[Geysers] Geysers Digest, Vol 2897, Issue 1

[Bruce Jensen]

Gary - I hear ya.  Sadly, things have changed over the last 40 years or so.  Most government services, national parks included, and at every level of government, have switched from a general fund finance model over to a fee-based model.  Here at Alameda County, we do it too.  Taxpayers now resist paying for things that they perceive bring them no immediate benefit - and for some reason, even though there is an economy of scale and a tangible mutual benefit that works if everyone pitches in, they are still willing to do pay the higher service fees even if they still use the service and even if they have to pay more.  In some cases, private concessionaires have taken over essential public services (perish the thought it should ever happen to our beloved national parks).  Whether it's roads or mosquito abatement or parks or even ambulance and fire services, these fee structures have become (all too) common.

But yes, it does make a national park, and any good thing from government, more prohibitive for an ever increasing segment of the population. Bruce Jensen,
California, USA
~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

     On Tuesday, November 25, 2014 12:38 AM, Gary Henderson <goh83642 at gmail.com> wrote:
   
 

 Hi Geyser list,

   I have been going into Yellowstone for over sixty years (with parents and family), and with my own family (wife and kids).  I like YNP so much that I bought a summer home in Island Park, Id.  We've owned the "cabin" for nearly 25 years.  I am not wealthy, am on SS and it puts a big hole in my pocket to just get there from Boise, Idaho now.  If it wasn't for my "Senior Pass", a bunch of my family can't afford the entrance fee after Gas, Food, etc. just to go into the Park.  
  I have lived from the time of entrance fee of $2.50 included two weeks of free park camp ground camping.  Renting a "Camper cabin" was $2.00/per night.  Gas was $0.19 per gallon.  Back then even the lowest income people could drive 400 miles and afford to go to the most wonderful National Park in the world.  Who can say that now?
  Oh yes and you could catch and keep three fish per person on the Yellowstone River after the opening of the river to fishing on 1st of July each year.  That ment - free food to eat also.  

  A lot of things have changed in my life time - so all you kids out there don't really know what it was like fifty years ago and how great it was to be able to afford to visit the Park and "Chase the bears".  

   Gary Henderson - Meridian, Idaho

On Mon, Nov 24, 2014 at 1:00 PM, <geysers-request at lists.wallawalla.edu> wrote:

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Today's Topics:

   1. Entrance and Backcountry Fee (mmjustus at mmjustus.com)
   2. Entrance and Backcountry Fee (mmjustus at mmjustus.com)
   3. Re: Entrance and Backcountry Fee (David Prast)
   4. Re: Entrance and Backcountry Fee (Janet Johns)


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Message: 1
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 10:05:11 -0800
From: <mmjustus at mmjustus.com>
To: "Geyser Observation Reports" <geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu>
Subject: [Geysers] Entrance and Backcountry Fee
Message-ID: <04A57F2F9ABC4CFE974C2746DB06767D at Meg>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

I disagree wholeheartedly with this, especially for people who live within a reasonably short drive (say within a tank of gas) and make trips to the park on a shoestring.  Or who have to save pennies to make trips to the national parks.  Every dollar counts.  This is how I visit national parks, and I will tell you that yes, doubling the entrance fee would make a huge difference to people like me.  And there are a lot more of us than those making this argument seem to think there are.

Meg Justus


I agree with Ben.  The cost is a real bargain?Disneyland and Disney World charge $100 per day.  It seems to me highly unlikely that the small rise in entrance fee would prevent any but the most casual potential visitor from coming, considering the cost of travel and other expenses.



Ralph Taylor


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Message: 2
Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 16:50:15 -0800
From: <mmjustus at mmjustus.com>
To: "Geyser Observation Reports" <geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu>
Subject: [Geysers] Entrance and Backcountry Fee
Message-ID: <409A16B6915D4BE1902E8B03B4D48A9F at Meg>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Too, the people who compare the prices for Disneyland and other for-profit entertainment with the parks are really missing the point.  National parks are government entities, not businesses.

Meg Justus
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Message: 3
Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 19:38:58 -0600
From: David Prast <davidjprast at gmail.com>
To: Geyser Observation Reports <geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu>
Subject: Re: [Geysers] Entrance and Backcountry Fee
Message-ID:
        <CACo6Xff_vnjx0UFh12cYpMEWGEZsZYQYNW6t-VzOcLFwjL+B7g at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Having reviewed the minutes if the meeting that were provided, I noticed
there was no mention of the the specific use of the additional revenue. It
would seem there is no interest in a shuttle system (thank goodness) and
the no interest in expanded parking at Fountain Paint Pots even though the
number of automobile parking spaces was reduced during the last parking lot
project.  So....what is the "plan" for the additional revenue? Is there a
specific designated project for the additional revenue?

Just wondering,

David Prast

On Sat, Nov 22, 2014 at 12:05 PM, <mmjustus at mmjustus.com> wrote:

>   I disagree wholeheartedly with this, especially for people who live
> within a reasonably short drive (say within a tank of gas) and make trips
> to the park on a shoestring.  Or who have to save pennies to make trips to
> the national parks.  Every dollar counts.  This is how I visit national
> parks, and I will tell you that yes, doubling the entrance fee would make a
> huge difference to people like me.  And there are a lot more of us than
> those making this argument seem to think there are.
>
> Meg Justus
>
>
>
> I agree with Ben.  The cost is a real bargain--Disneyland and Disney World
> charge $100 per day.  It seems to me highly unlikely that the small rise in
> entrance fee would prevent any but the most casual potential visitor from
> coming, considering the cost of travel and other expenses.
>
>
>
> Ralph Taylor
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Geysers mailing list
> Geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu
> 
>
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Message: 4
Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 22:37:46 -0500
From: Janet Johns <pinkconemtgo at gmail.com>
To: Geyser Observation Reports <geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu>
Subject: Re: [Geysers] Entrance and Backcountry Fee
Message-ID:
        <CACRXtQz37gAX=AvgzngtirhMHcTegwE75aSVLPqZkdGb_dp=Bg at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

For many, many years we went to Yellowstone on a very short budget.  We
could not pay the present fee during those years let alone a doubling of
that fee.  I find it very sad that the National Parks went from free to
everyone to such a high admission in my working life.  We used to camp for
free across this land and visit National Parks.  We made it to Yellowstone
on every penny we could save (I do mean pennies) and every cash present we
got from my relatives.  I say we need to triple the rate for any tour
groups (especially overseas) and LOWER it for the rest of us.  Is it  a
bargain?  Not if you can't afford it.

On Sat, Nov 22, 2014 at 1:05 PM, <mmjustus at mmjustus.com> wrote:

>   I disagree wholeheartedly with this, especially for people who live
> within a reasonably short drive (say within a tank of gas) and make trips
> to the park on a shoestring.  Or who have to save pennies to make trips to
> the national parks.  Every dollar counts.  This is how I visit national
> parks, and I will tell you that yes, doubling the entrance fee would make a
> huge difference to people like me.  And there are a lot more of us than
> those making this argument seem to think there are.
>
> Meg Justus
>
>
>
> I agree with Ben.  The cost is a real bargain?Disneyland and Disney World
> charge $100 per day.  It seems to me highly unlikely that the small rise in
> entrance fee would prevent any but the most casual potential visitor from
> coming, considering the cost of travel and other expenses.
>
>
>
> Ralph Taylor
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Geysers mailing list
> Geysers at lists.wallawalla.edu
> 
>
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End of Geysers Digest, Vol 2897, Issue 1
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