The Chronicle had a front page article today discussing the lack of funding for the state parks right now. It seems the Railroad in Rusk is at the top of the hit list, according to them it maybe shut down by years end.

It will be sad to see it go. Seems like there should be a way to tap corporate donations to make up some of the budget shortfalls for the state parks. In the same way that public television uses corporate underwriting to fund itself.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4081704.html

Bad bull. I know the Leg gets tired of all special interests, but our state parks are a treasure that is going down hill.

I got a little more info this past weekend on this. Apparently the legislature has been skimming money from the Fishing/Hunting license fees and access fees for our state parks for several years now and using it elsewhere. There are a couple legislators who are currently trying to change this before some of the parks have to be closed. The fees were set up to fund the Parks and Wildlife system and in effect the legislature has been only giving a part of the money collected to the parks skimming off the rest for other things. Hopefully it will get fixed before they have to axe some of these places, as a kid I was fortunate enough to see many of our state parks and at that time they were some of the best in the country. It is sad that a state so rich in scenic parks and places would allow them to be squandered by the very folks we elected to care for them.


~~~~~~~~~

'Salus In Fide'
~~~~~~~~~

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17054005&BRD=1994&PAG=461&dept_id=226369&rfi=6

Update from Tyler Newspaper. Sounds like locals are working to take it private. Sad loss for the State of Texas - especially given the financial mis-management of designated funds which I can confirm.

dang reporklicans! I buy hunting/fishing licenses for my family. We buy the "annual" Texas State Parks Pass and camp at least 8 times a year. The money should not be skimmed!

It's all scare tactics. Hell, they talked about closing the San Jacinto Monument and mothballing the Batleship Texas.

Yeah, right....

If any other state agency tried such overt lobbying, the executive director would be out on his azzzz.

Send everyone in Austin "out on their azz!"

San Jacinto Park and Battleship Texas Park now charge admission to enter the park grounds and then they double-dip you and charge you to get on the ship itself or to ride the elevator to the top of the monument. When asked why, they did the poor-mouth thing and blamed the Legislature. Not to worry about the elevator at the monument right now, it's down for renovation....