Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Leo Anderson on February 25, 2011 at 9:11am

Greetings Everyone,

 

National Parks are important, but they aren't even close to being priorities in the grand scheme of things..... They are for entertainment and tourism..... The Military, FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, DEA, Border Patrol, Secret Service< FDA, DOT, Social Security Agency, Medicare and Medicaid Agencies, and local, state and government workers working with social and economic matters take a priority over worrying about National Parks and National Recreation Centers anyday because they have an impact on public safety and economic and social issues that affect the vast majority of U.S. Citizens unlike National Parks being affected which would only affect a small percentage based on the U.S. population. This may not be easy to read for Cool Works users, but it is a fact! I hope the elected officials can grow up enough to avoid having a government shutdown so this situaation can be avoided all together.

 

Sincerely,

 

Leo

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Permalink Reply by Leo Anderson on February 25, 2011 at 9:39am

I forgot to mention the U.S. Postal Service, USDA and FCC as other more important agencies as well.

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Permalink Reply by aggie71 on February 25, 2011 at 9:57am

Well personally I am so thankful I own a house close to my National Park workplace .... at least if they shut 'er down I have somewhere to go until the issues blow over!   In fact I may be housing some of my co-workers for a few days :-)   I am sure the National Park System has difficulty maintaining it's funding at times .... truth is our parks are horribly under funded for the value they offer us and our children.   I'd like to see some fee's raised to help the Park System be more "self funded" and less reliant on congressional funding.  $3.00/person NPS tour fees at Mesa Verde sound dirt cheap compared with Aramark tours costing $35-45/person!   And guess who narrates the expensive Aramark tours?  Park Rangers!  Bet you could find similar examples in other parks.

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Permalink Reply by Brendan J Garvey on February 25, 2011 at 1:53pm

Meh. I don't think the Jacobs would let the government shut down the parks.

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Permalink Reply by jackie morris on February 25, 2011 at 1:58pm

Yes they will shut down the parks it has happened before and will probally happen again.. employees are allowed to stay at there housing but no job:(

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Permalink Reply by Patty on February 25, 2011 at 2:08pm

Interesting .... we here in Yellowstone have memories of a gov't shutdown that suspended operations in the Park a few years back. It happened in the middle of a winter season.  At the time, employees on staff had some extra time to get out and ski and play.  As it is right now, March will bring the end to the Winter Season in Yellowstone, so .... not saying that a shutdown wouldn't "matter", but for seasonal employees, the timing wouldn't be as painful as it might be otherwise.

 

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Permalink Reply by Sunni on February 25, 2011 at 3:11pm

Some of the employees here at GCSR, that have been here for a very long time told me that the park was closed for 6 days in 1995. Everyone got to stay in their housing during those 6 days. Basically the government gave everyone here a 6 day vacation (well without pay of course).

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Permalink Reply by Jim Tobin on February 25, 2011 at 3:26pm

govt workers WERE paid later so they got a free vacation. plus the welfare checks went out. the only things effected were visable things like the Washington Monument. They showed the poor school kids locked out. Just a photo op for show. Now if we could shut down congress for real for a few weeks............

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Permalink Reply by 40Rob on February 26, 2011 at 12:20am

I agree with Leo - IMHO opinion there are  more important and crucial government services than National Parks.  That said, and with the dollar below par with the Australian Dollar (I can remember the US dollar at 1.75 Australian dollars not too long ago and at 1.57 Canadian dollars not too long ago), the US National Parks are on clearance right now for many foreigners and closing the National Parks doesn't seem very bright when we so desperately need the tourism revenue. Here's hoping any shutdown will be very brief.  40Rob

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