascades NP". Leave some of the wilderness for those of us who have dogs and liked to show our kids how to start a fire a make somores. Also, on a historical note, if you look back to the early 30's after the initial burst of Park and monument acquisitions, the Federal Gov. spent a greater porportion of its' budget, a greater amount of money, more employees, more acerage of parklands with more miles of trails on a per capita basis than today by a very large margin.

[treewalker]

MtnGoat, you have some valid points. I actually have total respect for the individualistic notions of capitalism. BUT, I also see it as an equation having some dependent variables and constants such as quality of life for the greatest % of participants possible and preserving the resources upon which any economy is based. Just the notion of freedom is not enough to produce long-lasting harmony. Also required are a sense of and sensibility to protecting the rights and quality of life of citizens and preserving the environment. This is where I see irony in the right-wing being called "conservative" when they don't seek to 'conserve' 2 of the factors most important to the long-term survival of our species. Farming can be done sustainably, and resources managed more efficiently through capitalisitc innovation, but we must inspire those kinds of innovations by requiring companies to clean up their environmental messes, making them economically unfeasable and providing a major cost incentive towards more healthy and sustainable activities. Similarly in the case of human rights for workers, individuals should not feel compelled to enslave themselves to corporations which exploit them. Human rights must constantly be expanded and quality of life improved upon. The benefits of capitalist inspired innovation must be felt by all of humanity, not just the wealthy. I'm not criticizing capitalism, in fact I think my interpretation of it is valid. Are we in agreement that the current US economy is not true capitalism? What about that it too heavily favors corporations and their stock holders, rather than ordinary citizens?

[hikermike]

No, I mean the backcountry use fees that the park charges in addition to the entrance fee, the per person/per nite fee.