Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke doesn't mince words when asked about the outrage voiced over his proposal to institute surge pricing in 17 national parks across the country.
"Baloney" is how he labeled the pushback in an interview with Fox News.
What Secretary Zinke hasn't expressed is exactly how the fee increase at some of the country's most popular parks, which is estimated to raise nearly $70 million a year, will significantly impact the estimated $11-$12 billion maintenance backlog that shackles the National Park Service. Nor has he commented on how the pricing -- up to $70 a week for parks that currently charge $30-$35 a week -- will impact families whose summer vacations are dictated by the school calendar, or why he isn't asking Congress to direct some of the hundreds of millions of dollars Interior is reaping from oil and gas leases to addressing the maintenance backlog, or why, at a time when the Park Service is so strapped, he supports President Trump's desire to cut the National Park Service budget by about $400 million and its staff by about 1,200 employees.
But the Interior secretary does believe the parks should be better funded.
“As a former military, there’s two things we need to fund absolutely: our military and our parks. So come on, America,” Secretary Zinke told the Fox reporter earlier this month. “If you think that $80, all year, every park, all the time, by a carload, is too much to ask — I mean, come on.”
Parks to be affected by these rates, if approved, are "Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Denali, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Olympic, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion national parks with peak season starting on May 1, 2018; in Acadia, Mount Rainier, Rocky Mountain, and Shenandoah national parks with peak season starting on June 1, 2018; and in Joshua Tree National Park as soon as practicable in 2018."
Public comment on the higher fees being proposed by Mr. Zinke is being taken through November 23.
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Comments
Zinke [ ] is a crook who stole from the federal govt as a soldier and thinks the lowly taxpayer needs to fund his and Trump's cabinet "high flying" ways. I love the fact he insists they fly a flag over the DOI when he is there. I suppose it doesn't get raised very often.
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What a surprise, he starts off by mentioning his military service. There are a lot of his fellow veterans, like myself, who don't consider our time in uniform a lifetime pass. I'm glad he served, but every time he mentions it we are reminded of how flawed his ethical lapses were during that time.
Zinke's response of "baloney" makes me realize how llittle he really cares about what the public thinks. And, if that's the way he feels, then why even have any sort of comment period at all for anything regarding national parks or monuments, since it doesn't sound like he will ever actually listen to what the general public has to say? Or does he only think "baloney" for those comments that don't agree with his mindset?
The same majority of American families that visit the parks are the same ones that drop a hundred bucks plus ,each for a day at a water park, Disney, etc. They don't mind paying. Yes, the Trump administration could fund NPS. But so could have Obama, Bush, Clinton, and on down the line. Bottom line is that they're not going to. Increase it to eighty bucks a week everywhere and all year long. Do away with the Senior Pass, which I have, but would give up if it put more dollars in the parks hands. Liberal, conservative, den, or two. We need to realize Congress isn' going to find the parks. The money has to come from someplace else.
Actually the Americans that drop $100s at Disneyland and waterparks around the country are NOT the same Americans that enjoy our national parks. Sad but true. There are clear class lines around how American families spend their vacations and those that visit National Parks are almost always (there are exceptions, so put down the pitchforks) that visit our parks. And when I do visit Disneyland it is clean, in good repair, with new attractions every year. The roads are good, the parking plentiful. Zinke is asking us to pay more for less. That is a hard pill to swallow, especially as he jets around the country selling off our precious natural reosurces to forighn entities.
Billion Dollar maintenance backlog...just give it back to the natives. They maintained this land a hell of a lot better with 0$ Everything white men touches turns to [ ]. They came here because they couldn't stomach their [ ] Kings anymore and brought all their baggage with them. Just give it back if it's such a damned burden for you [ ]
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You are a little confused Bill, that was Hillary. I have been to Disneyland & Disney World mutliple times and have visted dozens of National Parks. I know many others that have done the same. I have seen the full spectrum of "class" at both. Disney and the Parks have no class lines.
I don't see any confusion. The reference is obviously to Zinke taking unnecessary corporate jet charters (at public expense) and USAF VIP jets simply to meet a schedule of private events. We're talking talking about the Secretary of the Interior. He apparently had a corporate jet chartered so that he could privately speak to an NHL team in Vegas owned by a big donor to his campaigns, a charter in the USVI so that he could go snorkeling with his wife, and the case where he declined a free ride from the Governor of Colorado so he could take his entire security detail with him on the charter. The latter was where the Governor had a competent security detail with him.
Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State and merits a strong security detail for obvious reasons. The SoS routinely flies on these planes for that reason and because it is considered respect when she (and her successors) arrive on official US aircraft. The Secretary of the Interior doesn't really merit that.
Seriously, Hillary merits anything, anything at all? What does Hillary and her husband merit at this point? Maybe a Weinstein movie script. Sorry someone invoked Hillary in this. Not making any points in the argument.
And now even the endangered elephans of Africa aren't safe. Will any of the really valuable things of the world survive the onslaught of drumpf and his buddies?
Lee, it is becoming more evident daily that Trump's goal is to completely erode all that is good about American society from the top down. It will take decades to repair the damage of goodwill he has squandered in a short few months. When I hear folks talk about his "successful" business career, I say, "show me the money". But with his refusal to honor the campaign promise and releasing his tax returns, it is but another lie in what are hourly ones, it would appear. And Republicans fiddle while Rome burns. I hope voters remember this come next round.
We can only hope, Smokies, --- and vote and work hard to try to get other concerned Americans that their votes are important. Unfortunately, there are many out there who seem to think it's hopeless.
Instead of calling outrage to his doubling of Park entrance fees "Baloney", maybe Secretary Zinke should start listening to those who don't agree with him. Then, maybe, he would worry less about the "Loyalty" of his employees. I think Zinke's commanding officer in the Navy knew what he was doing when he evaluated the current Secretary as unfit for promotion into leadership positions.
Must agree Glad2bretired
One would have to admit there is a whole bunch of baloney coming from the left of center recently. Geez!