National Park fee increase possible

bukhrn wrote:

2gypsies wrote:
Here's how the yearly attendance is at the major parks:

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/annual-visitation-highlights.htm

As volunteers in these parks we have seen the 'behind-the-scene' issues the parks have to deal with. When 5 million people visit a park that creates a lot of manpower, a strong law enforcement team, road repairs, general building repairs, etc. The amount kept in the parks from the entrance fees doesn't begin to cover the overall costs of needed repairs/updating that the public expects.

Nothing will replace these parks. If you expect your children/grandchildren and their descendants to have the good experiences that you've had then costs will go up over the years to preserve these parks for them. Costs in everything goes up. Think of the cigarettes, booze, cars, groceries, fuel, amusement park entrances, movies, etc. that you willingly pay. Those have all gone up over the years and yet, we just pay them.

I think we all agree, there needs to be an increase, But I can't remember anything that has gone up 134% at one time.

X2-- It isn't that no one expected an increase-- it is the AMOUNT of the increase at one time--from $20 to $70 on daily use? A Senior lifetime pass from $10 to $80?? Only Washington lawmakers can propose something that extreme! Yes, we all pay more for food, dining out, movies, amusement parks but NO private business ever got away with 300-400% increases in 1 shot! Never! They would be out of business! But the Fed doesn't think like that! A 10-15% increase every year for next 10 years might be palatable... but this one time increase is ridiculous and unfair! But our elected officials have a different mindset when they are spending our tax money and do not risk going out of business! Such a shame why common sense does not prevail on these kind of decisions! Thank God I got my Sr lifetime pass for $ 10 several years ago! I feel bad for those who do not have one yet!