[Geysers] Fee increases

[Kurtis Hoppe]

I will begin by saying that if you disagree with what I have to say, feel free to email me individually rather than subject the whole listserve to it.  I'm guessing some are ready to move on from this topic.  I'll say may piece and ride off into the sunset.  kurtis.hoppe at gmail.com is where you'll find me.

I think we can all agree that we don't want to see an increase.  At the same time, I think we all understand that, over time, things just get more expensive.  I can remember my parents driving us to Yellowstone at least once every year from Minnesota with gas at about $1 per gallon and budget cabins at about $30 per night.  Obviously those days are gone and the cost of just those two items is at least 2 to 3 times higher now.  Things get more expensive (and let's not forget that people also make more money than they used to).  Government policies and budgets change, for better or worse.  There's not a lot we can do about the cost, other than ways that others have already discussed (going to public comment meetings, writing to Congress, etc.).  I'm guessing that these fee increases are probably going to happen just because that seems to be the way that these things work.  

In my opinion, people that really want to make a trip to Yellowstone will make sacrifices to make it happen.  If a $25 increase is a big dent in your budget, then start saving up.  It's $25.  That's about $2 a month.  I'm sure most Americans can trim $2 a month off their monthly budget somehow.  If you need more than one week in the park, get the annual pass at $60.  Whatever the case, if making it to Yellowstone is so important to someone, they'll find a way to make it work.  In the grand scheme of an entire trip's budget, $25 is not a lot.  If you can afford to save up for everything else on the trip, $25 more should not be a dealbreaker.

I realize I am not privy to everyone's financial situation, and please understand that I mean no offense to anyone.  I myself have four kids and some debt to work off.  I know what it's like to be on a tight budget.  If we can't afford something that we want, we do one of two things.  1)  We make a plan to save up for it somehow so that we can make it happen, or 2) we don't do it because we can't afford it.  If a trip to Yellowstone is that important to someone, they'll make a plan to make it happen.

Again, I hope that the park remains affordable.  I don't want to see increases just as others don't.  But if it happens, I'm sure that most people will be able to come up with a plan to make it work.

Kurt Hoppe