Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke says criticism of his proposal to institute surge pricing at 17 national parks is "baloney."
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.
Comments
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!
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.