Over breakfast this morning, I was perusing the latest issue of Motorhome Magazine. US Department of Interior Secretary Drik Kempthorne was interviewed. He discusses the direction of the Department of Interior which includes the National Parks Service and the Bureau of Land Management and many others. (The National Parks Service is my area of interest. ) In 2016, the National Parks Service will be 100 years old and there are major plans underway for this event.
The connection to NJ Governor Corzine is what Secretary Kempthorne did as governor of Idaho and some of the things in the article that talk about the future for our children. This resonates with my post yesterday, The Garden State about to Lose Its Greens. Then Governor Kempthorne worked to revitalize Idaho’s state parks, particularly Ponderosa State Park. Kempthorne talks about how he took all interests into consideration when making the changes. He also mentioned a study that says that today’s children will not live as long as their parents because of their lack of activity, notably not enough time spent outdoors. If Governor Corzine closes the NJ State Parks that he has targeted, he will be contributing to this decline in our children and grandchildren because, though many may choose to spend less time outdoors, those who want to will have less resources to do so.
Am I exaggerating this point a bit? Probably. I am just trying desperately to make sense of my Governor’s decision-making process.
Unfortunately, you are trying to make a sense of a plan that only make sense if you remember past history. Governor Corzine’s plan earlier this year was to sell the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway to private interests. When that didn’t happen, he started to look for other alternatives. Unfortunately, instead of really looking to cut government spending by looking closely at things like no-bid contracts and partonage appointments, he chooses to make
the grandstand move of announcing closure of state parks. Maybe it’s time for New Jerseyans to make a grandstand move and call for the recall of Governor Corzine!
By: songsfromthebackyard on April 5, 2008
at 10:59 am
I agree with Songs – Corzine seems to be doing what all governmental agencies have gotten into a bad habit of doing: cutting citizen benefits and rights instead of slowing down government spending. Just once in my life time I want a political candidate who gives instead of takes.
By: blandable on April 7, 2008
at 9:08 pm
[...] With the World, and in that blog I have been writing about NJ Governor Corzine’s proposal to close nine state parks as a budget balancing measure. I strongly oppose that decision and so this seems to be the place [...]
By: New Jersey: Prologue « Views from the Rear Window on April 16, 2008
at 9:19 pm