Do you remember when Mitch ran for governor four years ago that something was mentioned by him regarding leasing out our state parks? Does anyone think he's forgotten? My guess is that with all the heck he caught with the toll road...........he'll wait to unleash this bright idea until he gets a second term.Now, I'll be fair and say I can truly see some benefits in a private company running our state parks/lodges. I see alot of problems too.
Leasing the state parks (although anything like a 75 or 100 year lease would be completely stupid, but for par with Mitch) could actually improve service, quality of food, and maintenance of the parks. There have been several times when visiting Indiana's state parks, I think, gee......market yourselves, get your act together and you could be doing very well. That's probably the businessman/republican in me.
But, I could see as many problems. First, you need to think of the state parks as something all of us Hoosiers, past and present, have invested in and paid for. The parks are OUR property. So, it would be unfortunate if costs of entry, lodging and food outpaced the average Hoosier's ability to enjoy these services. Almost like paying for membership to the country club without the financial ability to have dinner there or go for a round of golf. That wouldn't be right.
So, that's my first problem with leasing out our parks. I also am concerned that programs such as nature centers/naturalists or interpretors would be eliminated because they weren't cost effective to operations. Parks cannot be reduced to solely money making opportunites. And we don't know for certain that service or quality would improve.
So, rather than rushing to lease out our state parks........maybe the state should contract with a marketing or business consultant to help show them what could be improved on (that's a good republican idea) and move on those recommendations. Of course, that seems logicial. Unfortunately right now logic is out the door in our beloved state. It's all about hysteria and knee-jerk governance.
But, I know how we can fix that!
2 comments:
I don't have a problem with concessionaires managing inns, lodges,restaurant facilities, bike and boat rentals with some strict expectations on service quality and maintenance of facilities. I do have a HUGE problem with the parks themselves being managed and leased privately. You see I believe that they are the "peoples parks" not the STATE and Governors to do with as they please...there is an almost sacred trust to make those parks available to all now and to those who come after us and to do so in a condition that is better than we got it. I don't know if a learned it as boy scout or from my dad, but we always tried to leave a campsite or fishing cabin in a better condition than we found it.Because it was the right thing to do!.
I'd be concerned that a private company would make justification to the state that they need to log all our parks in order to make it. Part of that whole cut to the bone philosophy of taxing & budgeting!
HR
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