Democrats Condemn National Park Fee Hike Proposal

Above, Lassen Peak. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is funny that Democrats in the U.S. Senate are condemning the proposed national park entrance fee hikes.

There is currently a $11 billion backlog of maintenance and infrastructure projects needed for the national parks that have accumulated over years. Why did they let this backlog accumulate and not address it over the years, especially during the 8 years of the Obama Administration?

Now they are screaming because the Trump Administration is trying to find a way to tackle this backlog.

According to the Billings Gazette:

WASHINGTON — Democratic senators on Thursday criticized a National Park Service plan to impose steep increases in entrance fees at 17 of its most popular parks, including the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone and Zion, calling the proposed rates "arbitrary and unjustifiable." 

Under a plan announced this week, visitors to many national parks would be charged $70 per vehicle during the peak summer season, up from $25 or $30 per vehicle now. Officials say the higher fees are needed to address an $11 billion backlog of maintenance and infrastructure projects that have been put off for years. 

Senators said the plan would exclude many Americans from enjoying national parks. Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state and other Democrats said the proposal is especially egregious because the Trump administration is recommending severe budget cuts for the park service.

Saying that the Trump Administration is cutting the National Park Service budget is disingenuous. It is not really cutting the amount of funds they get, just a cut in the rate of increase.

To read more, go here.

UPDATE (10/27/17):

I received this reaction which brings up an excellent point:

Funny, I don't see those on the left complaining about hurting the poor by raising the price of gasoline in CA by a 12 cent/gallon tax and vehicle registration fees to fix highway infrastructure. So complain about poor people not having the opportunity to see national parks while making it more costly for them to drive there. Now there's a bit of searing logic in practice.