How Your Car Could Save State Parks

DMV fee could keep gates open

By JESSICA GREENE

Updated 5:21 PM PST, Thu, Nov 5, 2009

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There's a way you can help save California's state parks.

Would you be willing to pay more to to the DMV if it meant keeping the gates open at one of the state's treasures? That the idea being proposed by the California State Parks Foundation and voters could have a chance to weigh in on the idea.

Environmentalists want to collect enough signatures to put a measure on next year's November ballot that would increase vehicle registration fees to increase by $18 in the interest of state parks. The fee per vehicle would add up to about $500 million a year -- roughly double of what the state park budget is now. Commercial vehicles would be excluded.

It might not sound like such an attractive idea until you consider this: the increase means any driver with California plates would be allowed into state parks for free and the 100 parks stated to close under the budget shortfall could stay open.

First Published: Nov 5, 2009 6:58 AM PST

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{"totSize":7,"payload_type":"json","status":"1","results":[{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"392724_69280707","adminTags":null,"views":304,"createdBy":14102347,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"How Your Car Could Save State Parks","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2657049,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"5 Nov 2009 19:54:48 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"harleycharlie","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1190980","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"why don't I just pick up the whole tab for the entire state? how much more does the govt think it can get out of us? where does it end? they blow the money, and come back to us and say if we want services, we have to pay for them. We did!! no more! stop! sorry to see parks close, but if we can't afford them, drop them, just like I have to do with my stuff"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"392724_69280707","adminTags":null,"views":304,"createdBy":9435941,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"How Your Car Could Save State Parks","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2657049,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"5 Nov 2009 20:31:10 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"74L47","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1191298","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"I vote all Environmentalists that want to increase vehicle registration fees to increase by $18 in the interest of state parks PAY the $500 million a year so that the Environmentalist can pay the state park budget! Ok you environmentalist put your money where your mouth is! Go for it! Get that budget paid for.. you can afford it! Get it paid for by the end of this year. Thank you"},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"392724_69280707","adminTags":null,"views":304,"createdBy":14107614,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"How Your Car Could Save State Parks","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2657049,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"5 Nov 2009 21:19:00 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"BadGuv","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1191766","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":""There's a way you can help save California's state parks": get rid of most (sorry, ALL) of those foot-dragging so-called legislators in Sacramento. Vote Them Out. Yes, this fee increase sounds like a good idea IF we get into those state parks for free, and save those parks that are slated to be closed. But I just paid $215 to re-register my '06 Honda CR-V. Do we want to pay more? I Don't Think So."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"392724_69280707","adminTags":null,"views":304,"createdBy":13738694,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"How Your Car Could Save State Parks","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2657049,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"5 Nov 2009 21:20:28 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"joemamma42","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1191779","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Hmmm I'm really not in favor of just handing over more money to a state that has already proven it's inability to stay within a working budget. I'm sure there has to be ways to streamline operations and keep all of the parks open. On the other hand, with fees ranging from $5-$20 and sometimes more to get into parks $18 doesn't sound to bad to get into all of the parks all year. But I like the idea of the environmentalists coming up with the money. Couldn't they ask for donations? I would donate as a regular user of our state parks. That would take the burden off of people who don't use the parks at all. "},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"392724_69280707","adminTags":null,"views":304,"createdBy":9229842,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"How Your Car Could Save State Parks","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":2657049,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"5 Nov 2009 21:24:06 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"RichardRider","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1191812","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Want to keep the parks open? Then contract out the operation of the parks to private firms and/or environmentalist volunteers. We're already the fourth worst taxed state in the nation. No new taxes!"}],"error":"","totPages":2}