In Saturday April 5th’s issue of the Burlington County Times, there was an article in which Asseblyman John Wisniewski (D, Middlesex County) suggests that privatization of the operation of the state parks that are scheduled to be closed might be a way to keep these parks open to the public. I am always leary of privatization of publicly operated institutions. There is always the element of profit-making by the private company and, of course, that is at the expense of the public. Then, there is the element of quality; somehow the quality is never as good as when the operation was publicly owned.
If the parks were taken over by such organizations as the Sierra Club, or the Audobon Society, or some other group that has a vested, stated interest in the parks and the environments that they protect, then perhaps the privatization could be quite beneficial. But, usually these types of organizations do not have the means or resources to be able to take over the state parks.
In my perfect world, parks and recreation are at the top of a government’s list of vital items for funding, along with education, health and human services, and all of the other services that truly benefit the well-being of the people. Parks are integral for my personal physical, emotional, and spiritual health as I can exercise my body, dispel my stress, and renew my connection to the natural and sublime.
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