Proposition 21, I'm for it. But I'd like to hear your opinions.

The California State Parks initiative has become convoluted with opinionist and columinsts writing about what it is and isn’t in the hand of the government. But at the core of the issue lies the well-being of our state parks.

Below is a rebuttal to the idea of making only park users pay and the fact that it’d disproportionately affect poor people.

“I can conceivably see park attendance dropping due to the exorbitant cost of rising park fees which in turn makes it even more costly. Say, $20.00 to enter yosemite? Sure. $50.00 to enter yosemite? Maybe. $100.00? hmm, would you want to spend $100 to enter a park? I wouldn’t.

With this model of pay-to-play, the parks enter into somewhat of a downward spiral. Not to mention the poor are even LESS able to enter the park. If a “poor” person couldn’t pay $18.00 a year, what makes them able to pay $20.00 a day (which it currently is)?

All this however, is contingent upon the fact that we as a society actually want parks. See, the thing about parks is that few people actually use them, yet parks are for everyone to use (even the poor). How many people would willingly let a beautiful ocean state park, or the Redwoods go to ruins? But on the flip side, nobody really wants to pay for them. In my opinion they’re our natural treasures which should be preserved and maintained. Not to mention, with this relatively small “tax/fee” I know I’d be more invested and compelled to use these parks more often.

Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not a tree hugging, state park loving hippy. “Unjust” federal taxation and fiscal responsibility is also another side issue here. But I just think that people can be so cloistered in their lives sitting in front of the television or computer that they forget there is a big exciting world out there. And when they actually want to go hiking up Mission Peak or to see Halfdome, it’s not gonna be there because $18.00 a year was too much.

Sure, if nobody wants em, get rid of it. Turn it into a landfill, or let it go unattended. It’d be sad to see our national parks turn into just another strip mall or vacation getaway housing.