What you can do in response to state parks closing

Part of the responsibility of state legislatures is to provide opportunities for recreation for the states' citizens and visitors. State parks are a part of this recreational plan. "Only if they make money" is not part of an effective management plan. Visitors to the parks also benefit the surrounding communities, businesses, and recreational support services by the money they spend on food, fuel, supplies, RV parks, restaurants, service facilities, etc.

Our tax money should support these quality-of-life recreational programs just as they support services that are not expected to make a profit. Maybe instead we should be looking at the pork that legislators attach to every bill that they becomes law. The port that benefits them, that buys them votes in their home districts, and keeps them in office.

And how about practicing some aggressive efficiency strictures to cut runaway expenses of government operation, and weed out the forgotten and overlooked black holes that our tax money seems to disappear into?

We as citizens, travelers, tourists, and RVers need to make our voices heard. We need to let the legislatures know that the short-sided act of closing state parks will not solve, nor in most caes even put a dent in their fiscal deficits.

And if you’re asking yourself why you, as an RVer in Michigan or New Hampshire, or Florida, should care about what happens to Arizona’s state parks, it's very likely that your parks could be next. This initial act of closing the Arizona parks could spread to state park systems across the country.

Your voice carries--as a voter and as a tourist/visitor to states--just ask the visitors bureaus, or chambers of commerce, or state tourism departments. It is important that you let your legislator know, as well as those in the states that you visit, that closing state parks is unacceptable, that it will cost not only votes but state visitation.

And let them know also that their duty and responsibility is not to just grab money to cover expenditures when they can, but more importantly to find creative ways to fund what is necessary to provide recreation for the people that he/she has sworn to serve.

You you don't know who to write to or don't havetheir email address, you can find the email and snail mail addresses of state and federal senators and congress men and women here.