DOW and State Parks combined?

[Mtn.man]

Yeah I got the info from DOW this afternoon.

[claimbuster]

Guess where some our license and fee money is going to go!

[mx'r]

And just when I thought that the CODOW couldnt get any worse... Seems to be right on track with Libtard thinking. So, what happens to all the Casino money that Parks & Rec get now?

[BigDee]

Hunting license fee's, fishing license fee's, boat and off road vehicle registration fund the State Parks. State Parks is 100% self sufficient and uses absolutely 0 tax payer money.

So why would you combine the two? Easy you follow the California (liberal) model. Combine the two and first start siphoning funds from State Parks to fund other pet projects. Once the State parks start to go dry you raise fee's for licensing, you turn off road vehicles and boats over the the DMV and start charging property tax on those.

Before you know it you're paying $250 a year to register your aluminimum bass boat that is only going to be allowed in state parks that are aproved for sporting purposes.

This state is in an awfully big hurry to become California and noone seems to realize it. The things happening here could read like a damn text book based on the history of California.

[ldmaster]

One of the reasons DOW went independent was to keep autonomy and prove that it's function COULD be supported solely by fees. Parks didn't give a damn because we were flush with cash and they were expanding like crazy, the way they saw it back then was that DOW was a DRAIN on their funding.

Now that DOW has done it's job of careful growth and conservation, the quislings at Parks want to go rape them - they've run out of other places to exercise their incessant need for money.

State parks passes are ridiculously low when compared to hunting fees. Parks has been run like a personal fiefdom of the far left for a long time - DOW and Parks will not mix well.

I think this is a precursor move, if the State can get the finances of DOW (already Enterprise qualified) and Parks comingled, then Parks may benefit from "enterprise" status. Essentially, if a state function gets less than 10 percent (think that's the number) from the State, then it's exempt from the Tabor restrictions and CAN sell revenue bonds and raise money outside of the legislative function of budget. DOW has already gotten it's designation, so TABOR doesn't apply to them. I'm guessing that DOW's surplus and combination with Parks MIGHT put the combined agency into enterprise status... politics man, everything is politics...

But it's absolutely UNTRUE that Parks gets all of it's funding from fees revenue. Here's a 2007 study showing where the money comes from, and the numbers have changed - lower visitor counts in the last two years.

http://cospl.coalliance.org/fez/eser...72internet.pdf

[buffalobo]

DOW being fully funded by fees means it does not draw/drain state budget. Leave it the hell alone. If Chickenpooper wants Parks to be revenue neutral or generate its own revenue then make it so. Don't screw up what DOW has accomplished. This has to be the most stupid thing that moron has suggested yet. He will set it up that the preservationists end up with control and hunters/fisherman will take the hit. The average citizen does not have a clue to the difference between conservation and preservation and will either support or ignore it.

BTW - Who gives a rats ass what other states have done.

[Byte Stryke]

BTW - Who gives a rats ass what other states have done.

I care, for purely educational reasons if nothing else.

"Hey, they did this and it didn't work. let's not repeat their fuckup!"


But, Lickmypooper doesn't learn from his own mistakes, Much less the mistakes of others.
But then I Feel his intentions are NOT to make a self sufficient parks system, but instead tap another revenue base that he can steal from.

[buffalobo]

What the other states have done/are doing was presented in the article to make it appear that Colorado might not be doing it right or behind the times, etc. Not to educate the public on what other states may be doing well.

Several other Western states operate combined parks and wildlife agencies, including Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas. Washington and Oregon are also currently in the process of combining their wildlife and parks programs.

With the current economic issues we face, I appreciate that DOW funds itself and while I don't know details of surrounding states, I doubt thier DOW agencies are self funded.

[rellik74]

State parks uses about 3millon dollars in state taxes but they are not allowed enough fee increases to make 3 millon.

Most state employees have not gotten a raise in 3 years and now they are taking 2.5% from each employee for PERA and this is equal to a 2.5% pay cut. Last year most state employees took 8 furlough days.

Now before you think we are geting RICH I had a 5 year plan to get up to my pay up to where I was geting payed in the private sector. That was 10 years ago and before I beacame a stste employee I made 55k and now its still 42K so I hope my PERA retirement makes up for this in my golden years.

And what relly pissess me off is they stared a pay for performance program but the Joint budget committe will not FUND the program! I dont know how much longer I can work for the people of colorado

[theGinsue]

But then I Feel his intentions are NOT to make a self sufficient parks system, but instead tap another revenue base that he can steal from.

BINGO.

He's going to take a great working program and reduce it to the same in-the-red situation the State Parks are in then they'll both be struggling and the wildlife and hunters/anglers of CO will certainly lose.