Question of the week: Should we pay to save the parks?

WITH the state parks system's recent announcement that it will close one quarter of its parks, Californians may find themselves driving a little farther to unfold that sleeping bag and light that campfire.

Budget cuts to the parks department means the shutdown of 78 of its 278 parks, including Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park, McGrath State Beach in Oxnard and others in the region. The closures are set to begin in September and will be completed by July 2012.

For outdoor enthusiasts who have taken to park trails and bike paths, that could be a devastating blow. But others are calling Californians' concern for their parks too little, too late. During last November's general election, voters shot down Proposition 21, which would have increased vehicle license fees by $18 to supplement the parks system budget. The revenue from that measure could have kept the parks operating at current levels.

What do you think?

Should Californians have bitten the bullet to save their state parks? Or is this another necessary reaction to the state's deep deficit?

If you voted against Prop. 21, are you OK with the ramifications? Would you change your vote knowing this would happen?

Send your responses to opinionated@dailynews.com. Please include your full name, the community or city in which you live and a daytime phone number. We'll print as many as we can in Sunday's Opinionated section.

Source: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_18075519?source=rss

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