[polarbear]

[Karen]

This was on the news this morning too. Not a good way to start the day. There was also talk on the news about closing trails and campgrounds by 2007. This is bad news for hikers, scramblers, climbers, just about everyone who likes to be outside. There are already too many people on a dwindling number of trails. With more trails likely to be abandoned there will be more "loppers" out and about on dying trails but with fewer people checking out what's going on in the backcountry, it will be hard to enforce some of the rules they have about "volunteers" working on such trails. I don't know the answer to this but how long have they been renting out forest service cabins and lookouts?? I'm under the impression that there are more cabins for rent than there used to be -- at least four in the Olympics, I believe and one in the Suiattle. I also know that Louella Cabin, for example, is VERY popular and that you have to get a reservation pretty far ahead to reserve one. I'd rather see them rent cabins than sell them to Joe Blow who'd want to grab the land, tear down the cabin and put in a condominium or something equally ghastly. I'm glad I'm getting old. I'd hate to be young now with all this *&^$#)^% going on. Karen

[Slugman]

What a complete stab in the back. We get to pay for access through the forest pass, and then we get shafted again on cheapskating the maintenance. This is a typical, and sickening, betrayal of the American people by our so-called leaders. The selling of unneeded buildings doesn't bother me, but closing down and/or abandoning recreational facilities just because they are not popular is outrageous. Have these nutcases ever heard of solitude? I guess when you're fabulously wealthy, you can afford your own solitude. The rest of us need to get it where we can find it on our public lands. Too bad that is now going to get even harder. Let's see, how many billions have we spent rebuilding Iraq, while we cut millions from our own necessary facilities?

[lookout bob]

Karen, Slugman....this is utterly obscene....more typical Bush tactics to move money from the 'regular people'(like hikers and forest users) to the support of Oil related business and opportunities. I have to agree with Karen's call of *$@#$^& and add an additional &^$*# for Bush himself (hisself...) Just remember....friends don't let friends vote republican.

[Tom]

I'm confused. Is it Bush, the Iraq War, or Republicans that are responsible? Do comments like "friends don't let friends vote republican" keep the discussion intelligent or on topic?

[Allison]

"Bush Administration" ought to cover it. This is consistent with environmental policy under the current President.

[Slugman]

My "shot" was meant to include Democrats as well. Where is the outcry from them? Where is the filibuster? Most of the dems in high office are rich compared to me, same as the GOP senators, etc. They can afford vacation properties, they don't need the wilderness like I do. But I think the Iraq comment was justified. Fix your own problems first before going halfway around the world to fix somebody else's, unless you can afford both. If the policy was "we're keeping funding intact, but focusing it better where it is needed more, and these facilities are less needed", then I might buy into it. But the facilities closures and sales won't benefit the rest of the system, they will just be given as tax breaks to millionaires. Overall funding is being slashed, even as we pay more through user fees. It is indeed sickening, and not very confusing. It's class warfare pure and simple. All part of the "Republican tax" we all pay everyday, in our manipulated electricity costs, our manipulated gasoline costs, our increased state and local taxes due to cutting of federal help to states, etc. If you make less than a million per year, you have received not one penny in actual tax relief under this dishonest administration, and the Democrats have sat largely silent while this thievery has occurred. The American people should be re-named "sheeple" in honor of our brainless acquiescence to this rampant theft and ridiculous waste. Bush/ Iraq/ Republicans: three heads of the same snake, IMO.

[Tom]

Again, you are drifting off topic. There is more political pork in your last post than a bill going thru congress.

[Slugman]

Sorry that the truth is upsetting to you. This is part and parcel of this administration's policies from the day they took office. Denying it won't help stop it or ameliorate it's affects. And how is it off-topic? The reason for this cutback is to save money. Well, why is the richest nation in the world broke? The Iraq war and tax cuts for millionaires. We were told that the tax cuts were just giving extra money back to those who paid it, but now we are running huge deficits, so that reason is false. Then we were told it's economic stimulus, but our recovery from the recession is the slowest in recorded history, so that reason is also false. Class warfare is the real reason. When they start clearcutting around your favorite lakes, it will be too late. And don't say it can't happen because of wilderness protections. Those could be voted into the trashbin tomorrow, and will be if this gang of war criminals has their way.

[Allison]

[Slugman]

The topic is "are we so broke that we must slash funding for NFS maintenance?" My posts were on that topic.

[Tom]

[MtnGoat]

[Slugman]

You are factually incorrect, and I'm sorry to see someone as intelligent as you is so easliy confused. I clearly stated that you recieved no "actual" tax decrease, due to the administration and congress slashing aid to states, just for one example, raising your state taxes. Also, the gasoline you buy at $2.50 per gallon instead of $1.75 is a tax, and you get no benefit from it all, no schools, no roads, no nothing. So if you think your total tax burden is less now than it was, then you are wrong. It is amazing to me that you only consider your federal income tax as a tax, and other taxes you pay don't count. It is very convenient for Bush when you think that way. You are the one who is sadly mis-informed and must be educated to the realities of this situation. If you are better off now than you were four years ago, then you are part of a tiny minority in this country. Every day, there's news of tens of thousands of layoffs at some company or in some industry. When do you find out that tens of thousands of new, high-paying jobs were just added by some company? Never, that's when. I'm sorry that you think you are immune from this. You're not. When nobody has any money to buy your company's products, then you will be "downsized" like millions of other Americans have been. PS: your precious sales tax deduction is on the admin's hit list for next year's taxes, so don't go spending your windfall all in one place.

[Allison]

OK, shut up already, unless you are going to discuss the new policy and ideas around it. I don't give a nit about tax reform for the sake of this discussion, and totally do care about this draconian new policy. Play with the other kids or get out of the sandbox!