Parks facing funding shortfalls ...

[chairrock]

Has anyone noticed what is going on in NYS?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101231/ap_on_re_us/us_broken_budgets_state_parks

[rollinslover64]

I've noticed as some parks have closed. Others however have received upgrades,Rollins Pond recently had a new electrical system installed and the local state park near me,Chenango Valley,recently had a new campground loop built.Expenditures seem to be based on usage. If parks are not used much no funding is being directed towards them. The same is happening with the rest areas as many of them have closed.

[redhawk]

Parks are being closed, people are being laid off, many things are not being funded.

There's no money, I think we all need to understand the reality of that.

Hawk

[UpstateIrish]

Parks are being closed, people are being laid off, many things are not being funded.

There's no money, I think we all need to understand the reality of that.

Hawk

It is absolutely a lousy state of affairs out here in Cali as well:

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/03/3157105/without-prop-21-state-parks-continue.html#mi_rss=Capitol%20and%20California

[rADK]

I don't really have a problem with the lack of maintenance as long as people can still access the areas.

[redhawk]

As consumers we do far more to support jobs in places like China than we do here,why wouldn't the end result be this state of affairs. The day will come soon enough where parks closing and cut backs are the least of our worries.

Actually the fact is that we are supporting rich American businesses who choose to do business in China. It's American Big Business that benefits the most.

We are a Capatalistic society, and make no bones about being proud of it. Capatalism is a system that maximises profits by using the least expensive materials and labor to manufacture or produce goods.

People in other countries who do not have the standard of living that Americans have will work for much less, therefore the labor pool is less expensive as are the raw materials and goods that are manufactured overseas are much cheaper then those made in America.

So, until Americans lower their standard of living and become less of a consumer and disposable society it will get '"worse".
Of course what we consider "worse" here is still a standard of living that would be life of luxury to those people who are "stealing American jobs".

Back in the 50's, the jobs moved from the Northeast to the South because it was cheaper to do business there. Now that we are becoming a "global society", encouraged by the wealthy and supported by their puppet politicians because they can maximize profits even more, Americans will have to settle for lower wages and less consumerism. They will have to conserve and also repair things as they wear out, break down, etc, rather then just dispose of them and buy new ones. We'll all have to learn to sew in order to mend clothes and we'll have to learn how to work with our hands to repair things. We will have to learn to grow our own foods and prepare them ourselves rather then open a box and press a button.

Who knows, we may have to hunt and fish in order to supplement our food and stretch our incomes, like the majority of my peope who live on the reservations.

Actually, it might not be such a bad thing after all.

Hawk

[Hobbitling]

good points Redhawk.

I love the circular logic of the TV pundits.

"What caused this mess Mr. Pundit?"
"Too much borrowing and consumption"
"What will save our economy Mr. Pundit?"
"rising consumer confidence and more cheap credit, of course!"

I also agree with Backwoodsman. Soon park maintenance will be the least of our worries.

[geogymn]

"They will have to conserve and also repair things as they wear out, break down, etc, rather then just dispose of them and buy new ones. We'll all have to learn to sew in order to mend clothes and we'll have to learn how to work with our hands to repair things. We will have to learn to grow our own foods and prepare them ourselves rather then open a box and press a button."

We know that won't happen until there is total collapse of society as we know it, and I don't think anyone wants that. The end is admirable but the means would cause too much suffering to the ones you love, no?

[redhawk]

Actually the fact is that we are supporting rich American businesses who choose to do business in China. It's American Big Business that benefits the most.

We are a Capatalistic society, and make no bones about being proud of it. Capatalism is a system that maximises profits by using the least expensive materials and labor to manufacture or produce goods.

People in other countries who do not have the standard of living that Americans have will work for much less, therefore the labor pool is less expensive as are the raw materials and goods that are manufactured overseas are much cheaper then those made in America.

So, until Americans lower their standard of living and become less of a consumer and disposable society it will get '"worse".
Of course what we consider "worse" here is still a standard of living that would be life of luxury to those people who are "stealing American jobs".

Back in the 50's, the jobs moved from the Northeast to the South because it was cheaper to do business there. Now that we are becoming a "global society", encouraged by the wealthy and supported by their puppet politicians because they can maximize profits even more, Americans will have to settle for lower wages and less consumerism. They will have to conserve and also repair things as they wear out, break down, etc, rather then just dispose of them and buy new ones. We'll all have to learn to sew in order to mend clothes and we'll have to learn how to work with our hands to repair things. We will have to learn to grow our own foods and prepare them ourselves rather then open a box and press a button.

Who knows, we may have to hunt and fish in order to supplement our food and stretch our incomes, like the majority of my peope who live on the reservations.

Actually, it might not be such a bad thing after all.

Hawk

"They will have to conserve and also repair things as they wear out, break down, etc, rather then just dispose of them and buy new ones. We'll all have to learn to sew in order to mend clothes and we'll have to learn how to work with our hands to repair things. We will have to learn to grow our own foods and prepare them ourselves rather then open a box and press a button."

We know that won't happen until there is total collapse of society as we know it, and I don't think anyone wants that. The end is admirable but the means would cause too much suffering to the ones you love, no?

Actually, doing all those thinfgs was something that was once common in America. It was part of the American way of life. And we're not talking ancient history either. Maintaining, repairing and reusing goods was common when i was a kid, and that wasn't that long ago, 40's and 50's.

It's amazing isn't it that with the hardship of no computers, microwaves, no texting, wired phones, etc we managed to not only survive, but to have a much better quality of life, less selfishness, more courteous, more compassionate lives then we do today.

Not only that we managed to do that with only one house (just large enough for our growing families, and one car. Most of our kids worked their way through college.

Imagine this statement in the 50's:

"Mom, I lost my Ipod"

reply.

"Well, honey, you'll have to get a job and earn the money for a replacement"

Hawk

[geogymn]

"but to have a much better quality of life, less selfishness, more courteous, more compassionate lives then we do today."

Quality of life is in direct proportion to life struggles, at least spiritually. We've all become, to a certain degree, fat and lazy which weakens the spirit. It is only when we give does one's spirit soar. There is always too much evil but I think there is more compassion today than in all the times past, at least in most cultures. We just seem to focus on the evil in attempts to make this world a better place?

[DuctTape]

"but to have a much better quality of life, less selfishness, more courteous, more compassionate lives then we do today."

Quality of life is in direct proportion to life struggles, at least spiritually. We've all become, to a certain degree, fat and lazy which weakens the spirit. It is only when we give does one's spirit soar. There is always too much evil but I think there is more compassion today than in all the times past, at least in most cultures. We just seem to focus on the evil in attempts to make this world a better place?

I have to say this is supported by my experiences. The people whom I met with the greatest "spirit" was back when I was in high school. I was volunteering down in West Virginia rehabbing homes. This was in the heart of Appalachia, an old coal town which the mining company left for ruin. The town had a 70% unemployment rate. The conditions in which many of the people lived were beyond my comprehension at the time. I didn't know these conditions existed in the United States. The creek through the center of town was also the sewer (this is assuming the home even had indoor plumbing, as many didn't). Kids played in the creek. Families ate the fish from the creek. Homes were heated with the coal chunks picked up along the roads and railways. Materially these people had nothing. Spiritually though, they were very rich.

[DSettahr]

It's amazing isn't it that with the hardship of no computers, microwaves, no texting, wired phones, etc we managed to not only survive, but to have a much better quality of life, less selfishness, more courteous, more compassionate lives then we do today.

And a shorter life span, too! (Although that might not have been such a bad thing, from an ecological point of view)

Am I the only one who's amused that this conversation is taking place on an online forum? I can't be.

[Dustin]

Maintaining, repairing and reusing goods was common when i was a kid, and that wasn't that long ago, 40's and 50's.

1840's and 1850's?

[redhawk]

1840's and 1850's?

I wish

[sp_nyp]

Parks are being closed, people are being laid off, many things are not being funded.

There's no money, I think we all need to understand the reality of that.

Hawk

Actually, there has to be more money that one could fathom. With taxes as high as they are, there has to be a serious amount of $$$ being collected.

It is just a matter of where it is spent.